The terrain changes considerably when one travels from Northwest Arkansas to Northeast Louisiana. The tree covered mountains give way to flat river bottom farmlands. When we drove the rural highways south of Pine Bluff, Arkansas and into Louisiana, the cotton harvest was underway. Large round bales of pink and yellow plastic wrapped cotton dotted the edges of fields and stray pieces of cotton floated like snow before settling along the highways’ edges. For a couple of North Central Kansas kids, the cotton fields and harvest was interesting to observe.
We camped at Poverty Point Reservoir State Park between Epps and Delhi, Louisiana. In the mornings, the bright call of the mockingbird woke us. On our first morning, it sounded like a whole flock of songbirds was outside our camper but we soon realized it was just a few mockingbirds. Their bright and varied songs were new to us but what a joyful sound! Listening to the mockingbirds was one of our favorite things about camping in Louisiana. We didn’t record any of the birds, so here is a link to a mockingbird singing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNNX3f3_svo
About twice a day, some fellow campers walked through the campground. Since we cook our meals outside and use the truck’s tailgate as our kitchen counter, the husband would ask, “What’s on the tailgate tonight?” We had a really nice chat with them and some friends of theirs. They were all natives of Louisiana, retired, and genuine people of faith. They treated us to some delicious zucchini bread too.
Poverty Point World Heritage Site was just a 20 minute ride from our camp. Constructed by indigenous people between 1700 and 1100 BC, Poverty Point consists of several earthen mounds and six concentric C-shaped ridges. Archeologists believe the area was a massive trading and ceremonial center for the native peoples. Not much of the site has been excavated so there is a great deal more yet to learn about these mysterious land creations and the people who formed them.
After Poverty Point World Heritage Site, we decided to ride to West Monroe to see if we could find the Duck Commander headquarters.
The roads in this part of Louisiana are fairly flat. In some places, swamps exist on either side of the highway. While we watched for alligators, we didn’t see any although a black snake raced across the road right in front of us. Thankfully, we missed him and he missed us!
One sunny day, we rode our bikes to nearby Vicksburg, Mississippi. The bluffs along the Mississippi River were more interesting to ride than the river bottom of Louisiana.
Vicksburg was a crucial city during the Civil War; whoever controlled it, controlled the lower Mississippi River. In early 1862, the Vicksburg Campaign began and the campaign ended when the Confederates surrendered on July 4, 1863. The battle and siege raged for a year and a half. Over 48,000 lives were lost. Soldiers from Missouri were present on both sides of the conflict. Kansans fought for the Union.
Because of Covid, the National Military Park was closed but the 16 mile driving loop was open. We started riding through the battlefield with Cy making frequent stops to take photos. We soon realized we wouldn’t make it through the park before it closed if she stopped at every interesting marker. Later we learned that over 1,400 monuments and markers dot the winding road through the battlefield commemorating the soldiers and commanders who fought and died on that hallowed ground. The drive was a solemn reminder of the high cost of freedom and the sacrifice that was made to keep America ‘one nation, under God.’ Our country isn’t perfect, but knowing so many people bled and died in that hilly forested area and how many loved ones grieved their deaths was sobering.
Touring the South makes us more aware of the complexity of man and our history. Many men we honor did some terrible, immoral things, including the enslavement of people. As Johnny Cash sang in the song Best Friend “A diamond is a diamond and a stone is a stone, but a man’s not all good nor all bad. When the chips are all down and your back’s at the wall, God is the best friend that you’ve ever had, God is the best friend that you’ve ever had.” We all need Jesus. In Him, all sin can be forgiven, even the heinous act of slavery. Jesus offers freedom and life for all who believe in Him. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Corinthians 15:57
