Belmont Plantation, Est 1857

After a 3 1/2 month hiatus, we were eager to embark on our next states running trip.  For a February run, Mississippi was really the only state left where the weather had a chance to be decent.   We searched the web for races in Mississippi and ended up selecting the Mississippi River Half in Greenville, the only race offered in the Mississippi Delta.  Their stated goal is to get people in the Delta communities excited about healthy lifestyles by supporting and participating in a running event.  The race donates funds to local non-profits committed to providing children with quality education.  In addition, this particular race received high marks for organization and the course was billed as flat and fast.   We set our expectations for a cultural experience and signed up.

It was a small crew for State #39.  Between the time of year and the location, we didn’t have many takers.   Kathy was able to join us at the last minute, so it was the three musketeers who boarded their flights early Thursday morning and met in Las Vegas for lunch and a brief layover before heading to Little Rock, Arkansas.

Lunch in Vegas

We landed on schedule in Little Rock late that afternoon.    After a brief delay in picking up our rental car as the first one reeked of cigarette smoke, we set out for the 145 mile trek to Greenville, MS.   Unfortunately, we didn’t see much of the countryside as it was already dark, but there was very little traffic so we made great time, arriving in Greenville around 8:30 pm.

Finding lodging in the Greenville area had been a challenge.   Typically, we have the best luck with AirBnB’s, but most of the ones we looked at seemed at risk to either fall down or slide into the Mississippi River.   We ended up selecting the Belmont Plantation, est 1875, the last antebellum mansion along the river in the Mississippi Delta and listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.   Joshua Cain, a local entrepreneur with a passion for restoring historical buildings, bought what he later called “the most expensive money pit in Greenville” and restored it to its original grandeur.  It is now operated as a bed and breakfast targeted to guests who are interested in a cultural experience.   We were greeted by our friendly, hospitable hostess who gave us a brief tour and showed us to our room, The Victoria Suite.   Food was definitely on our minds by that time, but she told us the only choice in Greenville at 9:00 pm on a weeknight was a sports bar.

Really?

Melodie is a bit concerned about the menu choices.

Suffice it to say, we found something to eat but we had our first lesson in Greenville, MS dining.   Everything was either fried or battered and catfish, crawdads and shrimp had a prominent spot on the menu.   Even the salad was greasy.   We did, however, thoroughly enjoy the fried dill pickles.

Back to our room we went.   Although with 14 ft ceilings it was not particularly warm or cozy, it was elegant, clean and attractive. (Pardon the video where a snap was intended.   I was learning to use a new iPhone.)

The sitting area in our room

The water closet

We woke up to cool, rainy weather – just as the weather prognosticators had predicted.  We spent the first several hours of the day with our hostess, getting a complete tour of the plantation and grounds, along with a lot of historical background and colorful stories.   Camille, our host, was gracious, personable and had the gift of gab.   She seemed to know everyone and anybody who had ever lived in the area and had a story for everything.   She was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the region and radiated pride in the exquisitely restored Belmont Plantation and all it represented.  She was the type of person who made you feel instantly comfortable.

Entry way.   The plaster work was restored from the original and is a blend of the prevailing Greek Revival and Italianate styles of the day.

Formal Sitting Room

Music Room

The instruments had all been restored from that era.

Camille and Joshua rescued the Panther Burn Cottage from being destroyed by a neighboring plantation after a flood wiped most of it out.   It was originally a doctor’s office.   They had the cottage moved to Belmont and restored to its original condition.   It is now rented out to guests who don’t mind cozy with their culture.

Panther Burn Cottage

The plantation sits in the middle of a field.   Even in February, the grounds were beautiful and showed the promise of spring.

We asked Camille about sight-seeing opportunities, but at this time of year, there wasn’t much.   We decided to just drive around and get a feel for the area.   The Mississippi Delta is about as flat as you can get.   Agriculture is the backbone of the region with the major crops being cotton, soybeans, rice, corn, small grains, vegetables and catfish.  Farms stretch out on every side as far as the eye can see.  Camille told us these farms represent some of the most fertile soil in the world.

