Marley Makes 3: 24.11.20 Mississippi and Louisiana

2024.11.16 We traveled to Columbus Mississippi and went exploring. We didn't find a lot to do here so we relaxed and enjoyed a little quiet time.

Tennessee Williams House-circa 1875

This home, playwright Tennessee Williams’ first home, was originally the parsonage where his grandfather was Reverend.

White Arches-circa 1853

This home combines Gothic, Greek Revival and Italianate style and the octagon is known as “Columbus Eclectic.” A cast iron balcony wraps around the octagon tower and top floor observatory.

Riverview-circa 1853

This Greek Revival is made of handmade bricks and has identical front and rear entrances. There is a spiral staircase inside that goes up to the cupola with floor to ceiling stained glass windows. Riverview and it’s grounds cover almost an entire city block.

Whitehall-circa 1843

During the Civil War, Whitehall’s, basement served as a hospital after the Battle of Shiloh. During WWII the basement served as the Drop In Hanger servicemen’s center.

We drove though this cemetery and learned a little something.

Friendship Cemetery-Union Lodge #35

Friendship Cemetery is a cemetery located in Columbus, Mississippi. In 1849, the cemetery was established on 5 acres by the Union Lodge No. 35 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The original layout consisted of three interlocking circles, signifying the Odd Fellows emblem. By 1957, Friendship Cemetery had increased in size to 35 acres, and was acquired by the City of Columbus. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and was designated a Mississippi Landmark in 1989. As of 2015, the cemetery contained some 22,000 graves within an area of 70 acres and was still in use.

The cemetery had its first recorded burial in July 1849. Soon after opening, Friendship was the recipient of several graves moved from other cemeteries, which accounts for the 1823 date found on its oldest tombstones (James W. Parker, "Friendship Cemetery Tombstone Inscriptions and Burial Records”)

There were family plots that looked to be about 10'x10'. Some had huge family stones in the center with smaller ones around the outside. Some were just filled with small stones. There were even some mausoleums. There were crepe myrtle and huge magnolia trees everywhere.

During the American Civil War, Columbus served as a military hospital center for the wounded, particularly after the Battle of Shiloh.[7] More than 2,000 Confederate soldiers were interred in Friendship Cemetery, along with 150 Union soldiers.

In 1866, four women, who became known as the Decoration Day Ladies, organized a formal procession and ceremony to be held at Friendship Cemetery on April 26 so that a large group of Columbus women, both young and old, could place flowers atop the graves of these fallen Confederate and Union soldiers. The women's tribute – treating the soldiers as equals – inspired poet Francis Miles Finch to write the poem, The Blue and the Gray, which was published in an 1867 edition of The Atlantic Monthly. In 1867, the remains of all Union soldiers were exhumed and reinterred in Corinth National Cemetery. Over time, these grave decoration days – honoring those who died in military service – eventually morphed into Memorial Day.

The Natchez Trace Parkway runs through Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The Nachez Trace is a historic 444 mile trail, established as a National Park Unit in 1938, that connects the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. The Natchez Trace is one of the oldest trails in America. The Old Natchez Trace is a forest trail that was used by Native Americans for centuries and later used by European settlers, soldiers and others.

Our campground was the DeWayne Hayes Corp of Engineer Campground, Columbus Mississippi. It was great! Long site with plenty of room. Dewayne Hayes Campground is located on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, on Columbus Lake in Mississippi.

There was a paved mile long trail. We went for a walk...

We saw lots of palmetto.

We saw an armadillo!

Time to leave...it was a wet travel day.

There were so many huge, beautiful homes. We drove past this one that was right outside the campground.

Huge White Crosses

We saw many huge white crosses along the way, starting in Illinois, believe it or not. After some research I found that the crosses are 120 ft tall and 64 ft wide and white. They are metal and many have lights at the base that light them up at night. Most have a small parking area. Some have covered patio areas or benches. They are independent efforts of the people in those communities. In one article about the crosses, a minister said, Christians believe in the Holy Spirit. These crosses are a sign of faith and hope. They are springing up across the nation. I hope it continues!

24.11.19 We traveled to Percy Quin State Park in McComb Mississippi

The state park surrounds 490-acre Lake Tangipahoa, an impoundment of the Tangipahoa River.

I LOVED this park! It was very clean, the sites large. I think we had the best site in the whole park. One side had trees, the back faced the lake. We both wished we had planned more days here.

Sunset

Sunrise

Al went for a bike ride and a wander. Be sure to watch his video!

Locks of Love Bridge

Turning the bridge spanning the Tangipahoa Lake Spillway into a Love Lock bridge aims to provide another opportunity for visitors to engage with Mississippi State Parks and create new memories. Love Locks will be available for purchase at the camp store for the general public and they will be able to have the locks engraved.

Check out Al's video below!

24.11.21 We traveled to Lake Charles RV Resort, Iowa Louisiana

Our site was good.

...BUT this was certainly NOT a resort by my standards! The people were very nice, helpful and friendly though so that makes up for it.

First of all, we were setting up and as I was putting out the den slide...I heard a nasty sound. The cable broke! It got all jammed up in there and Al worked for hours to try and fix it. The office recommended an RV tech and he was on his way to the park for someone else already. Al kept working and got it fixed before the RV Tech got done with his other job but he came anyway and checked the tensions and everything anyway. No charge! Super nice guy...Chris from On The Way Mobile RV Repairs.

We kept seeing signs everywhere for Boudin and Cracklins so we got a recommendation from the office and went to Rabideaux's. We didn't realize how big a Boudin is so we ordered 12. Yup...way too big, but delicious! I ate two, Al ate three. The cracklins...we got some regular pork cracklins and some chicken cracklins. The chicken cracklins were like eating the crispy skin on fried chicken, very good. The pork cracklins were ok but I wouldn't order them again.