Posted by INTRUDN on January 06, 2002 at 22:01:50:
That's right, I challenge each of you that read this to do what I have done. It's winter time for most of us, and some folks can't ride right now. This challenge is what I call the "Ride To Work Road Trip" project. Here is how it works. Those of us that can still ride, and those that can't, can help pass the winter time cabin fever blues away by entertaining each other with Road Trip stories from our daily rides/drives. I would like to get everyone involved in this project, so, no matter how boring your daily commute/road trip/whatever, may be to you, the rest of us would like to hear about it. It will help take our minds off our daily grinds and get them on riding again.
I will start this project with a "Ride to work with INTRUDN" story. The story I am about to tell Y'all, is my typical daily commute to work, with a few side notes along the way. My daily commute is a little over 110 miles, one way. Yup, one way. I drive from the western part of Clinton, MS. (Hinds County), to the "Queen City" of Meridian, MS., over in the eastern part of the state. Some days I take I-20 all the way there, which in my opinion, interstates are BORING. Usually I take I-20 from Clinton to the downtown Brandon, MS. exit to US-80 east to get there. Along that route I go through everything from forests, farmland, swamps, and the closest thing to mountain roads you will get in east Mississippi. I could take US-80 from Clinton all the way, but, I would have to go through Jackson and Pearl, which if you need to brush up on your defensive riding/driving is fine. I avoid that stretch of US-80 like the plague when I can! Anywho, come on, saddle-up and let's ride!
Our ride jumps ahead from Clinton, to exit 56 on I-20 eastbound for downtown Brandon, MS. and US-80 east. This exit takes us through "Old Brandon", by the Civil War Memorial Statue. If we were to hook a left around the statue, and take the first road to the right, we would wind up at Hilltop Painted Acres. It's a horse ranch set up like an old west ghost town. They can host birthday parties for the kiddies, complete with hay-rides. One of the animals, among the many exotic that they have, is their "Hollywood Deer". The deer in question was in the movie "Dances With Wolves", and has been trained to fall over and "play dead" at the sound of a firecracker going off. Anyway, back to US-80 east.
Past the statue, down the hill, is a covered foot bridge on the right made to look like the old "Bridges of Madison County" style. We are now heading towards Pelahatchie, MS. As you pass under the I-20 overpass, you will see the Rankin County CO-OP and Feed Store as you head out into the country. The Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad east/west main line is on the left, over there, through those trees. Don't worry, you'll see it soon enough. Up ahead on the right is a sign advertising handmade cedar chests for sale. Not much farther up the road we will pass under the KCS e/w main. This will be the first time of many that we cross the main while on US-80. Right after we go under the overpass, there is one of the green historical marker signs put up by the state of Mississippi back in the 1950's. This one is for Centenary College. It reads:
1841-1845 The original site is two miles to the
northwest. First named Methodist College, opened
on November 1, 1841, with the Rev. T.C. Thornton
as president, followed by the Honorable D.O.
Shattuck. Removed to Jackson, LA as Centenary
College of Louisiana in 1845.
Soon after the historical marker sign, we will pass the Pelahatchie Industrial Park, and a little farther along, we will cross Pelahatchie Creek. Guess what town we are about to come to. Yup, Pelahatchie, MS. At the 4-way stop is the intersection of US-80 and state highway 43. Going north on MS-43 would take us up to the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs from Natchez, MS. to Nashville, TN. Going south on MS-43 would take us to the sleepy town of Puckett, MS. Heading on east on US-80, we pass by the Pelahatchie City Hall building, Don Davis Chevrolet, and, if you look real hard you will see the best steakhouse for 60 miles. It's simply called "DUKE's". You better be looking for it, though, 'cause it ain't much to look at from the outside. Plan on having a meal there if you have the time. You won't regret it.
Up ahead is a sign for Barefoot Springs Baptist Church. I have no idea where Barefoot Springs might be....never heard of it. Soon we will go over what I call a "humpback" bridge. Underneath it is the KCS e/w main (told Ya we would cross it again). We enter the Bienville National Forest when we get closer to Morton, MS. Along the side of the highway there are still trees down from recent tornados. Just outside of Morton, there is another of those green historical marker signs. This one is for the Choctaw Line (Boundary). It reads:
Boundary between Choctaw cessions of 1820 (Treaty
of Doak's Stand), and 1830 (Treaty of Dancing
Rabbit Creek), going from the southeast corner of
Simpson County, northward into Holmes County and
thence through Bolivar County. (Personal note
from INTRUDN--the aforementioned treaties were
part of the land grab that the US Government forced
upon the Choctaw Indian Nation...don't get me
started on that!)
