By: Arnold Bustillo
This post covers the latest leg of my #4CornerWalkAroundAmerica across the entire state of Mississippi, from the eastern edge of northern Louisiana to the western edge of Alabama. On this leg I covered 238.1 miles. Together with the 1,941.54 miles I walked since leaving Santa Monica, CA back in November of 2013, I've walked a total of 2,179.64 miles in the name of the non-profit Homeless Remedy (www.HomelessRemedy.org).
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Rayville, LA to Delta, LA
East of the town of Rayville, LA was the towns of Tallula and Delta. Both towns were very nice, but they were also very small. Perhaps the most exciting thing to happen to me in the area was in between towns when I had my first alligator sighting. Technically, it was road kill, but I think it still counts. It was only a little alligator, between 2 and 3 feet long, but even a small dead alligator will send shivers down your spine when you see one on an empty highway.
East of the town of Rayville, LA was the towns of Tallula and Delta. Both towns were very nice, but they were also very small. Perhaps the most exciting thing to happen to me in the area was in between towns when I had my first alligator sighting. Technically, it was road kill, but I think it still counts. It was only a little alligator, between 2 and 3 feet long, but even a small dead alligator will send shivers down your spine when you see one on an empty highway.
Retro motel sign in Tallulah, MS
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My first alligator sighting!
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Delta, LA - my last town in Louisiana!
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Old Vicksburg Bridge
After reaching the eastern edge of Louisiana, I needed to cross the Mississippi River before officially crossing into the state of Mississippi. Because of my chosen route, I needed to cross one of the Vicksburg Bridges. The new Vicksburg Bridge was considered part of the interstate and walking across that bridge was forbidden. There was an Old Vicksburg Bridge which consisted of both a railroad track and a vehicular traffic lane. While the railroad track was still in operation, the vehicular traffic lane was closed to all traffic. Luckily, I made contact with the folks in charge of the bridge and they set me up with a guided tour of the bridge which started on the Louisiana side and ended on the Mississippi side - allowing me to cross the Mississippi and stay true to my walk. Many thanks to Herman, who arranged the tour, and Warren, for giving the tour.
After reaching the eastern edge of Louisiana, I needed to cross the Mississippi River before officially crossing into the state of Mississippi. Because of my chosen route, I needed to cross one of the Vicksburg Bridges. The new Vicksburg Bridge was considered part of the interstate and walking across that bridge was forbidden. There was an Old Vicksburg Bridge which consisted of both a railroad track and a vehicular traffic lane. While the railroad track was still in operation, the vehicular traffic lane was closed to all traffic. Luckily, I made contact with the folks in charge of the bridge and they set me up with a guided tour of the bridge which started on the Louisiana side and ended on the Mississippi side - allowing me to cross the Mississippi and stay true to my walk. Many thanks to Herman, who arranged the tour, and Warren, for giving the tour.
Me on my tour of the Old Vicksburg Bridge. Can you see me?
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A zoomed in view of me on my tour of the Old Vicksburg Bridge. See me now?
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Vicksburg, MS
After crossing the Old Vicksburg Bridge, I officially entered into Mississippi by way of the city of Vicksburg. For anyone interested in Civil War history, Vicksburg probably sounds familiar. Vicksburg was the site of the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. When the Confederacy lost control of Vicksburg, Union forces controlled the entire length of the Mississippi River and essentially split the Confederate States in half. This was a major turning point in the Civil War which many historians consider an essential factor to an eventual Union victory. In addition to its historical importance, Vicksburg is also home of the Breakfast Club, a boutique breakfast and brunch restaurant owned and operated by husband and wife team Larry and Shawn. These two were some great people who served up some great southern inspired meals. My favorite dish was the "Back to Bed Hot Tamale and Eggs Breakfast", but I've also heard people rave about the "Big Easy Shrimp and Grits Breakfast". If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop in and visit the Breakfast Club - I especially hope you get the chance to meet Larry and Shawn for yourself!
