Rail Work and Natchez Trace Parkway- October 19, 2014

Wednesday, we waited around the motorhome believing that someone would show up to reinstall our TV antenna but that didn’t happen.  That’s the way it is in Camp Red Bay.  You never know much in advance.  Tom went over to the service area again today to check about when we were going to have these rails replaced and was told probably Thursday.  In the evening we were waiting for a phone call to tell us for sure if we were going in for servicing on Thursday.  Usually these calls come in about 4pm but about 5:30pm we finally got the call.

Thursday morning we dropped off the unit at bay 36 to have the rails replaced, this would be a warranty job.   We did not choose to stay in the unit as that would have meant that we would not be able to get out all day as scaffolding is tight against the unit not allowing the doors to be opened.  We spent much of the day in the customer lounge except for a break to go get something for lunch.  At 3pm we went up to the bay and found our unit had been backed outside, job was completed.  We returned back to the campsite and awaited a phone call about painting the rail area but we heard nothing.

Friday afternoon we went to Belmont, Mississippi, a few miles away to the complex that Tiffin where the painting of the new motorhomes are done.  We were given a map, a few instructions, safety glasses and then sent on a self guided tour of the facility.  Quite an interesting place.  Before we got away from there Tom received a call telling us that Monday we were to come to Bay 24 in Red Bay to have our rails painted at 7am.

Saturday morning we took off in the Jeep for the Natchez Trace Parkway by 9am.  I had packed a picnic lunch.  This parkway runs north to south from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi.  We had travelled from Tupelo, Mississippi south but had not gone the northern segment.  We picked the Parkway up west of Red Bay near Dennis, Mississippi.  We were making stops along the way at the points of interests of those that had travelled this area years ago.   The third stop was at Buzzard Roost Spring.  We walked a short walk down to this spring that had a strong flow of water.  Thinking we could get a better view we moved from one side to the other.  MISTAKE.  It was really muddy, slippery mud that had me suddenly off my feet.  What a mess!!  My hands, knees of my jeans and shoes were full of mud.  Tom helped get back up on my feet.  I wiped my hands and shoes on dewy grass to remove much of the mud.  But my jeans had caked on mud on the knees.  Luckily, I had no injuries.  The route had a detour that took us off the Parkway because of road work so we did find a gas station that Tom got a bottle of water that I used to further clean my hands.  I had at this point felt that best way to deal with the mud on my pants was to let it dry and then peel the caked mud off.   So we did continue on our travels.  Along this detour we came to a field of turnips with a sign posted “Free Turnips” so we stopped and pulled up some turnips. 

From Natchez Trace Parkway

Probably an hour later after getting back on the Parkway we came to a sign about a Visitor Center in Collinwood, Tn. that we drove to.  Tom went in to the Center while I stayed by the Jeep scraping and then brushing the now-dried mud off my pants.  We continued on north.  Laurel Hill Lake was shown on the Parkway map as having picnic tables so we drove off on a side road to that area to eat our picnic lunch of fried chicken, macaroni salad, chips and apples.  This was a beautiful area for our lunch break.   Back on the Parkway we stopped at the gravesite of Meriwether Lewis, who died here in 1809 by what is suspected to be self inflicted gunshot. 

From Natchez Trace Parkway

We continued on to the end just south of Nashville a little before 5pm.  Then we had to return to Red Bay, Al. but we didn’t travel on the Parkway for this segment.  We took some state routes to the east of the Parkway down Tennessee and into Alabama passing through a few towns.  The homes off the Parkway in the outlaying area of Nashville were huge with beautifully landscaped yards- some big money in that area.  One town, Franklin, Tn., impressed us with a bustling downtown Saturday night.  We made a stop at a Wendy’s for a supper break.  Finally about 9:30pm we were to the motorhome.  A long day, 350 miles, but enjoyable despite the spill in the mud.

Today, Sunday, we did go to the local Methodist Church this morning and then stopped for lunch at a local restaurant.  But have been and will remain in the campground recuperating from yesterday’s adventure.