Several signs announce "Welcome to Morton". Guess they want us to feel welcome, huh? LOL At the 4-way stop is the intersection of US-80 and MS-13. Going north on MS-13 would take us to MS-25, which runs into Starkville, MS. (home of Mississippi State University--GO BULLDOGS!!). Going south would take us to a BIG SIGN for Roosevelt State Park (it's about two miles from the intersection of US-80/MS-13). Lots to do there. They offer camping for a small fee. There is also a lodge/hotel, or cabins for rent if you don't want to rough it. You can rent paddleboats, hike, fish, swim, etc.
Morton is one of the states many "industrial towns". It does have a small town feel to it though. How small? The Greyhound bus stop is at the local Chevron gas station. Small enough for Ya? As we head on east out of Morton, throw a wave and a salute to the folks at the National Guard Armory. They have earned it. Just down the road, as we go by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maintenance Headquarters, there is a sign for a National Forest Trail. Never been on it, but it does look inviting. We are now heading towards Forest, MS.
Just before we get to Forest, we pass the Central Industries Protein Recycling Center (Protein Recycling? What in the world is THAT?!). As we top the hill and go around the curve, look above the tree tops and you can see the first of three water towers in Forest. After we pass the Scott County Maintenance facility, and go over the second KCS e/w main humpback bridge, we pass the second water tower, close to the intersection of US-80 and MS-35. Going north on MS-35 would take us aaaall the way to Batesville, MS., Sardis Lake, and John W. Kyle State Park. Good fishing and camping up that way. Going south on MS-35, we would wind up at the Mississippi/Louisiana state line, where MS-35 becomes LA-21, and eventually, if we weren't careful, we would wind up in the New Orleans area. But, I gotta get to work.
Continuing east on US-80, we will pass the third water tower in Forest and also the Tyson Chicken Industries plant. Forest is another small industrial town, like Morton. And, like in Morton, the Greyhound bus stop is at a gas station. On the outskirts of town we will pass the Scott Motel. We won't stop there....ever. Not far down the road we will cross over Hontokalo Creek. It's an American Indian name, the meaning of which I do not know. Probably means "water which white man will soon pollute". When we pass by Raytheon Industries, we are heading out of the Bienville National Forest and into a little town called Lake, MS.
Before actually getting into Lake, we ride past James Taylor's Used Cars (no, not THAT James Taylor) and Dakota's Country Store--both of which share the same lot...LOL I don't know how Lake got it's name. All I've seen are a few small ponds. They do have a water tower, though, at the intersection of US-80 and MS-489. MS-489 goes north to Union, MS. That's it. It doesn't go south until you leave Union and head back to Lake...LOL Just past Lake, US-80 goes under I-20 again. Some of my kinfolk, on my Momma's side, run the truck stop there. They always have good hot coffee and ice cold beer on hand. At the I-20 underpass, we are about 30-31 miles from our destination of Meridian.
We are back out in the country now. Farmland. My kinda riding. Lots of smells out this way. Think I'm kidding? Look up there, on the left. A goat farm. Told Ya there were smells out this way...LOL It's nice and quiet out here, except for the KCS e/w main, which is now on our right. Here come some old houses displaying what I will kindly call "yard art", and some more trees blown down by those tornados I told you about a while back. DON'T BLINK! If you do, you'll miss Lawrence, MS. They have the B & W Jr. 1-Stop and Post Office...in the same tiny building. You would also miss the off shoot to MS-505 to the right. MS-505 doesn't really go anywhere in particular. It runs back into the Bienville National Forest. It's just a neat little road that runs into MS-15, which going north on MS-15 would bring you back to US-80 at Newton, MS. We'll keep going straight on US-80, instead of taking the MS-505 detour. Don't wanna be late for work.
