Chickasaw National Recreation Area - Buckhorn

We arrived at Buckhorn Campground in the middle of confusion Thursday. Remembering our commitment on this trip to be more spontaneous is not always easy as indicated by the fact we agonized over where to go after Jefferson and reviewed available campgrouds with potential sites online before making up our minds on direction. OK, not entirely spontaneous I agree, but it's a start.  Knowing we could not usually make an online reservation (yes we still like reservations around weekends) earlier than 2 days in advance, I had used Friday as our arrival day and then checked potential sites to see if they were occupied Thursday, thinking it unlikely anyone would take a reservable site for one night if others were available. That would hopefully allow us to occupy it Thursday as a walk-in (spontaneous - right?). Finding one we liked, we made a reservation Friday - Tuesday. Since this park indicated it was open year round, we assumed all was well.  You know what assume means, right?  We got here to find that loop "C"" where I had reserved our site was closed and not scheduled to open until Friday, you know, the day of our reservation. Whoops, must have missed that little piece of info, even though I was sure that the site I had chosen online had been labeled with a W for Thursday, (arrival day) indicating it could be rented as a walk-in for that night. Anyway, it was not available, that loop was closed, there were no rangers around (in person or by phone) to open it early , even though the maintenance guy we found said it was ready, etc., etc.  At first blush, we panicked.  How could they say this campgroud was open all year? You guessed it - "D" loop (not even mentioned online on recreation.gov in the write-up ) was open, and was a first come, first serve loop.  It was a good thing that we had arrived mid-afternoon because there were still sites left where we could fit.  We found one where we could stay hooked up for the night, backed in and set up a temporary camp. Now knowing Bruce, you can imagine that by the end of that night we had met the camp hosts in both loop"D" and the soon to open "C", they had commmited to opening "C" loop at 8 am the next morning to make it easy for us to move as well as opening the bath house early and we had reviewed our reserved spot in C and located all the cut wood to collect.  All in all not a bad ending to an "assumed" arrival fiasco.

After coffee Friday morning, we moved, got set up and had gathered all the wood we might want by 10 am. We went into Sulpher to get some groceries and look around.  Found a small but very good Chinese Buffet for lunch and of course overate, but that did ensure we didn't buy all sorts of goodies while grocery shopping, we could hardly even get the things on our list.  Sulpher seems to be a growing city. The old Artesian Hotel downtown has been completely rebuilt and there is a brand new Artesian Casino next door. Talking with the camp hosts, the hotel is already fully booked even though it hasn't even opened. There is a new Chickasaw Cultural Center with programs and displays and all the small businesses seem to be getting facelifts. Tell me there isn't money in Casinos and recreation. And no, we have not been in the Casino yet but probably will check it out Monday. Came back to campground in time to enjoy the arrival of most of the weekend campers, both experienced and new to backing in and leveling trailers as well as putting up tents. Hint: Always get to your campsite early so you can observe the activities not be the main attraction.

As a final comment on the campground, we have to say that we are both very impressed with all the sites in this campground and with the help of the voluteer hosts. This campground has by far the best facilities we have ever seen in a National Forest Service operated park. Most NFS campgrounds we have experieced never have electricity and usually only have community water, pit toilets and no showers.  Here there are electric (50 amp) and non-electric sites, flush toilets, showers, and large private sites with either paved camper pads or prepared tent areas.  Roads are all paved and everthing is well maintained. Thumbs up to Chickasaw National Recreation Area Buckhorn Campground. We will definitely return.  Later...history of the area (I know you can hardly wait.)

Oklahoma, here we come.

Leaving Alley Creek this morning on our way to Oklahoma and the Lake of the Arbuckles in Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Apparently no cell service at campground so wanted to do a quick update. We will move on to Edmond to visit my sister Terrie next week with no real plans after that until May 15th and North Rim. We will be out and about the next few days and will add more. Until then, later....

Changing weather - back to Jeans...

Today was a beautiful shorts day, the kind of day we all love, not too hot, mild south wind and fluffy clouds in the sky. But now that has changed. Although we are enjoying tonight's fire in shorts, we have added jackets and that southern wind is now from the northwest.  Many of the fishermen here at the campground are bringing in their boats and awnings are being rolled for the night. Today's 80 will be 42 in the morning with a high of 62 and possible rain in the forecast. Guess tomorrow will be laundry day and we will be back to wearing Jeans.

Today's history info is about Lake o the Pines, where we are camped. The Corp built Ferrel's Bridge dam in Big Cypress Bayou in the 50's originally as part of the flood mangement plan for Red River Basin. The dam is concrete and earth and is about 2 miles long. The resulting 18,600+ acre lake is a reservoir that provides water for the surrounding communities as far away as Longview. As it was being built they added provisions for activities such as wildlife conservation, fishing, boating and camping, lucky us.  There are five COE campgrounds, multiple boat ramps and several recreational day use areas. 