While the farms appeared to be thriving, the downtown area of Greenville was a different story.   As we drove into town to pick up our race packets, it was clear that the town had fallen on tough economic times.   Many establishments were boarded up and those that were open had limited hours.  Casinos had been brought in to inject some money into the region, but they had not produced the desired result.   We found it very sobering and a stark reminder that there are still areas in our affluent country where people struggle with poverty.

Packet pick-up was in a one-room building that had formerly been the Leyser Gallery.  One thing was immediately obvious – these people were some of the most friendly, hospitable and helpful of any we’ve encountered in our travels.   They were obviously proud of this race and the high marks they receive from the running community for putting on a first class event.

We returned to our rooms later that afternoon for a little rest and relaxation.  Finding dining options again proved challenging, but we did eventually find a small Mexican restaurant called La Sierrita that served delicious, authentic Mexican food.   The building was another story, but the food was awesome.

Race morning was pretty relaxed.   Camille prepared us the breakfast of our choice – blueberries, bananas, yogurt, and oatmeal, and Kathy saved Melodie and me from the early shuttle bus routine by driving us to the race start.   Despite our worries, race day dawned sunny with temps in the low 40’s, close to perfect for running.

Sunrise outside the Belmont

The race start was setup in the parking lot of a restaurant called “Cow Pen” with fields on every side.    It was a small group:  204 participants ran the half, 104 ran the marathon which started in another location, and 94 ran the 5K which started from the finish line in downtown Greenville.

We were literally staged in the middle of a field.

Singing the National Anthem

Pre-race selfie

And yes, the race actually started in Arkansas, immediately heading up the Greenville Bridge for 2 miles, and crossing into Mississippi around mile 3.   We actually thought about counting it for both states, but the purist in us couldn’t quite accept that.

Start time

Crossing the Mississippi River

Heading into Mississippi

Pretty much what most of the race course looked like – flat, wide-open highways and green fields

We didn’t get a lot of race course pictures for a variety of reasons.   I’ve never trained myself to stop and take pictures, and Melodie has recently found her wings and was flying.   She had her best race time in 16 years, second only to Big Sur back in 2004.

Crossing the finish in style 2:15 later!

Yours truly, about 5 minutes later

Gotta love the post-race pic!

The crew – all of us took second place in our age group 

They even gave out a little hardware in the half marathon for age group placers.

As always, it was good to be done.   We headed back to the Belmont for showers and another web search for a place to eat.   Searching the web turned out to be less than fruitful, so we finally just jumped in the car and drove around.   Every eating establishment within 20 miles of the Belmont was closed, but it took us two hours to figure this out.   Turns out in Greenville, MS you can eat at a few lunch spots between 11:00 – 2:00, but after that, nothing is open until 5:00.   Wow.   We were starving and didn’t feel like we could wait, so finally ended up buying an aged prepackaged salad from Starbucks at Harlow’s Casino.

Despite our eating challenges, good spirits prevailed.  On our way back to the Belmont, we stopped for a couple more photo ops.

Greenville Bridge

Mississippi River Barge

The pre-packaged salad didn’t last very long so we were grateful when evening rolled around and we could go out and get an actual meal.   That evening we ate at Greenville’s finest eating establishment called Sherman’s.   Along with the catfish, shrimp, and crawdads, they served a nice steak with vegetables we recognized.   We were profoundly grateful.

And so our Mississippi experience wound to a close.   As with every trip, we learned something new.   Our states journey does not have to include rugged mountains, beautiful blue lakes, and cascading waterfalls to be a memorable experience.   There is value to be found in warm, friendly people, rich history, and fields that go on forever.  As described by the local chamber of commerce:  “This is the land where the Blues began, where Rock and Roll was created, and where Gospel remains a vibrant art.  It is an agricultural region where cotton was once king, and where ‘precision-ag’ rules today.”

Our travel day started early and was long, but uneventful.   We headed back to Little Rock Sunday morning, flew into Dallas, and then headed to our respective homes from there.   We are richer for the opportunity to share new experiences;   laughing, running, and talking ’round the clock.   It is all part of the story.

Next up – Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.