141: B and B to B and B

Bridges Hall Manor

Bed and Breakfast inns are a special treat for us. On this trip, we've had a chance to visit a few, and just this week we are trying several. Our hostess at the Bridges Hall Manor, Carol, prepared a breakfast today that blew my mind!  She had the most fabulous grits (cooked with cream!), a hash-browns casserole that was cheesy and delicious, eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuits with that incredible crisp bottom edge that just melted in our mouths! Oh my!  We were full for hours, and didn't have to stop for lunch until we'd gone 50 miles or more to French Camp.  So here's to Southern cooking, and lots of butter - which makes everything better!

Her home was built in 1883, and had been in one family (the Halls) for over a hundred years. When she saw the house during a visit to town to see her daughter, she said, "I want that house!" Some years later, it came to pass when the last family members in the home decided to sell. Lucky for us!

At one time in its past, nurses from the local hospital lived in the house, and some of them, now in their 90s, have come to stay with her since she began her inn. Carol also hosts bridge games several times a week for local clubs. Roger said we'd be willing to sit in if anyone needed a break but these gals looked really serious!

Triangle Tandem

And so we were cranking along today, feeling pretty good about getting in a long day after starting pretty early (Carol put our breakfast together for us at 6:30 - yay!) And then, long about mile 38, Roger took a few strokes standing and I heard a little 'pop' and looked down at the wheel and thought, "uh oh - looks a bit wonky." I asked him to stop so we could take a look and sure enough, another broken spoke. Drat!

Morning clouds

There really wasn't anything to do but ride it - there are no bike shops where we were on the Trace - but at least when we stopped for lunch in French Camp there was a hardware store and he was able to purchase the tool with the correct tip to take the wheel apart. We are carrying some spare spokes, so after we arrived at our destination today, he sat in the parking lot and replaced the spoke and trued the wheel. I tell you what, my captain appears to be able to fix just about anything on that bike! I am constantly in his debt.

The Natchez Trace Parkway has a lot of trees on either side, so we were riding in the shade most of the day. However, for one long stretch (maybe as many as 10 miles) we saw a devastated forest. In April of 2011, a huge tornado and other storms came through central Mississippi, killing hundreds and downing an estimated 10,000 trees along the Parkway. It was really something to see how, even several years later, the forest has been so totally changed.

Maple Terrace Inn

Our stop tonight is in Kosciusko, which was renamed to honor a Polish General.  Because you're right - that does not sound much like a Mississippian name!  So many of the place names around here derive from one of the Native American tribes that were originally in the area - mostly Choctaw and Chickasaw according to the signs along the Trace.

The Maple Terrace Inn is another great old house, with fabulous woodwork and stained glass features.

Interior Stairwell - great woodwork

I don't have any history on it, as there is no one here! We had a note left with instructions for our room and breakfast ordering, and that's it. I think that the owners do not live on site, as is the case with many B and B inns. So it's just a bit weird - if we were the only guests I might even say it could be a little spooky, wandering around in this big old house by ourselves!

The day's report:  Houston to Kosciusko, 75.6 miles/6912 to date

Dining room with stained glass panels

And here's our route