Simple Pleasures in Jackson

Best bath on the trip. Whirlpool hidden.

(continued from previous post) Our wrong turn was fortuitous. The horse van driver was a deputy sheriff, who put his inmate (borrowed for the day) companion in the back of his truck, loaded our tandem into the attached horse van, drove us eight miles in Jackson, and bought us lunch. He introduced us to a retired law enforcement officer, who made sure we had a room at the Old Centenary Inn, a 1935-era, 8-room restored piece of history with a New Orleans-style courtyard. And a local winery (yoohoo) a half-block down the road.

Best bed on the trip too!

Our experience with Deputy Sheriff Dan Klein deserves a separate post. From the agreeable inmate to a story about a 600 pound hog, I need to get my writer's wits in order before I tell those tales.
It was a good day, friends.

Following is a loong summary of our Cheaper Than Dirt experience in Franklinton. Can't keep it in order and put in a separate post. Sorry!

After leaving the luxurious Old Centenary Inn has its only guests Tuesday night (the innkeeper actually left for the night and we had the entire place to ourselves!), we locked its historic door and proceeded to Franklinton Wednesday. Staying at the only lodging available,the Liberty Inn Motel, I was excited to see in the adjoining shopping mall: Cheaper Than Dirt, the Salvage Stock Grocery Store and Dollar General.
Avoiding the popular gas station for a meal plan, I decided to try to make dinner in the room and find fab food buys at those swell stores. The salvage store (it's a chain!) buys mostly expired and past due date canned and boxed goods. Lovely. I still cannot believe I bought milk, orange juice, organic pecan crunch snack there, all dated "reassuringly" for June 2011. Dollar General was better, finding Healthy Choice microwave soups, foil bagged salmon in lemon and dill sauce, Quaker quick oatmeal and...Bugles. I skipped Cheaper Than Dirt.
I think it was a step up for dinner and breakfast.
Anyway, it got us back on the road Thursday to Poplarville. With none of the listed stay overs available, we contacted another Warmshowers host just outside of town. I am thankful to Steve and Tanya Panella because our only option was to camp out on the side of the road. Without even a Cheaper Than Dirt store adjacent.
The Panellas are great hosts. And they like vegetables! Tanya stir fried garden fresh zucchini and onions and steamed some spiced chicken sausage. We had rocky road ice cream for desert.
Afterwards I watched Tanya collect eggs from her 20 "girls," feed her two mules and four goats and try to learn the names of her five dogs and assorted cats.
Her passion is "animal socialization," but she's working on an R.N. Degree. Both she and Steve have been cyclists. During the cycling part of our chat, Steve asked out of the blue, "Have you ever heard of Lon Haldeman?"
It was fun to tell a few stories about Lon and promote PAC Tour. And Steve is a good candidate for their tours.
Today brought us to White Sands Campground in Vancleave MS. We finally put up our tent. Um, it's out on a covered porch that surrounds a gazebo that's up on stilts. I have a floor fan blowing cool air into the tent. The campground manager offered use of his cable tv in a screened tent adjoining his camper. He likes cross-country cyclists.
And the riding? Pretty good. The humidity in Louisiana and Mississippi creates a languid feeling in the afternoon. And a lot of fog to ride through in the morning. The hill rolling is much gentler. At times, I can even read the map notes as we roll along.
Tomorrow are ferry rides into Alabama, after 40 or so road miles.
Looking forward to a little change in transportation.