"Driftin Ol Miss Journal by Wali-G"

Sep 1-15   Sep 16-30   Oct 1-15   Oct 16-31   Nov 1-15   Nov 16-30   Dec 1-15   Dec 16-31  
   December 1, Tuesday

   Vicksburg, Mississippi. Decide to stay one more day to get some computer work done at the library... Backup files, Internet, check accounts.... Meet a guy named Peanut that recommends we call Seth Libbey, the same guy JT, from the Mayhem String Band, recommended we seek... Apparently Seth is known from here to Greensville. ... We get ahold of Seth, offers a place to stay, and picks us up from the Ameristar after we get done gorging ourselves on the casino buffet.



   Dec 2, 2009 Wed

   Vicksburg...Seth gives us the tour and helps us completely resupply... Have one of the best burgers on the river at Toots. Seth talks us into staying another night; another night in the rain and cold is avoided.



   Dec 3, Thursday

   Seth drops us off at the raft on the Vicksburg city front at 8am... By 8:30 we talk him into a day trip ... By noon Eric's job is in jeopardy because Seth knows how to play guitar and needs a job... That afternoon, Seth recommends we stop and talk to two kayakers... Turns out they have been travelin from New York to New Orleans... We invite them to join the raft to take a break from paddling.



   Dec 4, 2009 Fri

   Made it to Natchez , MS... Owen and Drew, kayakers from NY, drift with us for the day...too many Northernors drag old man winter and snow into the deep south.



   Dec 5, 2009 Sat

   Last night in Natchez: Crazy night at the Saloon Under The Hill, said to be the oldest bar on the Mississippi... And the home of the Godfather, John David's table. Got to drink a beer with a Leprecahn that looked like Mark Twain. // Thanks to Brad for the ride for resupplies! // DrifterRadio's Don Quixote is quickly turning into a floating coffee shop; cool!



   Dec 6, 2009 Sun

   End the day at Mile Marker 292. Owen and Drew post up with us as well. Windy day made for slow going on a snaking river. Cook up some Jambalaya, play some tunes, and sit around a fire on the beach.



   Dec 7, 2009 Mon

   St. Francisville, LA- Owen and Drew catch coffee and then head off for Baton Rouge... We put up 30 miles and stop at a mud ladened boat ramp. Cool little city with a fair amount of historical points. The local finest give us a ride on our gas run. I see two of the hottest women on the river within one hour of walking the town. Eric finds candy all around the neighborhood streets. On to Baton Rouge tmr.



   Dec 8, 2009 tues

   Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Psychosis is setting in...grounded barges, cows in the fog, hot/cold winds, chased by a red buoy. Last hour into Baton R. we get hit with the worst wind and waves..."we almost died"- Erik ... But we had a schedule to keep to meet up with our couchsurfing.org, college artist host, Hannah.... It was worth it; Hannah made us chocolate chip cookies.



   Dec 10, 2009 thur

   Plaquemine, LA- Britney Spears country... Or atleast it seems with the quality of ladies here.. Bustin out some karaoke... Gettin drunk with Kevin... Got resupplies....strip club let us career out food .. Eric will be happy.



   Dec 11, 2009 Friday

   Pheng's birthday. Was only able to travel a few miles do to wind and choppy water; we need to be careful about not burning out the engine (it doesn't get proper water for cooling do to waves)... Made it to White Castle, LA.. No White Castle's here.. Not even a sitdown restaurant to get out of the cold and rain... No place to charge phones and get Internet to get work done. 100 miles to go.



   Dec 12, 2009 Sat

   More choppy water and crappy weather... Very slow going since we hit the Mississippi river's "Cancer Alley" (named for the large amounts of chemical plants from Baton Rouge to New Orleans). Made it a short distance to Donaldsonville, LA...they do have a McDonalds (Eric has his first Big Mac value meal). Refueling requires walking three miles round trip.



   Dec 13, 2009 Sun

   80 miles to New Orleans but today we get our first taste of peasoup-like fog till 1pm... Drive to Weber Marine just below Sunshine Bridge... Not exactly a docking spot, but enough where we don't have to start or end the day in the water. Nothing around here except barges and chemical plants...75 miles to go, but with this fog it looks like we are going to miss our Dec15 end date. Not sure what to do with the raft. Positives- we got rid of our front, leaking metal barrel that's been dragging and slamming into the deck and we found two small tires to use as bumpers.



   Dec 14, 2009 Mon

   Vikings won yesterday without us watching (that's a first); the New Orlean Saints are undefeated. Stuck at Weber Marine (mile marker 167) because if a full day of fog and thunder showers... Eric and I are getting antsy to be done. Speaking of ants, we found that we have stoways... And a plant is growing out of the front of the boat.



   Dec 15, 2009 Tuesday

   Finally a break in the fog. Made it 20 miles downstream to mile marker 146 near Gramercy, Louisiana... Lord gramercy. Don't think the river captains are a fan in this flowing mess of an industrial parking lot known as "Cancer Alley.". For future river rafters I would probably recommend either ending the trip in Baton Rouge or head the other route to the gulf.