From Natchez to the house

Friday we drove a little over 400 miles.  We hit the road about 7 from Natchez  and pulled into Decatur, AL about 3.  RV driving is a little slower than driving an auto.  We try to average 58-60 mph.  On good roads it can be done with ease if the bridge connection are relatively smooth.  In Alabama we had neither smooth roads or smooth road to bridge connections.   Alabama roads not only beat us up but also the RV.  In fact, just after we were set up at Point Mallard in Decatur, we heard some kind of a noise outside.  When I went out to check, I found a 10 foot section of trim on the ground, that had fallen from our RV.  This could of happened anywhere along the way and we would not have know it.  As aggravating as it was to have this piece to fall off, I am very thankful that it didn't happen while on the road.  I hope that I have driven my last trip through Birmingham.  The roads are the worst.  I have been through here several times in the last 4-5 years and  I thought  by now the roads would have shown some improvement.

Bob Gibson's Barbeque in Decatur, AL

Mammy's Cupboard south of Natchez

During this trip we have TOTALLY slipped off our diet.  How can you eat at the restaurant the serves the "world's best fried chicken" twice in three days, then to an unusual building serving, what the locals say is the best food in the Natchez area.  At this place, call Mammy's Cupboard, on Thursdays they serve sliced pork tenderloin with a muscadine sauce and some of the best vegetables that I've eaten away from home.  I generally don't eat desserts but some of these places just "forced" it on me.  At Mammy's the specialties other than the main course were all their wonderful homemade desserts.  Jan had a wonderful coconut cream and since I could not make my mind up the waitress split two pieces of pie for me to try.   One of the pieces was chocolate icebox pies and the other was their signature pie, banana-caramel pie.  I will pay for this for weeks.  I say as I let out my belt.   If you doubt me you need to ask Jan, she can confirm it also.  Our last night on the road being in Decatur caused me to remember about a place I had heard had the best barbeque in the country.  This has been confirmed by judges all across the country in cook-offs.  We had to stop by and see how accurate the judges were.  I tried the pulled pork and Jan had the ribs.  After sampling both Jan's ribs and my pork, I am convinced that the judges were absolutely correct with the ribs.  They were fabulous.  They also had more homemade pies to offer.  We lost all resistance, Jan had her standard coconut cream and I tried the peanut butter pie.  No regrets, just guilt.  The only photos, we have, are in our heads of these wonderful foods , sorry I can't share with you.  Just "trust me".

The trip was wonderful .  Driving the Trace gave us a chance to view a little of what the earlier settlers had to deal with returning from Natchez.  It was amazing the money that must have been in this area during the early part of the nineteenth century.  Some of the plantations had over 60 square miles of property.  Since there was low labor expense, the owners made lots money and loved to flaunt it.  They openly tried to one up the others.  Homes of 30,000 to 40,000 square feet with Italian marble, hand carved cypress moldings, and stair cases that were actually past from family to family.

You are probably aware that we travel with our "cat", Frosty.  In the picture above, you can just see just how much fun he has on our trip.  He can hardly wait till we do it again.