Civil Rest

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hppants

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Location
Lafayette, LA
I recently spent 3 ½ days camping and riding Central and South Louisiana, along with Southwest Mississippi. The getaway presented itself not a moment too soon, as I was getting a bout of cabin fever from several weeks of cold and wet weather. I know you Yankees are thinking that someone from coastal Louisiana hardly should complain about cabin fever, but this is my ride report. You can write whatever you want in yours.

I was joined for the trip with my good friends John and Mike. The 3 of us have shared many miles and smiles over the years and we always look forward to our 2-wheeled adventures. John and his wife were nice enough to welcome me into their beautiful home on Friday night. Mike was dealing with a nasty respiratory infection all week, and on Friday morning decided to back out of the ride. However, he texted me during the day Friday, and I could sense that he wanted to change his mind. On Saturday, I was pleased to hear he did re-consider and decided to meet us at the campground.

We camped at the Rocky Springs Campground on the Natchez Trace near Port Gibson, Mississippi. Camping on the Trace is free, but sites are often hard to get. Not so in the winter, as we found a nice relatively secluded place to pitch our tents. On Sunday, John was planning to go back home early, as he had to report back to work on Monday. However during breakfast Sunday, like Mike the day before, I could sense that John was re-considering his plans. With a little arm twisting, John decided to ride with us part of the day before heading home. Mike and I camped Sunday night and took the long way home on Monday, arriving safely late in the afternoon.

By Deep South standards, the weather was cold. Overnight lows were around 30 degrees, and each day it warmed to the mid 60s. As such, we took plenty of time in the morning for coffee and conversation before plugging in the heated gear for the days’ adventure. The star gazing at night by the campfire was epic, as high pressure offered an unlimited clear ceiling all weekend. We had no rain and cloudless skies with plenty of sunshine and for mid-January, you’ll get no complaints from me.

For myself, the ride was about 925 miles over the weekend, and my beloved FJR ran like a top, with the odometer crossing the 58,000 mile mark somewhere along the way. We avoided the interstates and even major highways like the plaque, opting instead to travel along the curvier rural back roads. Some of these roads were very familiar to us. Others we traveled for the first time.

But the back country is where the good stuff always finds us. There, in those fields and farms, people exist like no one is looking. We see them at their best – relaxed, proud, and uninhibited. They give us a chance to peek into their world. Some of them wave to us, communicating non verbally that we are welcome and they approve of us. We get to see their architecture, their livelihood, and their culture, and I greatly enjoy this part of any adventure. You can’t do this from the couch in the living room watching PBS documentaries. Even the best high definition televisions only give you 2 dimensions. To experience that 3rd important dimension, one has to immerse themselves in it. Breathe and smell it. Hear and taste it. Feel it. Live it.

The 3rd Monday of January is Martin Luther King Day. Dr. King lived his life with passion and without conviction. He was not afraid to take risk for his beliefs, and he paid the ultimate price for it. Dr. King came from a time when people existed in a world of civil unrest. Ironically, my friends and I chose to observe his holiday with … civil rest.

I hope you enjoy the pics.





Day 1 – Lafayette, Louisiana to Pollack, Louisiana, approximately 125 miles.

I packed my horse the night before, but took the pickup truck to work as I had meetings for my obligatory ½ day Friday workday. Unfortunately, they were the kind of meetings one can’t wear riding gear to. No worries, I managed to get through the morning and was home by 1:00 pm. An hour later I was packed and I kissed the wife goodbye, promising to ride carefully, eat gluttony, and drink feverishly. I know she would expect nothing less. With plenty of time, I ride very familiar curvy state highways with great tunes coming through my ear buds and warm sun shining on my westward side. An hour or so later, I stopped at a volunteer fire station somewhere in St. Landry Parish to drink some water and stretch my legs.

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This is Bayou Beouf, lined with huge Palmetto Plants.

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The sugar cane and soybean fields have long been harvested, and the green rye grass planted for erosion control is a welcome site.