Coming into Newton there are a few things to look for. Morgan Field (football stadium) and the MDOT 5th Division Headquarters are right across from each other. On up in town, there is another one of those green historical markers. This one is for the Doolittle C.S.A (Confederate States of America) Cemetery. It reads:
In this cemetery, which has been maintained by
the Doolittle family since antebellum times,
are buried about 100 Confederate soldiers who
died at a military hospital during the Civil War
Siege of Vicksburg. (Note from INTRUDN:
Vicksburg, MS. is about 120 miles from this spot)
Before the cemetery, we crossed another KCS humpback main line bridge. This bridge goes over the north/south main, however. Past the cemetery is the Newton County Animal Hospital. You feeling OK? LOL Also, there is a sign showing the way to the Newton, MS. Railroad Depot, but don't plan on catching one of my trains there (I work for AMTRAK, in case you didn't know) 'cause there is NO passenger service through Newton anymore, unless you are Hobo-ing around the country on freights. Newton does, however, have a Sonic Drive-In (I think that just about EVERY small town in this state has a feaking Sonic, forgot to mention them in Morton and Forest), a Walmart, and a Piggly-Wiggly supermarket. Pinson's Bargain Center & Western Wear is just past the intersection of US-80 and MS-15. MS-15 goes north all the way to the Mississippi/Tenessee state line, just past Walnut, MS., and south, it goes around AND through (look at a Mississippi road map and you'll see what I mean) the Desoto National Forest all the way to Biloxi, MS. and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where you can gamble 24 hrs. a day on the largest "Casino Row" in the state.
Eastward on US-80, out of Newton, we will go through some of those hardwood swamps that I mentioned earlier. Look for an old grain silo on the right. When you see it, look to the left for a big sign that says, "Mississippi State University operated Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station, Costal Plain Branch". Note on the bottom of the sign where it says "visitors welcome". They mean it, so stop for a while if you can before heading on to Hickory, MS., the next town ahead on US-80. Hickory is a small railroad/logging community that time seems to have forgotten, at least this side of it anyway. They still decorate the town for holidays, but it's a "laid back and lazy", cozy kinda place.
Chunky, MS. is up next on our route. Don't laugh, they have a Post Office...LOL If you look on the left coming into Chunky, you might spot the sign for Union Primitive Baptist Church, est. 1855. Heading out of Chunky, look for a sign on the left for Lazy Acres Christmas Tree Farm. DO NOT MISS THIS SIGN. Not so you can stop and visit (you can if you want, but I gotta go to work, and right now you are lost without me, so there!), but right past that sign are some more signs indicating narrow bridges ahead, and they sho-nuff mean narrow! If you see an 18-Wheeler coming, let it have all of the road it wants, 'cause it'll need it. When you pass the Lauderdale County sign, the bridges are spitting distance in front of you going over the Chunky River. At the US-80/Chunky River Boat Landing, we will pass the biggest catfish anywhere around these parts. It's not another fish story, it's part of the sign for Boyett's Fish Camp---you CAN'T miss it.
When we cross the Chunky River, we will enter "East Central Mississippi Mountain Country". That's what I call it anyway. US-80 cuts through the bedrock on the hillsides, and it's really pretty in the spring and fall. The cut-through passes are an awesome sight for this Mississippi flatland farm boy. Shortly we will be passing through Meehan Junction, and we will be only a few miles from the US-80/I-20 Interchange. The area around the interchange is called Lost Gap. The restaurant in the truck stop on the left serves up hot plates of some really good eatin's. Inside the truck stop they have a chapel where they hold non-denominational services on Sunday. Now you KNOW you are in the "Bible Belt" of the South....LOL
Well, at this interchange of US-80 and I-20, I usually go ahead and get on I-20. From here it's only 3-4 miles to my exit for work. If you were to go straight over the overpass at the interchange, you would be on "Old US-80", and, you better have a behind made out of iron because that stretch of road is about as smooth as driving the wrong way across a corn field, I kid you not. You can get to the train station that way by following the signs, but trust me, take I-20 from the interchange instead.
I didn't mention everything you might see on this trip. I didn't want to spoil it for you if you ever found yourself out this way and wanted to ride for yourself. See how easy that was to write about? I don't care if you pass 400 7-11's on the way to your work, tell me about it. Besides, as you look along the way, you might see something you haven't noticed before. Well, I'm at work now, so you are on your on. When I get off from work, I head I-20 all the way back home. I've been working all day and I just wanna get home to my family at this point, so don't get in my way or I'll suck you up my Cobra's! LOL I hope you had fun on your "Ride to work with INTRUDN". OK, who's turn is it now?