Day 46 - Wednesday, April 23

Kentwood, LA to Poplarville, MS - 78 miles - 2433 total. 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it was another good ride today. I admit it was difficult to get going after the scrumptious breakfast laid on for us, but I persevered, and eventually moved on down the road. 

Once again, much of the ride was done on back roads amidst park-like settings, which negated any sense of urgency despite the distance. One of the locals explained that the absence of livestock on the vast reaches of pasture was twofold; the collapse of the dairy industry in Louisiana led to the sell-off of dairy herds, and when Texas began recovering from its drought as few years back, Louisiana ranchers sold their herds and hay to the Texans for a sizeable sum, and have yet to bring their own holdings back up. 

Many of the acreage ranches we've passed have large ponds with docks and gazebos where one could sit and enjoy the sights and sounds in idyllic surroundings. Now, that's my cup of tea. 

Today we crossed into Mississippi. The first thing we noticed is that the quality of the roads has deteriorated from Louisiana's high standards. They haven't sunk to Texas' level, thank goodness, but they are disappointing. As a matter of fact, our intro to Mississippi was a busy two-lane state road with the rumble strip taking up half of the shoulder, causing us to either try to ride the remaining foot-wide paved area, or take our chances in traffic.  After about a mile on the shoulder, we opted for traffic-roulette, and luckily made it to our turn-off without any major scares. 

Tonight we're at a RV park in Poplarville, and our host will be cooking us a dinner of Parmesan pork chops, green beans, and French fries. He's also made available a jam jar of apple-pie moonshine, which is 50 proof, and tastes of apple cider and cinnamon, which I may or may not sample later this evening. He also has a jar of straight moonshine which he claims is 150 proof, and which I definitely will avoid. I can't imagine trying to ride another 70-plus miles with a headache/ hangover. 

It's hot (87) and humid, and the forecast is for more of the same. I'm loving it. 

Poplarville town hall. Town population is 2100.