4/16- 4//18 A tree fell in the woods around 4 in the morning somewhere near our camper. It shook the ground around our RV and woke both of us up then heavy rains and a thunderstorm began (this was not expected until noon). We headed down the Trace expecting a terrible day because of the violent storms that were going to cross MS and TN today. While driving the Trace during the rain storm a car coming towards us was flashing their lights at us and we continued down the road and could not figure out what the guy was doing. Finally after about another three miles we came around a bend and a big tree had fallen across the road with just barely enough room for us to get around it. The rain and thunderstorm continued after we got off the Trace heading back up to TN to stay at Pickwick Landing State Park Resort. Stayed one night here with about five other campers under a tornado watch until late in the afternoon. Then the sun came out with a clear sky. Pretty campground but TN needs to invest money into their campgrounds – sites were not level. Today the weather was terrible and we were lucky. Tornadoes and hail were in the area to our north that we had just left in TN and then below us in MS. In all about three campgrounds that we were planning to stay at in the next week were hit by tornadoes. In all of our years of traveling, we have never listened to the radio so much while looking at maps searching for the counties that they were talking about. Did not even realize that they put the counties on the maps.
This is a huge boating area with the TVA dams and waterways and we decided the next day to cross the dam and stay at the TVA Pickwick Dam Tailwater Headquarter Campground for the next three nights. The campground accepts the golden age pass so it was only $10 a night and it was located among some pretty trees with the dam and canal right next to it. Fishing, fishing, fishing – everyone goes fishing in the south. We were able to ride our bikes along the canal and watch the barges go through the gates to get to the next section of the TN River. Very pretty at night! There was a dog in this campground that looked like a white lab but he was Albino with those silver blue eyes. Someone must have dropped him off and he has been living off droppings of food from the fishermen and the campers. Everytime we went out for a walk he would join us. Nice dog and I think that if we were near home George would have taken him home. Well behaved and all he needs is a good home.
We headed up one day to Adamsville to see the Buford Pusser Home and Museum. This is the town and the sheriff of “Walking Tall” Movie Fame and a number of recorded songs about him. Fascinating history and the tour guides all knew him and had their own stories to tell. He had wrestled against a bear and won and brought law and order to his county against moonshiners, gamblers, prostitutes and organized crime figures. This man had been shot, knifed and almost killed so many times and finally died at the age of 36 in a car accident. He had lost his wife in an ambush years before. The town highlights where his crash site was, the cemetery and there is a festival for three days named after him. TN has even come out with a booklet and new trail called the “Walking Tall Trail”.
Drove back to the next town Savannah, TN and stopped at the Tennessee River Museum (well worth a stop), which was fascinating especially the Trail of Tears exhibit. Savannah was on one of the three main trails that the Indians had to march through on their forced migration to OK. Sad! Also, this town was Grant’s headquarters to prepare for the Shiloh Battle and he stayed at the Cherry Mansion right on the river which one can see when crossing it. At this house Alex Haley’s grandparents had worked – his grandfather took customers back and forth across the river on his ferry boat and his grandmother “Queen” was a maid in the house. His novel “Queen” was written about her life. A lot of civil war history in this town and the state of TN. There seems to have been a battle in almost every town.
Next day we headed to Shiloh National Military Park and spent over four hours touring the visitor center, cemetery and driving the ten mile tour road around the battlefield. Over 4,200 acres overlooking the Tennessee River. This is America’s best preserved civil war battlefield. What was interesting is that there are a pair of Bald Eagles that have been nesting here for over three years and they gave birth to two more babies in March. The nest is in a tree right along the trail but you are not allowed to park. We drove right next to the tree before we realized that the nest was there – it is huge. I did not get a good picture of it because we had to keep going but I did get a picture of all the bird watchers with their binoculars situated well back from the nesting area. Ken would have loved it and been here everyday. In the visitor center they have a TV where you can watch the two baby eagles live since they placed a camera in the same tree which shows the nest. Very popular exhibit!
Enjoyed dinner at a restaurant (Hagy’s Hotel and Catfish) right on the river, which was near Shiloh and recommended to us from the museum guide and listed in the “Walking Tall” guidebook. The restaurant has been in existence since the 1930’s and is still run by the same family. Known for serving great seafood especially the best Catfish in the south. It was very good and actually the first time in three weeks that we have eaten out.
We took a day to relax before we head back into MS to drive more of the Natchez Trace. The weather since the storm day had been great. Clear sky, sun’s out, full moon but could have been a little bit warmer! More storms are coming!
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