After crossing the Old Vicksburg Bridge, I officially entered into Mississippi by way of the city of Vicksburg. For anyone interested in Civil War history, Vicksburg probably sounds familiar. Vicksburg was the site of the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. When the Confederacy lost control of Vicksburg, Union forces controlled the entire length of the Mississippi River and essentially split the Confederate States in half. This was a major turning point in the Civil War which many historians consider an essential factor to an eventual Union victory. In addition to its historical importance, Vicksburg is also home of the Breakfast Club, a boutique breakfast and brunch restaurant owned and operated by husband and wife team Larry and Shawn. These two were some great people who served up some great southern inspired meals. My favorite dish was the "Back to Bed Hot Tamale and Eggs Breakfast", but I've also heard people rave about the "Big Easy Shrimp and Grits Breakfast". If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop in and visit the Breakfast Club - I especially hope you get the chance to meet Larry and Shawn for yourself!
Larry, me, and Shawn at their restaurant - The Breakfast Club - in Vicksburg, MS
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Monument to Confederate soldiers in Raymond, MS
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Raymond, MS
Beyond Vicksburg were the towns of Raymond, Florence, and Mize. While Raymond didn't seem to have as many Civil War monuments as Vicksburg, it did have its fair share. In fact, the picture above of the soldier on a pillar was found on the front lawn of the local court house in Raymond, LA. The monument features the soldier at the top, above various etchings celebrating the Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The inscription on the column reads "We of the South remember. We of the South Revere." Honestly, with the amount of Confederate monuments around this area, you would think the Confederacy won the war.
Florence, MS to Mize, MS
After Raymond I walked to the town of Florence. Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned about that town is that the giant cross visible for miles doesn't even belong to a church of any kind - it belongs to a seafood joint. I guess that's what you get in the Bible Belt.
Walking into Mize, MS, I was completely exhausted and looked for the nearest place I could to get some rest. I saw a sign on the side of the road marking the location of a Mennonite church. I couldn't see the church from the road, so it wasn't until I walked up a slight hill that I saw the church was actually under construction. I found some shade next to a wall outlet and sat down. I was there for not five minutes when I saw a truck pull up and a man get out. The man approached me and asked how I was doing and I told him that I was just taking a break from my walk across America. With that, we started a conversation that lasted several hours and included a ride to his place for dinner with his family. The man, Rawlin, was a member of the Mennonite church where I stopped for a rest and was actually one of the men who helped build the church from the ground up. In fact, the reason he was visiting the church was to work on a project inside.
I really enjoyed my conversation with Rawlin. I spoke with him about the problem of homelessness and he enlightened me to the major beliefs of the Mennonite religion. I also learned that he makes his living running a chicken farm, which he was nice enough to give me a tour of when I went to his place later that evening. I have nothing but thanks for him and his whole family for their hospitality and delicious home cooked meal.
Beyond Vicksburg were the towns of Raymond, Florence, and Mize. While Raymond didn't seem to have as many Civil War monuments as Vicksburg, it did have its fair share. In fact, the picture above of the soldier on a pillar was found on the front lawn of the local court house in Raymond, LA. The monument features the soldier at the top, above various etchings celebrating the Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The inscription on the column reads "We of the South remember. We of the South Revere." Honestly, with the amount of Confederate monuments around this area, you would think the Confederacy won the war.
Florence, MS to Mize, MS
After Raymond I walked to the town of Florence. Perhaps the most interesting thing I learned about that town is that the giant cross visible for miles doesn't even belong to a church of any kind - it belongs to a seafood joint. I guess that's what you get in the Bible Belt.
Walking into Mize, MS, I was completely exhausted and looked for the nearest place I could to get some rest. I saw a sign on the side of the road marking the location of a Mennonite church. I couldn't see the church from the road, so it wasn't until I walked up a slight hill that I saw the church was actually under construction. I found some shade next to a wall outlet and sat down. I was there for not five minutes when I saw a truck pull up and a man get out. The man approached me and asked how I was doing and I told him that I was just taking a break from my walk across America. With that, we started a conversation that lasted several hours and included a ride to his place for dinner with his family. The man, Rawlin, was a member of the Mennonite church where I stopped for a rest and was actually one of the men who helped build the church from the ground up. In fact, the reason he was visiting the church was to work on a project inside.
