Ah, it’s vacation time – Hallelujah!

Now, mustn't worry about the $2.25 and upwards price per gallon for “you know what.” No, don't worry – just have fun. I mean in one hundred years, who will care? I can foresee a time to come where humans, and aliens alike, grip about the high cost of a good bunch of light years. It’s always something, isn't it?

Yes, my Director of Transportation, (who happens to be my husband) asked, as we sat at the end of our driveway, “Where do you want to go?” Hmm, that’s always the hard part. As you have probably noticed, this was not a long-range planned "super/dupery" vacation, but a nice getaway.

So there I sat, as I looked north, south, east, and west. Hmm. As I pondered the “big” question, my DOT made a decision. “Tell you what,” he spouted with great authority as he fished a quarter out of his pocket. “Heads – we turn north. Tails – we take the south route.”

I really must increase his pay – think I'll double it. You know, add zero two times and it will equal zero every time. He’s worth every bit of it. It was heads and we turned north.

We detest the interstate – we've always searched for the back roads and on this little jaunt we found ‘em, for sure. First we drove Hwy 19 to Philadelphia, and turned toward Koscuisko, then to Vaiden, and on to Greenwood. At Greenwood, we turned north to Clarksdale. It was there that I visited my buddy, Missy Craig, Librarian, Clarksdale Public Library. If you want the “scoop” of any town when you have first arrived, you know, the good stuff and sometimes the not-so-good-stuff; I've found that the library is a good first stop. But then, that’s just me. After Missy supplied us with brochures and community calendar events, she added, “And be sure to spend some money in Clarksdale.”

While in the Clarksdale area, I especially wanted to visit the “crossroads” (intersection of highways 49 and 61) where, according to legend known to modern Blues fans, Robert Johnson met the Devil and sold his soul in order to become a famous blues musician. It must have worked because some think of him as the Grandfather of Rock ‘n’ Roll. With his distinct vocal phrasing and guitar style, he influenced a broad range of musicians. Some of them are: Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton. He ranked fifth in Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. But the Devil collected his wager early. Robert Johnson died when he was only 27.

After that, I could hear “The River” call to me. Yes, the Ole Man River was within sight and we skedaddled across the bridge into Helena, Arkansas. It was almost 6:00 PM and we were immensely fortunate to find a lovely Bed & Breaksfast located in the historic district of this beautiful small town. The Victorian home was built in 1895. It was as if we had walked into another place and time -- a three story elegant home located on a hill along the ridge of the town, just blocks away from the riverwalk and all of the shops, restuarants, museums, and of course, “The River.” The B&B hostess advised the best place in town for dining. It was the famous “Road Kill Grill.” I admit the name was a tiny bit scary, but the food was magnificent! The next morning, after a lovely breakfast prepared by the B&B hostess, we continued our drive in a northeasterly direction along the River Road. Talk about a back road! This was definitely it as we motored from Helena with the destination to cross “The River” again into Memphis. During this drive, we meandered into the St Francis National Forest. At first there was a nice paved road, but then it became a graveled road as we drove deeper and deeper into a forest protected from loggers and advertisers. I admit after about twenty miles, we began to wish for a logger, or a billboard, or even a passing car, but nothing. We had the road all to ourselves. The cypress swamps seemed ageless and the birds and squirrels put on a show just for us. We stopped the van to put down the windows and enjoy all of the sounds of the forest. Finally, we rolled onto a paved pathway and then we saw the sight of a small barn with a sign that read, You are leaving St Francis National Forest. Whew!

We again crossed the Mississippi River into Tennessee and stopped to eat lunch at the original Corky Barbeque location in Memphis, then drove to the small historic town of La Grange, Tennessee where in 1863 that Yankee Colonel Grierson first organized his raid that eventually took him into East Central Mississippi during the Civil War where they destroyed railroads and burned buildings. It is documented that he and his men masqueraded as Rebel soldiers. I mean they wished they were Rebel soldiers, I'm sure -- good grief! I'm still pretty mad about it all! I had my picture taken by the sign that commemorated his dastardly deed just to let him know that we Mississippians are doing quite nicely, thank you. We hung around the Memphis area for a while and visited antique stores where I always search for collectible books – bought a sack full!

The next morning, we took off like a scolded dog back into Mississippi. Oh, how I missed The Magnolia State for those two days. We headed to Tupelo, and then down to West Point where we took a yummy dinner at The Tin Lizzy on Hwy 45. We arrived at Lauderdale County by 8:00 PM, and alas, our adventure was over – for now, but yesterday I saw my Director of Transportation shining up "that" quarter. Seemed as though another trip is in the planning, and not to worry, I'll let you know all about it.

Have a wonderful summer, everyone.



Anne McKee is a writer and storyteller. She lives in Meridian. Anne is listed on the Mississippi Artist Roster as a dramatic and literary artist and storyteller. She is active with the arts and educational communities throughout Mississippi.