Up early this morning, which ain't hard to do when you're in a rest area with semi's all around you starting up their engines. Something about that high pitched whine of a diesel starter motor that just cuts right through any kind of dream you may be having. Was still heading west on I-10 and 12 at that point, but it was only a couple of hours before hitting Baton Rouge Louisiana and turning north.

       Funny country down there for someone raised in Colorado where the lowest elevation is already close to being a mile above sea level. So seeing all the swamps and bayous interspersed with crop lands was kind of neat. Just tooled along for another couple of hours going through all the main weekend NPR shows on the radio; the Car Guys, Wait - Wait, The Splendid Table and then late this afternoon my all time favorite, Prairie Home Companion. I usually don't do a lot of driving on the weekends because there are often more crazy people on the road. But it was nice to motor down the road listening to some of my long time friends.

    Got into Natchez Mississippi right around two in the afternoon and stopped at the local Welcome Center for some information. Was feeling a need to get out and walk a bit so the people there pointed me towards some pre Civil War antebellum mansions that were in town that you could take tours of. I signed up for 3 of them and then proceeded to wander the streets of the old section of town over looking the Mississippi River. Huge old brick buildings built by some of the richest people in the south at that time. Many had some connection with the cotton business and indeed all the ones I toured today had been owned by families that had made it big growing or selling cotton. These homes were their "town" homes however. The plantation, if they owned one, was somewhere off in the wilds where there was nothing to do in the way of socializing.

    Very impressive homes in many, many ways. It always amazes me what great wealth can buy in the form of basic habitation. Of course there was nothing basic about any of these homes. Beautifully designed and built, it would of been fun to have  been at one during a party at the height of the social season. One home that I was in, 'The Stanton House', was evidently used in the movie 'North and South', and was the house that 'Patrick Swasee' (sp) lived in, so I'll have to check that out as the docent said that they even had a scene where they were dancing in the great hall.

     Was getting hungry by the time all my tours were over with. I took lots of pictures of all of the houses as well as quite a few more that aren't on the tour list. Most in fact are still being lived in. Of course there are no interior pictures because it seems that nobody allows that for some reason. Anyway; I'm getting hungry as I'm walking back to the truck and I run across a little restaurant called 'Fat Mama's Tamale's' along the main road. Now I'm usually pretty suspicious when it comes to eating, or even trying, mexican food anywhere east of the Mississippi, but this place smelled pretty good so I headed on in the door.

    Just a funky little place with a dozen tables and an outdoor patio to sit on. They make their own tamale's there as well as other deep south bar food. Mufalatta's and such. So I ordered a dozen tamale's figuring what the heck, plus they were cheap, and ended up eating 4 of them right there along with a nice cold Dos XX's on tap. Yum! Brought the rest back to the trailer with me and had a couple more for dinner. There are still just enough left over now for lunch tomorrow... maybe!

    Currently tucked into a rest area just west of Vicksburg Mississippi. Will stay here for the night and try to catch up on some sleep. Feels like the wind is starting to blow and there  may be rain in the forecast before the night is over. Will just play it by ear in the morning. Headed for Little Rock Arkansas in the morning and then on up to Hermann Missouri. Would like to spend a day or two there and explore the town a little bit. One of my grandmothers came from there and I would like to see if there is any family history of the Havelka's still there. If nothing else I know there are a couple of wineries in town because I stopped there a couple times while canoeing down that section of the Missouri River. time to read a chapter or two now and then get some sleep.