I really enjoyed my conversation with Rawlin. I spoke with him about the problem of homelessness and he enlightened me to the major beliefs of the Mennonite religion. I also learned that he makes his living running a chicken farm, which he was nice enough to give me a tour of when I went to his place later that evening. I have nothing but thanks for him and his whole family for their hospitality and delicious home cooked meal.
Giant cross in Florence, MS. To put it into perspective, the building it's next to was pretty huge, too.
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Mize, MS where I met and had a meal with Rawlin of the local Mennonite church.
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Taylorsville, MS to Soso, MS
In Taylorsville, MS I walked into town and found my way to the local library. Still not knowing where I was going to spend the night, I told the librarians about my walk and asked if they knew any church leaders in the area who might be able to spare a patch of grass on church property where I could lay out for the night. They referred me to a library patron they called the local "Alderman at Large" who referred me to Dr. Clark of the Taylorsville First Baptist Church. Fortunately for me, church was in session for a mid-week service, so Dr. Clark was easy to track down. He quickly gave me permission to set up my tent on the church lawn, but by the time the service was over, he and a few members of his congregation offered to put me up in a local hotel for the night. It was an act of kindness that was much appreciated and that made a huge impact on my morale. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank Dr. Clark and his entire congregation for the kindness they showed me.
In Soso, MS, I met another great person. I had set up camp on another church lawn and had come into contact with the local Chief of Police, Chief Beech. He was very interested in my walk and we spent almost two hours talking about it and other things. During that time, he even bought me a burger and fries. I went to sleep that night and was back on my route the next morning, but that wasn't the last time I would be seeing the Chief.
In Taylorsville, MS I walked into town and found my way to the local library. Still not knowing where I was going to spend the night, I told the librarians about my walk and asked if they knew any church leaders in the area who might be able to spare a patch of grass on church property where I could lay out for the night. They referred me to a library patron they called the local "Alderman at Large" who referred me to Dr. Clark of the Taylorsville First Baptist Church. Fortunately for me, church was in session for a mid-week service, so Dr. Clark was easy to track down. He quickly gave me permission to set up my tent on the church lawn, but by the time the service was over, he and a few members of his congregation offered to put me up in a local hotel for the night. It was an act of kindness that was much appreciated and that made a huge impact on my morale. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank Dr. Clark and his entire congregation for the kindness they showed me.
In Soso, MS, I met another great person. I had set up camp on another church lawn and had come into contact with the local Chief of Police, Chief Beech. He was very interested in my walk and we spent almost two hours talking about it and other things. During that time, he even bought me a burger and fries. I went to sleep that night and was back on my route the next morning, but that wasn't the last time I would be seeing the Chief.
Me with Pastor Dr. Clark of the Taylorville First Baptist Church in Taylorsville, MS.
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Chief Beech of the Soso Police Department in Soso, MS
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Laurel, MS
I arrived in Laurel, MS on July 3rd. While walking through town in the evening looking for a place to sleep, I turned down a busy street and noticed rows of people lining the sidewalks as if waiting for a parade. I tried to move away from the crowds, but every street I turned down just presented more and more people. Just about the time I realized that these people were all waiting for a fireworks show - not a parade - I heard somebody calling my name. To my surprise, it was Chief Beech! He had come to Laurel with two of his friends, Tina and Kenny, to watch the fireworks display. Apparently I had great timing because, according to him, I had walked past just as he finished telling Tina and Kenny about me. We entertained ourselves with conversation until the fireworks show got started, and when the conversation turned to where I was going to sleep for the night, Tina almost immediately started making phone calls to make sure I had somewhere comfortable to go. She put me in touch with a man named Tuck who was in charge of a local shelter run by a chapter of the Hellfighters, a nationwide motorcycle ministry. All the guys at the shelter were very warm and welcoming - not only did I get a place to sleep indoors, but I also got a shower and warm meal in the morning.