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I cross under I-49 and turn onto Hwy 115, another windy desolate favorite of mine that follows Bayou Toureau. The absence of any traffic is calming to me.

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Now getting closer to John’s house near Pollack, Louisiana, I stopped to watch the sunset behind the Kistachie National Forest. The winding road ahead makes my mind wander excitedly about the adventure that lies ahead.

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I pull into John’s house about 5:30, and he arrived from a long day at work about 10 minutes later. We officially kicked off happy hour over conversation. John’s wife Connie prepared a nice baked chicken with potatoes and veggies and uncharacteristically, I forgot the food porn. You’ll just have to trust that is was delicious.

After dinner, we freshened our cocktails and mosied to the back yard to enjoy a nice fire and conversation.

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Connie’s youngest son entertained us with some left over New Years’ fireworks. I tried to snap a few pictures, but my efforts brought true meaning to the phrase “Shot in the Dark”.

Cheers to you my friend.

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Meanwhile the horses have been stabled proper. John’s shop is well insulated and heated.

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He collects some really cool “shop art” and I enjoyed liked at it.

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This one gave me a chuckle.

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He’s got all the proper tools.

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We chewed the fat a while until the fire died down and called it a night.

Day 2, Pollack, Louisiana to Natchez Trace, approximately 325 miles.

I’ve been dealing with some vertigo lately, so getting to sleep last night was a “spinning” experience. Perhaps that ¼ bottle of Crown Royal didn’t help things very much. Regardless, eventually I fell asleep and woke up refreshed and ready to go.

At 29 degrees, all things are moving kind of slow at John’s house this morning.

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With John’s bike packed, we departed around 8:30. Even though the campsite is only 100 miles away (give or take) as the crow flies, with all day to play, we ride a much longer loop through the piney woods of the forest.

The roads are desolate this morning and the air is crisp. We are in biker heaven.

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Right about noon, we cross the State line at the Mississippi River into the historic city of Natchez, MS. There’s an area along the river called the Under the Hill Section, where old warehouses and river buildings have been converted to restaurants and tourist attractions. Seems every town in the south is doing this. Ole Man River is looking pretty turbid today.

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We chose to eat lunch at The Camp restaurant. Parking the bikes on that unlevel driveway was a challenge.

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One beer over a long lunch isn’t going to hurt anyone – Tin Roof Blonde Ale, very tasty.

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John ordered tacos for his lunch….

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….and I picked the brisket sandwich. Good eats!

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After lunch, we hopped on the Natchez Trace for a short ride to this place.

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I’ve been here before, but it was John’s first time. Pretty big mound.

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We walked to the top of the mound and looked around.

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From Emerald Mound, we hoped off the trace on some twisty back country roads towards Port Gibson. Along the way, we stopped here:

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This was one big house, man.

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Now in route to the campground, we stopped to pick up a 6-pack of Modelo, but had no ice. I figured we’d find a store closer to the campground for ice, rather than let it melt on my bike. Why then you ask, wouldn’t we just wait to but the beer and the ice at the same time? Good question – in these parts, some counties and parishes are dry and some are not. If you crave adult beverages while you camp, you had better pick them up where you can find them or you might find yourself doing without.

I found this roadside bar about ¼ mile from the Trace near our campground. The proprietor appeared on the front porch and asked us if we were lost. I replied “No, but would you sell me some ice?” He answered “Absolutely not, but I’ll give you whatever you need.” Nice peeps in these parts.

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John and I arrived at the campground about 5 pm and chose a site. Not 2 minutes later, Mike rode up – what great timing!

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Mike brought horse divers, cool!

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As night fell, and the coals on the fire formed, we proceeded to cook dinner. Hamburgers and beans.

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John couldn’t wait for the food porn before digging in.

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Typically after dinner, the 3 amigos enjoyed robust fireside conversation about all sorts of important matters. We pontificated, professed, and even philosophized solutions to all of the world’s problems. Sworn to secrecy, I’m not at liberty to divulge much more, but it was good stuff. The stars were out in full force, and the fire was warm.

