Delta drive

There's something to be said about getting the lay of the land, to really know and understand the landscape around you. To feel its strengths and weaknesses, to look around and identify how this space fits into the larger context. Not content to simply fly into the city of New Orleans without experiencing its surroundings, I begged for a tour of the the Mississippi delta and the Louisiana bayou.

My travels began in Biloxi, MS, where my sister is still working as an architect to design and build homes for Katrina victims. It's been two years since I was in Biloxi, and in that short time span, it already seems to be progressing. Street lights and road signs are more common, although the public library still uses a trailer. Near the peninsula, there used to be a Vietnamese neighborhood before the hurricane. Today, the land is filled with empty lots overgrown with shrubs and trees repopulating the area. Kristen finds interesting Asian fruits--like pears that have the consistency of apples, and sour cherries--and moth caterpillars resembling the dragon heads of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.

Driving north, we picked up pecans and the Natchez Trace near Jackson just for a bit. Running from Memphis to Natchez, MS, the Trace is a gorgeous parkway centuries old, where goods were transported over the land prior to the Louisiana Purchase. The Trace has a sordid history of murder and mayhem that I need to read more about. Today, the tupelo and bald cypress swamp boasts alligators if you are lucky (or unlucky, as the case may be). Behold the tree roots pushing up to form knees, knobby protrusions to allow more oxygen uptake in waterlogged lands.
The Mississippi Center for the Arts in Jackson is home to a sweet blacksmith shop. A great design of angled roof, open air to allow nature to take care of removing the soot and smoke.

Downtown Jackson was a film location, likely due to its retro signs. Being one of the poorest states in the nation, I can imagine our positive view of retro signs are different than their thoughts of the decor being simply old and in need of replacement. Time for a greasy breakfast served by the nicest folks you'll meet this side of Alaska.

Mississippi is home to the only eastern petrified forest. Trees from north--as far away as Minnesota, likely--tumbled their way down the river torrents and got jammed up here, buried in sediment, and then preserved similar to the deserts. Organic matter changed very slowly into hardened minerals and the result is wood that looks like rock. You can still count the rings. Also home to a cool mineral museum which included fossils of fish and dinosaur excrement. No joke.

We continued up to Yazoo City, officially hitting the flat expanse of the delta. Still over 100 miles from the Mississippi, but this area flooded before the levies were in place. Pitch black fertile soil, searing hot temperatures and home to the blues.
The catfish capital of the world, Belzoni. Fish all farmed nearby, delicious fried catfish and sweet tea for a late lunch at the old-time pharmacy. It was 90 degrees in mid-October, I've heard the heat index gets up to 140 sometimes. No wonder things move slowly down here.

And of course, cotton fields galore. Remember when we made fun of all those folks stopping to take photos of cows near the road back in PA? Enter Becky, taking photos of cotton fields.

Riverboat casinos on the mighty Mississippi at Vicksburg, a hip little newly restored city. Must spend more time there.

Plenty of adorable armadillos on the Trace near Natchez where we camped.

The poorest state, reminders were everywhere.

In Natchez for breakfast, although we missed the hot air balloon launch that morning. Plenty of rich folks lived in Natchez, this is where old money still exists.

Across the Mississippi into Louisiana, where we met up with miles and miles of oil refineries and sugar cane fields. The landscape was definitely changing.

Plantations, flanked by live oaks in the front, slave quarters in the rear. Harsh reality of living there, will hopefully tour one next time.

Drove over the bayous and into New Orleans, more on that to come.