February 20, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Port Gibson.

Today Keshina and took excursion number 2. It was a good one. Port Gibson was an important town in the 19th Century but river towns are not thriving in the 21st Century so I was expecting a dying town. What we found was a much larger town then we expected so our visit came as a surprise to both of us. First issue for me was that the town was not on the Mississippi River. The river must have shifted. We drove on the interstate to Hazelhurst, then took back roads to get to Port Gibson. The trees are in bloom so we spotted many beautiful trees and bushes with lovely blossoms. The trees in Jackson are not in bloom. When we got to the little town, we visited the visitors center for a map and some brochures. I tried to hire someone to take us on a tour but no one was available so we drove around ourselves. And we walked down a street with big old houses, all beautifully restored. The lady in the center told us that many homes are for sale wi9th a selling price of 75K to 150K. In addition to looking at the big old homes, we drove up and down all the streets in the town. Most homes were built in the 20th century. But there were lots of people and business. And one nuclear power plant. General Grant said of Port Gibson that it was a town too pretty to burn. So here it is. We drove around the area for a bit, all on the back roads, then we took the Natchez Trace home. Next time we take an excursion we must leave early as we did not get home until 5. We both enjoyed our day although Kashina is not used to driving on a road that she does not know and does not know where the road is going. Ken and I did that all the time. But she survived. And eventually she enjoyed it. One of the bright spots of the day was Rosa's cafe, a tiny place that was mostly a carryout. It was so small that I had to convince Keshina to go in. They had one table. But the good was delicious. I ate grilled shrimp. From the outside it looked terrible but it was a highlight of the day. Now on to excursion number 3.