I left Osyka on 584, a not that interesting straight road featured in the "Riding the Line" article, where I was first presented with southwest Mississippi. I'd about had it with good old Ms.584 and decided to go north on Grace Hall Rd. I like the name, "Grace". Grace took me up to Ms.568 and I went west for a short distance, not interested in main thoroughfares that day. I turned up Pilgrim Rest Rd.
Now I mention all these little roads in case someone actually wants to follow my route, like Jason. I also mention them because if someone is looking for Pilgrim Rest on the internet, the search engine is going to bring them here. Technology is amazing. Back to the ride.
Pilgrim Rest turned east as sometimes these roads will do. Then north. You know I'm doing this from memory.
Then I hit Peoria Rd and went west on it. And, dang, I came to Peoria though I don't remember it. I proceeded out of Peoria on Old Peoria Rd., going straight north. I crossed MS 24. Next, northeast on West East Fork Rd. I'm not kidding. Is there an East East Fork Rd.? Getting lost is great, but carry a GPS or a compass or someting, maybe a string. These roads go around in circles and their names make no sense, like this article. then I went through East Fork where the road's name changed to South Greensburg Rd. I bet you think the next town is Greensburg, wrong, it's Thompson. I crossed Ms.570, now on North Greenburg Rd. I got to US 98 and there was no Greensburg Maybe the road "took it". I turned west for a second and turned then north on Jackson Libery Dr. Southwest. The road went straight north. I passed by, not through, West Lincoln which is a way west of the road. I later saw East Lincoln. I crossed US 84, now I was getting somewhere. This is hilly country, being west of the Tangipahoa
River Valley where US 51 runs north and south through all those great old towns from Jackson, MS, to Ponchatoula, LA. I was out in the boonies west of Brookhaven, now on CR 34, a questionable road. The surface was not that good and it seemed to be a maze of litte roads going through extreme poverty. I crossed CR 60 and the road changed to CR 36. Hey Fred, I just figured out what CR stands for, Country Road. After a while you start getting good at figuring. CR 36 changed into Jackson Libery Dr. Northwest. Why had the road gone through all that CR mess and just stayed JLD of some direction, Southeast, Northwest, West-East, or East-West? I opted to leave it and got onto Loyd Star Lane Northwest which led me onto
James Dr. Northwest through Old Red Star though I didn't know it, and James turned into Old Red Star Northwest, though I was going southeast. Then I hit Mt. Zion Road Northwest. Now at the intersection of Mt. Zion NW. and Lott SW, I did a bunch of turning around as if looking for something. That is noted on the GPS tracks. Indecisive, I guess. No, I remember, I was quite uncomfortable and was looking for a place to become comfortable. I went southeast on Lott crossing under or over I-55, north of Brookhaven. I then crossed US 51 and went north on Old Saint John Rd NE. I was near where Fagon and I had stayed at Lincoln State Park doing the Patriot Hunt. I'd wanted to roam this area a little and I did, finding Old US 51 NE, a thrill. I decided to turn it south since I'd been north and took it as far as Tarver Trail NE.
Now this is interesting. When I use to go to Holden La. a bunch, we'd buy beer at Tarver's, thus my choice of this road. My advice, follow roads that interest you. You probably wouldn't have taken Tarver unless you'd hung about Holden and drank a lot of beer. I took it southeast until, wouldn't you know it, I ran into Lake Lincoln Dr, NE. I congratulated myself now being in very familiar territory. I went south knowing there was a way for me to go east avoiding Brookhaven. Ray and I had gone through Brookhaven too many times and I knew we could have avoided the traffic if we had had time to research it. On that trip if a place didn't have a dead Patriot on it, we weren't riding it, unless we were lost. You have to stay focused sometimes. Focused is a lot of work. I try to stay away from it.
I came to a school that seemed weird. The kids and teacher were, maybe "strange" would be the word. It was a private school and I'd say it had religious ties to some "unfamiliar faith", Wow, that was diplomatic. I took a turn east on Heucks Retreat Rd. which went to, Heuchks Retreat where there use to be a school. That's coincidental. From that historical spot I went south on Callender Rd. NE to Beesom Dr and west, not the direction I wanted, on Nola Rd. Then south on Tripin Rd. How did it get its name? Then Branch Lane and crossed US 84 going south on Harmony Dr. I rode it a ways, then turned south on Townsend Dr. until I hit E.Lincoln Dr Southeast, told you I saw it. See they are starting to become familiar. Bet if I'd gone west I'd gone to Lincoln West. There is a method to this madness. It's worked for years without numbers. Numbers don't tell you anything, well sometimes, like interstates with even numbers go east and west sometimes, etc. I came to Pleasant Grove Dr. and couldn't pass it up. South I went.
I passed Hebert Lane. How'd that Cajun get over here? Or was I lost? I hit China Grove Drive. That didn't tell me squat. There must be 20 China Grove something or others. I need to find the origin of "China Grove". Ray Fagan and I have discussed that phenomenom at length, but I remember none of the conversation. Railroad workers? It changed quickly into Topeka- Tillton so I'll put that research on the back burner.
One way was Topeka and the other Tilton. I got to Tilton and went due south on a nameless road until I got to Jayess, just north of MS 44. Then south on Jayess Rd. until it hit my good-buddy Ms.583, a great road from Tylertown to Brookhaven. See there are bits of info in all these roads discriptions and you just have to peck them out. I took Ms.583 south, now being tired of little lost backroads. It happens even to me. Ms.583 went south into Tylertown. I got some gas and left on Ms.27, south, headed to Louisiana where the roads turns into La.25. I rode into Franklinton and could not bare the thought of riding boring La.25 into Folsom, so I headed east on La.16 which follows the Bogue Chitto to Enon and back to base camp.
The second day, this one, I enjoyed riding and exploring and didn't really come up with much that I'd think you'd be interested in. Of course I don't know you and I presume your interest to be like mine.
To Repeat: This was the second ride, the first is next. If you've read all the directions, you are indeed a road person. I would then wonder why I read them all. Hope your are wondering, too. It's a sign of good mental health to wonder. So relax and wonder some more.
Click the Next Button to go to Ride One.
Your directions are waiting. They will take you to some really good stuff I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing.
I would if I hadn't already. The highlight of the rides I tried to find the next day, today, just missing it on today's ride. I took lots of pictures on the first ride just in case that happened. |