Around 10 pm, we gave up the ghost and called it a night.



Day 3: Natchez Trace to Natchez Trace, approximately 200 miles.

It felt really cold Sunday morning as I awoke. I brought my zero degree sleeping bag, and zipped up tight within the “mummy”, but the cold ground was coming up through my mattress and by 7:00 am or so, I had enough. I stoked the coals on the fire and got things going early. Looks like I’m not the only one burning wood this morning.

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The others soon joined me and before long, we’ve all got our own version of coffee going.

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I toasted my breakfast bagel.

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Mike’s Sweetie makes great blueberry jelly - I always look forward to Pam’s Jam for my camping breakfast.

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Mike and I decide to just leave the tents and sleep at the same site tonight. John was thinking about riding straight home, but I asked him to re-consider. Happily, he decided to break his camp and ride with us a while before breaking off to go home.

By about 9:00 am, the weather is warmed up, our bellies are full, and we are ready to go.

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We rode the Fisher Ferry Road (FANTASTIC) about 25 miles to Vicksburg and our first stop.

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I have wanted to see this place for a while. The park is set on the battlegrounds from the Civil War Battle of Vicksburg. For $4 bucks, we got more than our money’s worth and I highly recommend a visit to this place. We walked into the visitor’s center and looked around the displays.

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As the automated narrator told the story of the battle, the lights on the map would give us a great picture of the logistics.

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We left the visitor’s center and decided to ride the road tour through the various memorials. The gateway entrance to the memorial lane is impressive.

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As we rode slowly, there was plenty to look at.

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From what I can tell, each State whose residents were the battle provided and funded a memorial to the park. There were different sizes and shapes, but each was very tastefully done and beautiful in its own rite.

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John must like this one.

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There were small ones….

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….and really BIG ones (this one is Louisiana’

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The ride was pleasant.

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This is the only surviving structure on the site. It’s an old farm house that was confiscated by the Union. It was restored by the National Park Service.

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This is a big park.

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Within the park was the USS Cairo, an ironclad Union war ship that was sunk during the Civil War in the Yazoo River, and was risen in the 60s and restored for display.

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Its steam powered paddlewheels could push this PIG a whopping 9 miles per hour!

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These boilers must have been hot as hell for the crew.

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In the foreground is a steam powered motor that was used as a rope winch for moving the cannons around and for lifting things as needed.

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Ironclad indeed – those plates are over 2 inches thick!

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There was a small museum of period correct maritime artifacts within the exhibit, so we leisurely checked that out.

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This is a small manual bilge pump.

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The park cemetery was nearby, so we walked over to pay our respects.

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I thought a minute about the significance of this place. I thought about the sacrifices made by each of the tombstones among me. Considering the circumstances of the Civil War, I thought being there on MLK weekend was not only fitting, but appropriate. I’m certainly not proud of some facets of my southern heritage, but as the saying goes, you have to know where you came from in order to really appreciate where you are heading. I felt thankful to be alive, appreciative for all of my many blessings.

As we left the cemetery and rode out of the park, my stomach was making growling noises. We certainly can’t have that on a vacation so the GPS led us a couple of miles to the River for lunch. From the Street, we could smell good cooking coming from here.

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This restaurant is originally named for the restored building for which it is housed. I believe this place is also known as NABISCO.

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The Sunday buffet is $15.00 and that will do quite nicely, thank you.

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Lunch even included a slice of pie for dessert. We enjoyed the view while we ate our lunch.

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After lunch, John headed West for home to get ready for work. I thanked him for the ride and vowed to see him soon. On the other hand, Mike and I have plenty of time to wander. We looked at the map and tried to pick a few curvy roads to make a decent loop back to the campground. Located adjacent to the Mississippi River, this whole area is prime farming land.

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I admit that I’ve got a thing for trains. We noted that each one of these cars can hold approximately 250,000 pounds of cargo. No wonder the train was shaking the ground beneath us.

