Day 84 Mississippi River
The alarm rang at 6 AM. Still dark outside, I gathered my things, tidied up the place and walked over to the main house. Park, dressed in a light blue button-down shirt, opened the door.
"Help yourself to whatever you need for breakfast. We got cereal, Pop tarts, toast."
After a cup of coffee and a small bowl of cereal park and I hopped in his pick up and we worked our way over toward the river. On the way we stopped at a convenience store to grab a bit more to eat. In a small heating container by the register a buffet style breakfast was on show. Park grabbed a sausage biscuit. I went with the works: biscuit and gravy, links and bacon.
Once at the water where Park had originally picked me up, we snapped a photo and said our goodbyes. Park was off to an early morning dentist appointment in Greenville, MS and I was heading south via the Might Miss.
Before pushing out I sat down at a picnic table to chow down my breakfast. I'll tell you what, southern biscuits and gravy are the real deal. Often times I find the gravy in the north to be thick and heavy. Not this stuff. It was light and rich and hit the spot.
After grubbing down I filled up with water from a nearby spicket, loaded up the boat and pushed off sometime around 8 AM. It turned into a beautiful day on the water. Sunny, warm and still. In the late afternoon following few minutes of leaning back in my boat, kicking up my feet and letting the current take me away I checked the map. To my surprise and excitement I realize that I was now in the final states of the trip! I had made it past the Arkansas Louisiana border! I was officially into the state that houses New Orleans.
With a huge smile on my face I thought about all the states I had traversed to get here. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas all by canoe. As I thought about all the experiences and amazing people I have met along the way I could almost smell the salt water.
With the sun beginning to set I set up camp on stack island, a large island near Lake Providence, Louisiana. After unloading, gathering firewood, setting up the tent and tossing the sleeping bag, pad and blanket inside I set up the lawn chair, kicked up my feet on a 5 gallon bucket and cracked a celebratory bud light that I had picked up in Greenville, MS. For a good while, I sat and watched the stars. A clear night revealed a vivid Milky Way, painted across the sky with a white brush. The entire view from horizon to horizon was full of flickering stars with quickly moving satellites streaking in straight lines.
A campfire then ensued as I heated up canned chili on the coals for dinner.
I've made it to Louisiana, and it feels good. I've got salt water on the mind.