So tonight we sit on this lake, enjoying the fire and a wonderful sunset with thanks we still have places like this available. I am even including a picture of me this time so you can see I am actually on this trip too. Later...

Alley Creek's Perfect Site

Just a quick note , we have the best site in the campground (at least according to hosts) and a real miracle - 4G data, even in the camper. This will be a catching up and keeping up stay, yea!!!!

We drove backroads, mostly US 84, but in some places the roads beat both the camper and us to death. The 15 mi stretch of concrete going west from Natchez when you go through Vidalia, LA is a bi??h. We seriously considered finding the first direct route north to I-20 but persevered and things smoothed out (somewhat). Takes about an hour longer driving time to use backroads but the scenery is nicer and we are so tired of both I-10 & I-20.  Anyway, just an update since we are here, set up and the children fed so adult beverages are in hand.  Later....

A Day on The Trace and off...

Thursday we decided to ride north on the Natchez Trace parkway and view some of the history in this area. After a delicious (ok fast) breakfast at the closest McDonalds we hit US 61 to learn about Natchez Trace.  First stop, Emerald Mound - the second largest Indian Mound in the U.S. Eight acres, built by the ancestors of the Natchez Indians and used for all sorts of things, including human sacrifices, from 1200 to around 1730.   Stopping next at Mount Locust Inn and Plantation, we spent several

minutes with one of the volunteers getting the background before taking Hazel up to the restored inn.

Mount Locust is the only one of about 50 inns or way stations that remains on The Trace. It was the first the boatmen or "Kaintucks" came to on The Trace when walking back north from Natchez where they had sold their goods. These men floated flatboats down the Mississippi to sell their goods in Natchez or New Orleans. Since going on to the Big Easy would have added weeks or more to the trip, many elected to use Natchez.  Before riverboats, these men had to walk or buy a horse (at premium prices of course) to return to Nashville some 500 miles north. Most chose to walk and could cover 15-20 miles a day. That made Mount Locust the perfect first stop over.  For $.25 ($37-$40 in today's prices) they received corn mush and milk and sleeping arrangements on the porches and grounds.

In 1785, Mount Locust was a simple homestead but the growing number of travelers compelled the owners to turn their home into a "stand", a crude inn. As business prospered they added a four room, two story annex behind the house, considered a luxury not readily found on Old Natchez Trace. Unfortunately, by mid-1820's the steamboat and other roads pretty much brought an end to Natchez Trace and after 1825 the inn catered only to Natchez residents looking for rural solitude. Slavery was part of this Inn's history too, with the 1820 census listing 26 enslaved people at Mount Locust and by the mid 19th century as many as 51. The site includes a cemetary holding the remains of 43 enslaved workers as well as a separate burial area for the Ferguson-Chamberlain family.

The National Park Service has restored the house to it's 1820 appearance, with free admission and interpretive programs. You can visit both cemeteries and actually walk a short trail beside the house to the original Trace.  Definitely worth a stop.

After this it was time for lunch. Note to self in future - Have it with you. There are plenty of places to stop and picnic, but few place to find anything else. I am guessing you have figured we didn't think ahead - and you would be right. So we decided to visit the Windsor Ruins, off The Trace on 552 and then get lunch, making this a well thought out stop. Guess again. I took my eyes off the road for 2 minutes to look up info on the Windsor Ruins and we must have whizzed right by. Next thing we are in Port Gibson discussing food and thinking about going back. Again (surprise, surprise ) food wasn't readily available.  Looking for even snacks by then, we stopped at the local Citgo diner. We ended up sharing fried chicken of the day as our entree with a peanut butter cracker chaser, yummmm. Then we went back to look for those ruins. In retrospect, I can see why Bruce originally missed the small, overgrown sign and the narrow clay road leading into the woods but I was ready this time.  We both ended up pleased we had returned. All that is left of what was the largest antebellum house in Mississippi are the Corinthian columns but they are indeed impressive. The house and furnishings had cost $175,000 in the mid 1800s, it weathered the Civil War intact and was used by both armies, only to burn to the ground in 1860 as a result of a party goer's careless cigarette. All that remained were a wrought iron stair case now at Alcorn University Chapel and the impressive columns pictured below.

After all this running around (would you believe we didn't go more than 30 miles on The Trace) we headed back to camp, stopping for the requisite ice and ginger ale. We are currently being wimps inside Tempy with the heater on and drinks in hand. It is too cold with dropping temperatures (OK, it is only 59 but very windy) for outside social hour, even if we are inclined to spy on the rest of the arriving campers. Now to figure how to get this posted. Later....

It's 2 days later and we are off again to Alley Creek Campground, just outside Jefferson, TX.  Posting in arrears obviously.