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The weather is absolutely perfect for riding. Temperatures are in the lower 60s, blue bird skies, wind is very light. We couldn’t ask for better. We rode 100 miles or so through the countryside and thoroughly enjoyed it. Late in the afternoon, we decided to just pick up a sandwich for later on in the evening.

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And of course the obligatory beverage of our choice.

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Back at the campground, the area around our site was picked pretty clean, so we ran off the beaten path a little to look for some fire wood.

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After dinner, Mike and I took a walk in the woods. Other than an armadillo that was hardly bothered, we didn’t see any other wildlife. But the walk was enjoyable none the less.

I’m having a good time.


Day 4: Natchez Trace to Lafayette, Louisiana, approximately 275 miles.


Again, the night was cold and this time, I slept with my long handles and my wool socks. That seemed to help, but by dawn, I was up and at ‘em. The peanut butter was so cold, it was hard to spread with my flimsy spork, so I heated it up.

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We broke camp very leisurely, allowing the sun to rise above the trees and do its thing. It did that very well. We left camp with the heated gear plugged, but within 30 minutes, I had to stop and shed a layer.

We think this is Sand Creek. It is located in the middle of smack dab nowhere and quite frankly, I’m not sure I could get back there. Mike marked it on his GPS so I guess that will help. Judging from the bank, during the springtime high water, I think this place might have some nice flow.

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We are in no big hurry as we have all day to get home and once again, the weather is terrific. This is the Black River. Trains haven’t crossed here in a while.

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I’m with ya Mike – it all looks the same to me too!

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We found some great riding roads, and a few not so great. But the day was wonderful and we enjoyed ourselves.

We rolled into Meadville, Mississippi about 12:30 and by that time, I was ready to eat the rear end out of a mule. Fortunately I didn’t have to.

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We’ve stopped here before – cheeseburgers are pretty good.

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After lunch, our route became a little more direct as we were still about 120 miles from home. I rolled up the driveway about 5:00 pm relaxed and refreshed.

And well rested.

I’ve lived most of my life fairly restless - I always have to be doing something. That has sometimes been demanding on me physically, but lately, it seems to be taking its toll on me mentally. I’m growing to really appreciate the benefit of mental rest, taking quality time to ignore the rigors of everyday life. We all have to do that in our own way. No way is widely accepted as better or worse than another. Each of us has to figure out what we need to recharge our batteries, and when we find that, plug them in and do it.

For Pants, at least for now, my battery recharger is my motorcycle. It’s the only thing I do that truly allows me to get away – both literally and figuratively. I’ve thought about this in recent times. Part of me thinks that the concentration that motorcycling requires while riding leaves little mental room for anything else and by association, the real world gets kicked out. Another part of me thinks that the “freedom” the motorcycle offers puts me in a state of mind that lends itself well to relaxation and happy thoughts. I suppose if I think hard enough about it, I could come up with many other hypothesis about this.

The truth is, it doesn’t really matter. When I am riding, I am happy. And when I return home, I am rested and at peace.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

 
My friend you are getting positively eloquent with some of your prose lately. Well done.

I envy you guys but I confess the idea of tent camping at 30 degrees is unappealing to me. I have to make it a point to visit Vicksburg some day. I have passed through there but never stopped. I would love to see that IronClad. Those boats fascinate me.

If you keep up this kind of RR the states of Louisiana and Mississippi will need to start paying you out of their tourism funds. Your advertising is better than whatever they are buying.

Please don't get too discouraged by my continually refusing to ride with you. I have not spent any time with my family or my friends lately. All I do is go to work every night and earn my wife's money. I appreciate the offers and the excellent Ride Reports.

 
Very nice report!!

Well done, and like RFH said; well spoken........

Thanks for sharing this, I am ready for a trip NOW!!!

 
Question. Were the columns of Windsor Ionic or Doric?

What struck me the first time I visited Vicksburg was the disparity in size and elaborate design between Union and Confederate memorials. They were typically constructed at different times too. The Union memorials started popping up much sooner and appeared to serve the additional purpose of reminding locals who the winner of the Civil War had been. Later, as the southern states started rebounding financially, their memorials started getting put up but for those same financial reasons, were less elaborate.

