May 10th - Gladewater, TX, to Natchez, MS

We drove across eastern Texas and a piece of Lousiana before crossing the Mississippi River into Natchez. Being in Louisiana reminded Hank of his favorite song from junior high school, "Amos Moses",  released by Jerry Reed in 1970. 

Another Harvest Host site - an antebellum mansion called "Auburn" was our camp site for the night. Our tour was led by a retired volunteer, Clark, a native of Gettysburg, PA. We learned that the house was built im 1811 by Lyman Harding, an attorney from New York, who became the first attorney general of Mississippi. After Harding, who was childless, died, the home was owned by several generations of wealthy Duncan's from Philiadelphia. The Duncans owned and operated several plantations in the area. Because these Duncans were wealthy and educated at Yale, Hank suspects they were descended from loyalist, lowland Duncans, rather than close relatives of his Scots Irish ancestors who settled in the mountains of western Virginia in the 18th century.

After touring  Auburn, we drove 15 minutes to the home of Kenny and Karen Jo Smith. Karen is one of Hank's oldest friends, dating back to freshman year in high school. The Smith's live on a private, sloped, 3-acre lot, 2 miles down a one-lane county road from the highway. They have a guest house, a shop and large honey bee yard on their land, which borders a pond.  The dogs loved roaming around the property as we walked.

The dogs rested in the Smith's air conditioned home while the four of us travelled to a restaurant in the historic "Under-the-Hill" neighborhood on the banks of the Mississippi River.  This colorful neighborhood was once a rough and tumble sailors waterfront, but is now the home of two nice restaurants and a classic tavern that claims to have been continuously operating since the earliest days of Natchez. Judging from the photos and artifacts that fill its walls, it's easy to believe that claim.

Riverboats still moor on the waterfront, but now, they are mostly steel-hulled and diesel powered, though some of them are replicas of the classic sternwheels. We watched a beautiful sunset over the river as we enjoyed our dinner of catfish tacos and steak salad. It cooled off nicely in the evening. No air conditioning needed!