Almost a day ahead of schedule, I left camp at the crack of dawn. Today's mileage would again be around 75-plus miles to Tupelo, Mississippi. A park services advisory discouraged cycling the Parkway near Tupelo between the hours of 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, due to heavy motorized traffic. Again the early morning hours were cool, and helped put some effortless miles on the board. Not that I was in a hurry, but it would allow for more sightseeing stops, and meeting and visiting with people along the way.
As a cyclist, I have a love hate relationship with our four legged man's best friend, the dog. I love them when they let me pass on my bike without a fuss, but hate to have to outrun them when they chase after me. While they were not at all a problem on the West Coast, the minute I started cycling the South, they were abundantly on the loose. Most of the time their bark has been bigger then their bite, but one never knows, and don't really want to find out. Even on the Natchez Trace Parkway, I encountered several dogs either abandoned or lost, but always kept to a safe distance. So far they have not caused me any harm or major hardship, but one morning when taking a wrong turn, and being chased by a seemingly vicious dog, it took a bit of courage on my part, to turn around and face the assailant for a second time, to get back on track. I always imagine the dog owner watching me from inside the house, enjoying his "harmless" guard dog giving me grieve. Simple pleasures I suppose!
After a brief stop at the visitor center I made it to Tupelo, Mississippi, birthplace of Elvis Presley, and found an econo-motel to spend the night. With the upcoming three days being more remote, I picked up some groceries and tasty snacks to satisfy my sweet tooth, and thus additional weight to schlep along.
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