It's only about 100-miles from here as the crow flies, but we're not a crow, so we'll have to drive. Since there are only two roads that cross the Mississippi River between Arkansas and Missisippi we have a choice to make, head north and cross the Helena Bridge on US-49 or head south and cross the Greenville Bridge on US-82.
The northern route is shorter at nearly 150-miles, but that's the way we came in on. The southern route is only a little bit longer at 195-miles and we haven't seen that roadway yet.
Guess which way we went?
No matter which route we decided to take we would have been crossing the Arkansas/Mississippi border and guess what, we've never done that before. So for the 88th time since we started traveling we've crossed another pair of state borders that we've never done before.
We're running out of borders to cross with only 19 left to do, we've got one more coming up next week (#89) and then we won't be talking about this again until next April when we go for #90.
Any guesses which border that will be?
This is the advantage you get when you're willing to plan and book your reservations 6-months in advance. We've got an entire week here on what I believe is "THE" best campsite in the entire campground and not just "A" campsite somewhere in the back of the campground.
Next up was a stop at the local Tractor Supply where we filled an empty 30-lb propane tank.
After that was out of the way (FYI - this Walmart location doesn't have a water refill station) we drove across town to do the rest of our grocery shopping at the Kroger Store. We prefer their produce selection over Walmart's.
BTW - It was at the entrance to the Kroger parking lot where I snapped the photo of the semitruck parking right in front of a yellow sign that clearly states "NO 18 WHEELERS"?
I guess there are some people who are "rule followers" and some that are "rule breakers".
Which side of that fence do you feel you fall on?
I should mention part of the reason we were running late this morning was because we were about 5-miles away from the campground when I remembered that I forgot to bring my prescription bottles so the physician would know what it was I was trying to get refills for.
So with no other choice we turned around and went back to camp. Then when we were all done with our errands we were once again about 5-miles outside of town when I realized we never went back to the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions.
Maybe it's time I start writing myself little notes or a "To Do List" for each day. Nah, I just need to rely more on Tricia to remember things. Nah, that's not going to work either!
I left early enough, at 6:30AM, so I would have time to stop at Waffle House for breakfast. It's been a long time since we've seen one on the road and well, I just love their hashbrowns! I always order mine smothered, covered and country. That means with sautéed onions, melted cheese and sausage gravy for all you non-Waffle House eaters.
By 8:00AM I arrived at FORD right on time for my appointment and they wasted no time getting ROVER in for an oil change. Then I watched them put him out in the parking lot to wait for a technician to check out his rear end noises.
Two hours later I got the bad news! ROVER's rear end is just plain worn out and is in need of replacement to the tune of $2000. Lucky for us when our original 100,000-mile warranty ran out back in July I purchased a Ford Protect Continued Service Plan.
For a monthly premium we are covered for just about any mechanical breakdown and this $2000 bill just got knocked down to my $500 deductible charge. There were other plans with lower deductibles, but they just seemed too expensive for the same coverage.
The other bad news is that it will take until Friday afternoon to finish the repair and the dealership here in the small town of Batesville, MS (pop. 7523) has no loner cars. They also have no rental car agencies in town, the closest being over in Oxford, MS (pop. 26,430) some 23-miles away. Oxford is where you'll find the University of Mississippi (Ole' Miss) campus.
BTW - When Enterprise Rent-A-Car boasts "We'll Pick You Up", thats only if you're within 10-miles of their lot. At least that's the rules here in northern Mississippi.
Hallmark FORD offered to take me over to Oxford to pick up the car, but then I'd face the same problem when it came time to return it. I opted instead to have FORD drop me off at our campsite, some 18-miles from the dealership, and have them pick me back up on Friday when the truck is ready to come home.
So we'll have to wait until Saturday to check out the other four Army Corp of Engineers campgrounds located here on Enid Lake and also time it so we can pickup our General Delivery mail at the Post Office in Pope, MS (pop. 264) during the two hours they're open (8AM-10AM).
I was even able to stop at the Post Office and pick up my mail on the way back to FORD, they're open 7:30AM to 11:30AM during the week.
I surprised Tricia by bringing back lunch from Zaxby's Chicken, that was her pick for lunch on Tuesday when we ended up at Chili's instead, not that she was disappointed with my selection.
We're camped here at Chickasaw Hill Campground on Enid Lake at the end of a dead end street. There are 7 Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds and one Mississippi State Park campground located on the shoreline of the lake. They are all on dead end streets. As a matter of fact, there is a sign you pass on the way to each campground that warns you that "THE ROAD ENDS IN WATER".
If you picture a wagon wheel with spokes, that's what a roadmap of the area would resemble. The lake is the center hub and the spokes are the roads that lead to each campground with a road that travels around the lake.
We're going to drive around the outside wheel and down each spoke to visit all the Army Corp campgrounds. By the time we return to THE POD we will have traveled 80+ miles.
which upon it's completion in 1952 created the 21,000 acre Enid Lake.
driving around and visiting all the campgrounds.
In the end we decided the three best campgrounds, in no particular order, were Persimmon Hill, Chickasaw Hill and Wallace Creek. Some of the others were no more than a parking lot at or near the boat ramp and in many cases the water level was so low it was no where near the ramp, rendering it unusable.
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