 
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Great[SIZE=11.6666669845581px] [/SIZE][SIZE=11.6666669845581px] ride report and photos[/SIZE]!
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Thanks hppants[SIZE=11.6666669845581px]!
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[/SIZE]

 
"For Pants, at least for now, my battery recharger is my motorcycle. It’s the only thing I do that truly allows me to get away – both literally and figuratively. I’ve thought about this in recent times. Part of me thinks that the concentration that motorcycling requires while riding leaves little mental room for anything else and by association, the real world gets kicked out. Another part of me thinks that the “freedom” the motorcycle offers puts me in a state of mind that lends itself well to relaxation and happy thoughts. I suppose if I think hard enough about it, I could come up with many other hypothesis about this."

Its is very interesting to read this from someone else as I have been saying this (nearly the same) thing for years when trying to describe how riding helps me. I have done a lot of things over time and discussed this concept with a few kindred spirits along the way and some people just seem to need this type of thing ... I seem to lack the ability to stop thinking (worrying about) everyday things and as a result I MUST find ways to force it out.

Many people wont understand this (I guess you have to live it) but it really is very necessary ...

I have found that people like this tend to overlap with others that have the same needs but have found other avenues to achieve it ...

A lot of riders are also (either) pilots or scuba divers ... As I have met similar people over the years it is amazing how most of them have done one (or all) of these things over time.

I have had the opportunity to fly a lot (as a younger man) and now I have moved on to riding ... I have not tried scuba diving yet but I cant imagine that I wont (at least) try to experience it ...

If you have the opportunity to take a few flying lessons, I highly recommend it ... It is the same "drug" as riding delivered in a different syringe .. You would not regret it ...

In any event, great report, pictures and thoughts ...

Well done ...

 
Thank you for reading my report, and your usual warm replies.

R/H - one day this year we can ride up to Vicksburg with your dad and check out that boat. I think he'd like that. You are working too hard lately, my friend. I know bills (and Scar) must be paid, but all things in moderation.

Bounce - I googled the different columns and to be honest - I'm not sure. I think they are Doric based on the description here:

https://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/culture-miscellaneous/difference-between-doric-and-ionic/

Your comment regarding the memorials is interesting. Some states erected individual memorials to represent the various battalions and infantries within their state that served. CLEARLY, Illinois and Ohio had the largest quantity of memorials but I don't know if that correlates to their actual contribution to the battle, or perhaps the amount of money they poured into the park. What I do know is that the cemetery had 18,000 graves in it, some 50% of these were for soldiers that were "unknown". It was a surreal experience.

Zappo - you and I fish in the same hole. It's not that I'm deliberately trying to run away from my life. Every now and then, I just need a mental break.

 
I'd have said Ionic based on the slender, fluted columns with ornate scrolls on the capitals.

[such is the burden of a liberal arts indoctrination before switching to IT.]

 
Fantastic RR & pics 'pants. I could probably camp in those temps too as long as that Crown Royal stayed nearby. Nice to see you take advantage of your current atmospheric conditions.

 
Thanks for the RR and southern tour 'pants.
Always look forward to reading about your adventures...well done!

--G
+1, Gunny; an outstanding RR with great photos, especially enjoyed the pics of the Vicksburg River Campaign in "The War of Northern Aggression"! JSNS, Dixie!

 
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Bounce - I'm re-thinking it again (I do this incessively). Perhaps Ionic. Admittedly, my knowledge in all things liberal arts, while interesting to me, is VERY little.

Khuna - I think your part of the world is pretty darn good too. My offer to you is the same as it is to everyone else here - if you come here and give me a little notice, I'll show what Cajun country has to offer. I unconditional guarantee is two-fold: We will eat like Kings/Queens and we will find adventure.

Mudslide - this time of year, a little fire water goes a long way. Mike was sipping on some smooth cognac for this trip (after the day's riding was done, of course).

 
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