Day 7 - June 27 - Starkville to Tupelo - on Elvis' trail

Weather - 84F (30C0 when I left the hotel at 9:30am.Very hot again with high temperature of 94F (35C(  and a heat index of 104F  (40C) by 3pm.  Sun was intense and a south-westerly wind which was strong at times added to the discomfort.   Heat is expected to increase on Monday to Thursday next week as a heat dome takes hold over the central US with heat indexes up to 110F (43C).

Distance: 75.0 miles (120km)

Calories burned : 4236

Elevation Gained: 1972 feet (601 meters)

Average Moving Speed: 13.3mph (21kph).  It varied a lot from very slow on gravel loose stone county roads to fast (20mph) on the road from Okolona to Tupelo  with the benefit of a tail-wind in 5hrs 40mins of riding.

Shvitz Index: 9.5/10.  I stopped at a couple of rural convenient stores to stock up on cold liquids.  I drank a lot - too much to remember but at least 5 litres of water, 32 oz Powerade, a large chocolate milk, 3 Cokes, and 2 lemonades.

I follwed Google Maps suggested bike route to Tupelo but I regretted that since it suggested country roads that were loose stones - I reckon that I rode about 6 miles on these terrible roads.   With a back heavy bike, the tendency is to fishtail all over the place.  The pace was slow as the temperture rose quickly.  At one intersection,  I asked a woman sitting on her porch how long was the loose stones surface and she said 5 minutes - but that's in a car and it was another 30 minutes of misery trying to keep momentum.  After the second stretch of such conditions, I gave up and decided to take the main roads.

The area has really flattened out compared to the central Mississippi  region of the past few days and I saw my first corn (maize) fields with stalks already 6 feet high. The soybean fields and the more open landscape reminds me of the Midwest, as does the more grid like pattern of the roads.

I got onto US45, a 4-lane highway for a few miles, but it was very busy and everyone seemed to be exceeding the 65mph speed limit.   I had to ride as close to the white line as possible but even this seemed to displease some drivers.  I got off to take a break under the tree at a church cemetery where the choir were rehearsing for a weddg (as told to me by the warden).  It must be some sort of  Mennonite church based on the family names in the cemetery and the long whote dresses of the women with white coverings on their heads.

After some navigation assistance to avoid both the busy US 45 and loose gravel, I made my way to Okolona.  The small grocery store was very busy - and its doors has many signs, including two "no guns".  I sat in the shade and watched the customer traffic. Most emerged with large bottles of soda - this state must have the highest consumption in the countryof fizzy drinks .

This sign intrigued me - is it intended to warn against divorce or against remarraige?

In Okolona is a Confederate war cemetery with the flags of 11 Confederate states flying briskly in the wind.  During the Civil War, the town was the site of a major military hospital to which the wounded in nearby battles, including the major one at Shiloh, were brought. About 800 who died at the hospital are buried here.

The road to Tupelo became very busy as I neared th city. It has grown monstously since I was last here exactly 50 years ago in 1976.   It has sprawled in what seems like unplanned growth.  The downtown has a few blocks that have been restored and the bars/restaurants there were busy at 5:30pm on a Saturday.  All the many new hotels seem to be filled with weekend visitors on the Elvis tourist trail. (I will do some sightseeing tomorrow early when it's not so hot).

I made a pilgrimage to a wonderfully nostalgic ice cream/hamburger place, Dairy Kream, which has been in business to 80 years.  Since it's on the way from where Elvis lived as a child, I like to think that he visited for their tasty soft serve ice cream.  My visit there 50 years ago was memorable so I had to go straight there when I arrived in town.