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I completed my 2 week stay in Mississippi on 22 April. While in Mississippi I stayed in a small town just north of Jackson, Mississippi named Canton in the county of Madison. No this is not the Madison County that the Clint Eastwood movie is about with all the bridges. That is Madison County, Iowa.
While in Canton I stayed at the "Canton Multipurpose Complex (or Multiplex) RV Park." Like what I found out during my stay in Louisiana there are not many true RV Park/Resorts. All the ones I saw were more campground than anything else. Though they do have full hookups the Park facilities cater more to campers than RVer's.
I did not do a lot of touring around the Jackson area but did drive around the North end a bit. Jackson is not a big city which is what I call, just right. As I have said before I don't like the hustle and bustle and traffic of a big city. Like all of the South that I have seen so far, the area is very green and plush.
I have discovered why the South is so green and plush. It's the rain and I do mean a lot of rain. Since I first arrived in East Texas there have been more days than not, when it has rained. And the term "raining cats and dogs" must have been born here. Like living around Seattle and the Puget Sound there is a price to pay for all the green lushness and that price is rain. On the positive side when there is a nice sunny day they, by contrast, are very nice and welcome. Unlike my stay in Louisiana I only had to turn on the air conditioning for the humidity once and that was the day before I left. Of course I am aware that as it continues toward summer all that moisture coming in contact with all that heat will produce a lot of humidity. And if my living two years in Charleston, South Carolina is any indication, a ton of humidity.
One of the "routines" I have for myself is to go for coffee. However, I have run into a bit of a problem here in the south. There are not many coffee shops to be found. I have found plenty of "greasy spoon" cafe's that call themselves coffee shops, but of course they are not what I have in mind when I go for coffee. In the west you will find on most street corners a Starbucks, Moxi Java, or an independent. Not in the south. I have a suggestion for Starbucks or Moxi Java or the individual entrepreneur, if you are looking for a place to grow your company or get into the coffee shop business then I suggest you consider the south.
I was able to find an occasional Starbucks but they do not pepper the street corners here like they do in the west. I can't speak to other parts of the country yet, but as time goes on I will get a better feel for how well Starbucks or others are represented in the country. I have a vested interest in this because life has few pleasures left that are either not illegal, forbidden or considered a sin. Coffee is one of those, plus as I live alone it gives me an opportunity to be around people without having to be in some crowd somewhere.
One day last week they put the area on a Tornado alert. It was centered more to the east of Canton, but it got me to thinking that I have moved in to the lions den. And will be in the lions den as long as I stay in this part of the country.
Note to self: In the future don't travel to this part of the country during Tornado season.
Otherwise I like this part of the country. It is contrary to what I have understood. That two thirds of the countries population lives east of the Mississippi River. Unlike what I would expect the country side here feels very rural. I believe a lot of that feeling comes from all that green plushiness I have been telling you about. All the trees seem to hide homes and people. When driving down the Interstate all you see are trees and green foliage. Makes for a pleasant drive.
All in all, I would like to come back this way again. Of course subject to my note to self above.
After departing Canton I went next to Memphis, Tennessee on my way to Branson, Missouri.