Update 3/28
Day #36
Today: Vicksburg, MS, to Madison, MS (57 miles)
Total miles: 1969
Tomorrow (plan): Forest, MS
Our original plan was to travel to Jackson, MS, but we were contacted by Pete Vozzo, a 1982 West Point graduate, who invited us to stay at his home for the night. Pete lives a few miles north of Jackson in Madison, so we amended our itinerary to be able to accept his invitation. We also changed our route, meaning that we would travel on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a route I understood to be a favorite with cyclists. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast prepared by Nancy and Burhman: grits, pancakes with walnuts, crepes with strawberries and blueberries, bacon, and homemade muffins. We even packed a couple of the muffins for a snack later in the day.
The predicted storm had bypassed the area, so we had clear weather as we departed at 10:30 AM, although it was very windy and much cooler. Part of the time we even had the wind at our back, so we sailed along at a pretty good rate. When we reached "the Trace," the road was in excellent condition, although there was no shoulder. Motorists are accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists, and we had no problems. The weather was clear, windy, and cool the entire trip, and we arrived at Pete's home at 4:30 PM. He had invited a cycling enthusiast friend and his wife over for the evening, so we talked cycling and had a delicious meal. For the first time in almost a week the weather forecast does not call for a storm; let's hope it's right.