Weather - 83degF (30C) at 9:30am with 85% humidity promised another hot humid day and so it was. The temperature reached a high of 93F (34C) by early afternoon with a heat index of 104 (40C). The wind was quite strong from the West-south west for most of the day, and was a sort of tailwind for me.
Distance: 62.9miles (101kms)
Elevation Gained: 2431 feet (741 meters). Lots of small hills, the highest gradient about 5%.
Calories: 3813
Average Moving Speed: 13.3mph (21kph) in 4hrs44minutes of riding; fast on MS145, but slow touring Tupelo
Shvitz Index: 9.5/10, especially in the morning. The two biggest annoyances of sweating so much is the search for enough hydration and so much salt in my eyes. I drank about 4 liters of water, 2 liters of lemonade, about 1.5 liter of sports drinks , and an ice cold water gift from a stranger.
I found out why Tupelo seemed so busy last night since the hotel was filled with fans of "Journey" (minus Steve Perry), the 1980s iconic band, who performed at the local events center. All were of a 'certain age', That concert explained the busy bars and restaurants in downtown. On Sunday morning, the Journey fans had been replaced by church-goers as the many churches in Tupelo seemed busy.
I spent about an hour touring the Elvis sites, of which there are many in Tupelo, before heading north to Corinth. I lost count of the many statues, lifesize posters and other Elvis ikons in the city.
Elvis was born in the poor side (East side) of town across the railroad tracks and lived there till his family moved to Memphis when he was 13. Apparently, though, he never forgot his origins and when he made it big, dedicated energy and money to recognize his origins. The central park (formerly fairgrounds) is a monument to his legacy
As well as a large statue, there are many heartfelt dedications on the bricks around it
After seeigng the downtown memorials, I rode over to the Elvis birthplace park. A few tourists were arriving but the place was relatively empty early on Sunday.
There are many plaques explaining the family history and Elvis' story is told year by year in a circular set of bricks. His car and the 2-room house that his father built, and in which he was born, are prominently displayed. There is a full immersion tour available but I had to get going on my 'journey' so I missed it
The house in which Elvis was born and lived in for 13 years.
The 1938 Plymouth is a replica of the car that the family had when they left Tupelo for Memphis in 1938.
On the busy highway oout of Tupelo (why was it so busy on a Sunday morning?) I passed one of the entrance ramps to the Natchez Trace Parkway, a two-lane diagonal road following an ancient Native American trail between Nashville and Natchez on the Mississippi. It is well known to touring cyclists for its beauty, facilities, and low speed driving by non-commercial vehicles. Maybe next time -- but I think that October would be a better option than mid summer.
I made fast time on MS145, which was relatively empty after about 10 miles from Tupelo but it ended back on the busy 4-line US45 without s shoulder, so I had to exit that quickly. A few zig-zagging routes took me through the woods and exurban Corinth - and through the completely dead small town of Rienzi. All but one building seemed abandoned.
As I stopped on a road in the woods to drink and check the navigation, a beaten-up old pickup truck stopped, and the driver, an older man without removing the cigarette from his mouth said: "God bless you: you need this" and gave me an ice cold bottle of water. It was fabulous. I have been offered water on five occasions when I have stopped on my journey from Gulfport.
Tomorrow I hope to reach Jackson TN but since the temperature is supposed to be increasing day by day till at least Thursday, I need to get on the road much earlier so that I can finish before the extreme heat of the late afternoon.
Somewhat surprisingly, I have not seen any Trump signs and only 6 Confederate flags on my approximately 500 miles of Mississippi roads, both main highways and backroads.
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