Tow Boats on the Mississippi River

We were really surprised at how many towboats or pushboats were operating on the river considering that the water was continuing to rise. Years ago we were fortunate enough to take a Rhine River cruise from Amsterdam to Basil Switzerland and there were hundreds of smaller "freighters" actually family liveaboard type barges. These on Mississippi and other major rivers here in the states push as many as 20 barges at one time.

In Vicksburg down on the river there is a display being put together showing these pushboats up close. It appears they draw very little draft and seeing the props you can see how they are able to power the barges around even in shallow water. I don't know how big the engines are but to drive the as many barges as they do they would have to quite powerfull
In viewing this ship its really much bigger than they appear on the water and from the looks of the cabin structure they must have a fair size crew. Passengers maybe?
Another thing I found kind of interesting was how little freeboard (distance from water to deck) there was. If you were ever to go where there was any major wake from another boat it could be quite interesting.!
This boat has obviously been fixed up as it looked like it really should not have been on display but being used on the river. Maybe this is an outdated model of a type not being used anymore. Anyway, this is all on the waterfront in Vicksburg, Mississippi any worth seeing.

Rocky Springs on the Natchez Trace

This year we decided to take the Natchez Trace home rather than one of the interstates and we had heard good things about the "Trace". It is a highway that was started in the 1930's that follows what was originally and old Indian and hunters trail from Natchez to Nashville and later a pathway that flatboatmen would follow home after drifting down the rivers to Natchez to sell their goods and even their boat for lumber before walking back on the Trace to home. Along the way there were various inns that they stayed at and Rocky Springs was the location of one of those stops along the way. The Trace today has three campgrounds along the way, one being at Rocky Springs. These campgrounds are free and really quite nice and with a short hike not too far from the Rocky Springs settlement or what is left of it today.... a brick church (still in use today) and abandoned house sites with a few old safes that must have been to heavy to haul away.


The picture above is one of the three safes we saw just left lying and now small monuments to times past. It sort of surprised us that this sort of thing has survived with little left of any buildings that may have been in the area. There were some cisterns from previous buildings but nothing else.
The church which has been well kept is still standing and having been in the brick business at one time it was fascinating to see how well some of the old hand made brick have survived after 250 years plus.
This detail at the grave yard I thought was really neat. It was part of a larger gate that has fallen in the typical disarray but unique to the rest of the stones and memorials in the cemetery behind the church.

The trees in the area were really kind of neat and almost something out of a Stephen King novel with all the creepy moss hanging from the limbs.
We both thought the picture above was strange too with the roots of tree reminding us of a spider. We thought the whole cemetery would be a good set for some ghoulish movie.
Between the moss and the trees and of course being in a cemetery we thought the place as unique particularly coupled with the history.

We stayed over night at the campground located there and moved on the next day. The highway is great in that they have a 50 MPH limit and there is little traffic for 450 miles. It is certainly a far cry from the interstates and a pleasure to drive. We probably averaged 45 miles an hour or less and saw beautiful country all along. There is (probably every 10 miles) a marked historical item with parking to stop and see from civil war sites to Indian burial grounds. A great trip if you not in a hurry! And Mississippi is a beautiful in the spring time!

Side visit to Vicksburg, Misssissippi

In the continuing saga of trying to post pictures I thought I would try to show you some pictures taken in Vicksburg of TRAINS!!!!

The city of Vicksburg is on quite a bluff with a lower level and maybe a former ferry site at the base near the water ...... lots to see.

Old Train yards

An old turntable without any roundhouse but neat and old

There was a new shed where the old roundhouse may have been

It still seems to be used though difficult to figure how or to do what?

Natchez, Mississippi

Wow.....where to begin....This beautiful, quaint little town of about 16,000 people on a ridge above the Mississippi River is a wonder. First, its the oldest established community on the Mississippi River. Formerly one of the richest communities in the US thanks to the cotton grown in this area and now a great place to visit and probably live any time of the year. Lots of good resturants, great architecture and plantation homes that are unbelievable.

Marge and I arrived Friday morning and set up camp in Vidalia, Louisana accross the river from Natchez. Natchez is built on a high ridge above the water and its apparent that Vidalia has had and is susceptable to flooding. In fact the river is cresting a record highs right now and our campground is between the river and the levy with the water still rising. According to the news, its a few feet off a record but if there is any more rain it could be very interesting!!! A note of interest is that the river barge traffic has been slowed and halted in some areas as the current is exceptionaly fast and movement of the large barge "trains" causes some stress to the low lying areas and levy's.

Between us we have taken almost 200 pictures of this area and I will try to post some of the more interesting below

Lousy picture but shows flooding on Vidalia, Lousiana side of river.

Under the bridges between Natchez and Vidalia

Casino flooding at the riverfront in Natchez

150 year old plus home (?) office (?)

Covered walks in dowtown Natchez

Rosalie Mansion at the edge of the ridge above the river.

Typical downtown street

Pictures posted but not without problems will try to do more in the next few days . We leave Natchez in the morning heading north along the Natchez Trace