Mississippi - Pelahatchie

Pelahatchie

(Note - this post is out of sequence as we missed posting it prior to the Cromwell, AL one)

March 1, 2017 was the day we headed to Mississippi. We stayed at Yogi on the Lake in Pelahatchie which is east of Jackson. 

It was a rainy and windy drive to get there and we had to wait for the heavy rains to stop before we could set up. Not great weather for setting up but perfect for ducks and a pretty sunset when the rain stopped. The park is a mixture of campsites and cabins. We were in a section of pull-thru sites off of the lake a bit, but with a nice view. 

The sites are gravel and not even close to level. Ours was just long enough for the RV and parking the car. Also pretty narrow. The roads were very rutted. 
The week we spent here was pretty quiet but we imagine that during peak season it is rather noisy. The park has a number of things to do, very family oriented and the office/store is fairly well stocked with basic needs. There is no WiFi in this section but our Verizon signal was good. We paid $34.34 a night with our Good Sam discount.

Jackson

Mynelle Gardens in Jackson was a pleasant surprise, as the last few gardens we have been to didn't have much in bloom. Not here, the azalea's, wisteria and more were in full bloom. 
The dirt path takes you in and out of flower beds and across the pond a few times on wooden bridges. 
We came across a hummingbird moth and lots of butterflies. 

 

The pond is filled with turtles of all sizes. You can purchase food in the gift shop, and both the fish and turtles seem to love it. 

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The walkways are lined with sculptures and statues. Both bronze and cement. 

One of our favorite was the little boy with the butterfly.
The path also offered plenty of places to sit and rest. 

The Mississippi Petrified Forest was a nice walk in the woods and we were able to take the dog in. Of course after being in the Petrified Forest National Park in AZ this one pales in comparison, but it is well laid out and easy to navigate. 

"Frog" Rock

The informational brochure is very helpful and we learned a great deal about the different types of wood and how they were created.

The museum was interesting and their gift shop is chock full of beautiful gems and stones.

Meridian 

The Dentzel Carousel is Meridian's claim to fame. Unfortunately it was closed for repairs during our stay, but they do have carousel horses around town. 





Meridian is a fairly large town and filled with parks. Bontia Lake Park is a wonderful oasis in the middle of the city. They have a number of hiking trails as well as tables and benches to sit and rest.

Of course while we were here we had to check out the cemeteries. Since 1915  Rosehill Cemetery has been the burial place of the Gypsy Royal family. The graves of Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gypsies (Died January 31, 1915, age 47) and Emil Mitchell, King of the Gypsies (Died October 16, 1942, age 85 ). The graves and headstones were covered in offerings, ranging from cash to beads.

There were also a few other interesting headstones. A number of them had the Woodmen of the World seal on them. 

At Beth Israel Cemetery we found more Woodmen of the World and of course angels and busts of prominent people. 

 









Enterprise

Dunn's Falls  on the Chunky River in Enterprise, MS is a man-made water fall. Irish immigrant, John Dunn created it in the mid 1850's to run his mill. 

There is a hiking path but it is not very well maintained so we could only go so far. Of course there were lots of stairs. 

Les had great fun playing with the floodgate that controls the water flow over the falls.

L: Floodgate shut ~~~~ R: Floodgate open

We did get a chuckle when we drove through Chunky, MS!










Next up Cropwell, AL

Till we meet again...

Happy Trails to You!

Tips and things we have learned along the way. 
~ Remember to empty the water tanks. 
Pretty sure this has been mentioned before but here goes again. 
Wasn't sure what the tip was going to be so took a break to take a shower before figuring it out. When Nancy opened the shower door the floor of the shower was filled with backup from the grey water tank. Did a number of loads of laundry and forgot to empty the tank! So while Les was emptying the tank Nancy was scrubbing the shower. Such a simple thing but oh so easy to forget.