On to Hot Springs

5/27/2015

We left Tupelo early this morning with the top down, and after a short trip down the Natchez Trace Parkway, we turned onto Hwy. 278 toward Oxford, MS.   After cruising through the rural north Mississippi backroads, passing through towns with difficult to pronounce Indian names, we arrived in Oxford to check out the University of Mississippi.  We were blown away by the beauty and charm of the downtown area with a wonderful square and beautiful homes on streets lined with huge magnolias and oaks.  And, the Ole Miss campus is equally as beautiful.  It was very nice driving around as school is out and it was almost empty!  We went to Rowan Oak, which was William Faulkner's home when he lived in Oxford, but it was too early and they were closed.  We were able to walk around the grounds.  Also, there was some exterior renovations going on the home, which is on the National Historic Register.  About this time we were going to eat, it started raining and the top went back up. We stopped at a the Beacon for lunch.  This is a local place frequented almost exclusively by aged, white males, who all seemed to know each other and the waitress seemed to know them all by name also!

The square - downtown Oxford, MS

The Grove at Ole Miss

Rowan Oaks

Breakfast at the Beacon

After breakfast, we headed out toward Arkansas, where the rain varied from light mists to pretty hard storms.   The rain finally stopped shortly after getting into Arkansas, but the roads were terrible and except for corn, beans, wheat and something that looked like rice (we never did figure out what it was), there was not much to see.  Pine Bluff was a big disappointment.  It was sad to see the state of the city, downtown is empty and decaying, with many historic homes that were once very nice now rotting and falling down.  There are many empty buildings, overgrown weeds and grass and trash everywhere.  We continued on to Hot Springs where we checked into the hotel.  We met Phillip, the valet who was super and not only told me I could park the car in front, under the portico, but also arranged for a hose and bucket so I could wash it. And, after the trip today, it really needed it as it was just filthy, covered with a film of oily road film.  After I washed the car, we walked downtown to eat.

Tomorrow, we will check in  and see what is on the day's agenda.