Memphis

Leaving Petit Jean SP in Arkansas, we traveled to the Memphis area. Crossing Arkansas we had never seen so much water in fields with so many rivers in flood. We thought if it rained any more some of I-40 would be closed. Although it did rain more within the next week or so, it never quite reached the Interstate.

We stayed at Meeman-Shelby State Park north of Memphis near Millington. It is a lovely park located in a bottom land hardwood forest. Just enough trees have been removed to build the campground entrance road and camp sites. We stayed here for several reasons. We visited this park several years ago while our previous RV was being repaired at a nearby RV dealership. (We visited more parks than we wanted under similar circumstances with our prior coach). We liked the park and knew it would be midway between my cousin James and his wife Theta’s home and that of our friends Phil and Sharon Bollinger. Plus we had not found a RV park in the Memphis area that sounded particularly good to us. The main drawback is that it is somewhat remote, about 15-20 minutes from Millington along a somewhat circuitous route. But the drive was pretty especially with the spring blooms and new leaves coming out on the trees.

We were blessed the first night. Terrible storms with very high winds were predicted. We were surrounded by tall trees and could see that some had been blown down in previous storms. But God protected us and the storms moved around us to the north and south - a great relief.

We had a wonderful visit with James and Theta who came to the RV for a visit. We caught up on all their children and grandchildren’s activities. We were surprised during our visit when Phil and his Dad came by. Phil’s Dad has been ill and was in the hospital the day before. In fact we did not realize he had been released so it was great to see him out for a ride with Phil.

Sunday we went to a wonderful church service with Phil and Sharon at their church - The Love of Christ (TLC) Church. Then we went to their home for a great meal and time of fellowship.

I regret that I have not done better at staying in closer touch with Phil and Sharon and my other college friends. We always have such a great time when we get together. We were glad to have visited a close friend from high school and college, Warren Harper, when we were in Vidalia. Warren still lives in my hometown of Greenville Mississippi and happened to be in Natchez for a church conference. Our next stop is to visit another friend, Dennis Sanders, in Huntsville. Warren and I roomed together our first year at Delta State. That is where we met Phil and Dennis. Dennis and I then roomed together for the next 4 years at Mississippi State. Three of those years were in an apartment we shared with Phil and another friend, Joey Green, who I am sorry to say I have lost complete contact with.

Over time as we travel, we hope to make contact with some other college friends and arrange visits. Likewise we have been able to visit many relatives, but have others we are anxious to see as well. Plus we have RV friends who we hope to meet up with and of course look forward to returning to South Carolina to see all our friends and family there.

Leaving Memphis we drove to JP Coleman State Park in the very top northeast corner of Mississippi. I scheduled a stop there so I could revisit nearby Shiloh Battlefield National Park before we moved on to Huntsville. More about that in my next update.

While in Memphis, I kept forgetting to take my camera with me and so regretfully I have no pictures from this visit.