I arrived in Laurel, MS on July 3rd. While walking through town in the evening looking for a place to sleep, I turned down a busy street and noticed rows of people lining the sidewalks as if waiting for a parade. I tried to move away from the crowds, but every street I turned down just presented more and more people. Just about the time I realized that these people were all waiting for a fireworks show - not a parade - I heard somebody calling my name. To my surprise, it was Chief Beech! He had come to Laurel with two of his friends, Tina and Kenny, to watch the fireworks display. Apparently I had great timing because, according to him, I had walked past just as he finished telling Tina and Kenny about me. We entertained ourselves with conversation until the fireworks show got started, and when the conversation turned to where I was going to sleep for the night, Tina almost immediately started making phone calls to make sure I had somewhere comfortable to go. She put me in touch with a man named Tuck who was in charge of a local shelter run by a chapter of the Hellfighters, a nationwide motorcycle ministry. All the guys at the shelter were very warm and welcoming - not only did I get a place to sleep indoors, but I also got a shower and warm meal in the morning.
Tuck's business card from the Hellfighters motorcycle shop, which is run by the same guys who are in the motorcycle ministry.
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Looking across downtown Laurel, MS.
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Mural in Laurel, MS.
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Waynesboro, MS
There was quite some distance between Laurel, MS and Waynesboro, MS, but I was able to find a diner, convenience store, and gas station on the outskirts of Waynesboro called Buddy's Food and Fuel. I arrived at Buddy's Food and Fuel with about an hour to spare before the sun went down. I tracked down the owner of Buddy's and told her what I was doing and asked if I could spend the night on the property. She said that it wouldn't be a problem and let me spend the night right on the front patio area of the restaurant, which was great because it was on level concrete, under overhead cover, and near wall outlets. Not only did the owner let me sleep on the property for the night, she even set me up with a plate of breakfast on the house the next morning.
From the outskirts of Waynesboro I walked toward the center of town and had plans on getting there much faster than I actually did. I meant to take a certain road but discovered the entire road closed due to construction. This forced me to take a detour that added extra miles to my route which I didn't plan on - which means I didn't bring as much water as I should have to account for the unforeseen detour. My lack of planning coupled with the extreme heat and humidity of the midday sun put me in a pretty scary spot. It got so bad that I could begin to feel the early symptoms of heat exhaustion, so I took my time to rest in any shade I could find along the road. Lucky for me, I was able to make it to a hardware store with a vending machine. I bought two bottles of Gatorade and a bottle of water and sat outside while I replenished fluids and electrolytes.
While I was sitting outside, I heard something that sounded like an ice cream truck approach. When it came into view, I could see that it wasn't any regular old ice cream truck, but a trailer pulled by a pick-up that didn't serve ice cream, but Italian water ice. Thinking that anything made with water and ice would be good, I walked over ready to buy whatever an "Italian water ice" was. Come to find out, Italian water ice is very similar to sorbet, and after I spent some time talking to the proprietor, Oliver, he offered me a free cup of water ice for the road.
There was quite some distance between Laurel, MS and Waynesboro, MS, but I was able to find a diner, convenience store, and gas station on the outskirts of Waynesboro called Buddy's Food and Fuel. I arrived at Buddy's Food and Fuel with about an hour to spare before the sun went down. I tracked down the owner of Buddy's and told her what I was doing and asked if I could spend the night on the property. She said that it wouldn't be a problem and let me spend the night right on the front patio area of the restaurant, which was great because it was on level concrete, under overhead cover, and near wall outlets. Not only did the owner let me sleep on the property for the night, she even set me up with a plate of breakfast on the house the next morning.
