Natchez Ward, Indian mounds, Natchez Trace

Sunday 20 February 2011
BJ's been soaking her hand and stung finger in Epsom salts and hot water twice a day. The results are encouraging. Most of the swelling has gone down. It isn't normal yet, but it is way better than twice normal size on the segment closest to the palm that it was two days ago.

We found the LDS Church in Natchez, Mississippi was having a ward conference and linger longer after. They cook really great for freeloaders like us! The best lesson of the day included an explanation that there are many levels of understanding about TV. There is the "can push on" level. There is the slightly more advanced plug in the cable in the back, and then there is the can plug in three cables in the back, until you get understands the impediments of copper wire to electrical current level. It was a bit of a cheap shot to say the Baptists are at the "can turn the power on" level of religion—but I cracked a smile anyway. Both BJ and I enjoyed this very friendly ward.

We visited the Natchez Indian Central Village mounds. At the time of first contact with the French this was the HQ of the mound building cultures on the Mississippi River. These two mounds were about as big as a modern house. They were also the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace. This was a very important trail from Natchez to Nashville that played a key role in the settling of America.

Next we visited Emerald Mound. This is the second biggest Indian mound in America. Only Cahokia is bigger. This thing is huge. You have to be on it to understand how monumentally gigantic it is. It was build basket by basket of dirt. My guess is it is larger than two football fields on the top and about 60 feet high. See the picture.

We then drove 41.5 miles north on the Natchez Trace Parkway to the "Sunken Trace." I have to say the Parkway is the most beautiful road I have ever encountered. Commercial traffic is prohibited and the speed limit is a very relaxing 50 m.p.h. The trees are cut way back and the lawn up to the road kept cut. The road curves gently over graceful bridges surrounded by forests and bayous. Occasional on-off ramps are the only contact with cities. In every way this is a delight to the senses. The "Sunken Trace" is a section of the old trail that goes through loess soil and creates a 30 foot gorge in the soil for about 200 feet. It was really interesting to think there was a good chance that we were hiking where Hernando De Soto and Abraham Lincoln hiked.