BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL

The register was open and the lady wrote "beautiful waterfall, Who knew in Mississippi.  Well worth the walk!"  ***** from somewhere in England.  Johnny and I also signed the book and drove up the narrow "old trace" to the long abandoned Civil War town of Rocky Springs.  The old church still stands on the bluff, and the mossy head stones attest to history long forgotten.  We discussed the beauty of the deep woods and gently rolling hills and decided to follow the trail marker to Owens Creek to see the beautiful waterfall someone wrote about.  The weather was nippy with a strong, biting breeze.  Our coats were welcomed in the deep shade of the tree canopy.

2.5 miles round trip, right?

The path was deep in winter leaves and almost non-existent in places.  We stomped along at a fast clip, trying to burn those calories and enjoy the search at the same time.  Deeper and deeper into the woods; still following the almost dry creek bed. 

We started to make jokes about the girl from England enjoying her joke about the waterfall - what waterfall?  We had walked for what seemed like hours over stumps, rocks, roots, fallen trees, mud, coming out of the woods at the trace twice and looping back into the woods as we finally found little direction markers.  We giggled but it wasn't so funny now.  We decided we had been snookered.  So reluctantly we turned around.  No waterfall, hungry and tired.  Good grief! 

As we came upon the trace again we walked a mile along it (much easier walking the pavement than the woody path) before veering back into the woods to pick up the path again.  Coats were shed and no notice was given to pretty trees, flowers and birds.  We were in search of our chariot waiting with a picnic lunch in it.  I was sprinting toward the vehicle while visions of ham sandwiches danced in my head.

Sitting in the warm car and munching on sandwiches and cold drinks we giggled and giggled at our gullible spirit - waterfall - really?  The elusive waterfall was never even mentioned in the literature we had picked up at the Natchez Trace info center.  Besides, the most water we saw wouldn't even fill a wash tub.

As we got back on the Trace we soon saw a road marker that said "Owens Creek Waterfalls."  REALLY?

We must have been within spitting distance from the falls when we turned around and walked back.  Five miles and here we could have driven to it.  And there was not one, but two waterfalls right there along the highway.  The washed out shape of the first waterfall makes it echo very loudly and is quite nice.  The second was only about 100 feet up the trail.  Nice surprise, funny adventure, great exercise.