From the outskirts of Waynesboro I walked toward the center of town and had plans on getting there much faster than I actually did. I meant to take a certain road but discovered the entire road closed due to construction. This forced me to take a detour that added extra miles to my route which I didn't plan on - which means I didn't bring as much water as I should have to account for the unforeseen detour. My lack of planning coupled with the extreme heat and humidity of the midday sun put me in a pretty scary spot. It got so bad that I could begin to feel the early symptoms of heat exhaustion, so I took my time to rest in any shade I could find along the road. Lucky for me, I was able to make it to a hardware store with a vending machine. I bought two bottles of Gatorade and a bottle of water and sat outside while I replenished fluids and electrolytes.
While I was sitting outside, I heard something that sounded like an ice cream truck approach. When it came into view, I could see that it wasn't any regular old ice cream truck, but a trailer pulled by a pick-up that didn't serve ice cream, but Italian water ice. Thinking that anything made with water and ice would be good, I walked over ready to buy whatever an "Italian water ice" was. Come to find out, Italian water ice is very similar to sorbet, and after I spent some time talking to the proprietor, Oliver, he offered me a free cup of water ice for the road.
Buddy's Food and Fuel on the outskirts of Waynesboro, MS.
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Oliver, the man with the Italian water ice in Waynesboro, MS.
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Alabama!
With Waynesboro the last town on my route in Mississippi, I crossed into Alabama. The crossing of the state line was a little disappointing because there wasn't a "Welcome to Alabama" sign around - probably because I chose to cross the state line on a back road - but I was still able to snap a great picture that clearly shows the end of one state and the beginning of another. After getting to the town of Silas, AL, I noticed my ability to cover ground quickly diminishing. Where I could usually walk three to four miles before needing to take a break, it became so hot and the humidity became so unbearable that I got to the point of needing a break every half to one mile.
The morning I left Silas, my first town in Alabama, it was so hot that I wasn't able to get very far outside of Silas before becoming absolutely exhausted. It was so hot, and I was stopping to rest so frequently and drinking so much more water than usual, that I didn't think I would be able to make it to the next town before my water ran out. I managed to make it to a country convenience store in between Silas and Coffeeville, AL where I decided that it would be wise to pause my walk there and get to a motel room where I could recuperate some of my strength and see if temperatures would fall. Unfortunately, there weren't any motels for another 30 or so miles, so I had to hitchhike from that convenience store to the nearest motel - and that's where I'm writing to you from today, a small town motel room I rented for about two weeks. At the end of my stay, I'll get a ride back to the convenience store where I left off and will continue my walk as planned.
With Waynesboro the last town on my route in Mississippi, I crossed into Alabama. The crossing of the state line was a little disappointing because there wasn't a "Welcome to Alabama" sign around - probably because I chose to cross the state line on a back road - but I was still able to snap a great picture that clearly shows the end of one state and the beginning of another. After getting to the town of Silas, AL, I noticed my ability to cover ground quickly diminishing. Where I could usually walk three to four miles before needing to take a break, it became so hot and the humidity became so unbearable that I got to the point of needing a break every half to one mile.
The morning I left Silas, my first town in Alabama, it was so hot that I wasn't able to get very far outside of Silas before becoming absolutely exhausted. It was so hot, and I was stopping to rest so frequently and drinking so much more water than usual, that I didn't think I would be able to make it to the next town before my water ran out. I managed to make it to a country convenience store in between Silas and Coffeeville, AL where I decided that it would be wise to pause my walk there and get to a motel room where I could recuperate some of my strength and see if temperatures would fall. Unfortunately, there weren't any motels for another 30 or so miles, so I had to hitchhike from that convenience store to the nearest motel - and that's where I'm writing to you from today, a small town motel room I rented for about two weeks. At the end of my stay, I'll get a ride back to the convenience store where I left off and will continue my walk as planned.
The road from Mississippi into Alabama - see where the double yellow line ends? That's where Mississippi ends and Alabama begins!
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Silas, AL
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Map of my route from Rayville, LA to Silas, AL
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