TISHOMINGO STATE PARK

Tishomingo State Park is located in the extreme northeastern corner of Mississippi, at the base of the Appalachian Mountains. I've been wanting to visit since we moved here over 8 years ago, but it's a bit of a drive (~5 hours) and the timing just never seemed to work out. With the kids starting a new school this fall and thus starting the YMCA Daycamp this coming week (for the rest of the summer), no lulls in available childcare other than the last 2.5 days of last week (when Gramma came out to watch them), a 3-day weekend for us, and a need for Gramma to get through Georgia and back home well before our upcoming Disney trip (rather than stay in Mississippi longer), we figured there was no excuse NOT to take the time to go up and camp this weekend. When we booked our campsite a couple weeks ago, there were just 4 spots left and the requirement to stay (or at least pay) for all 3 weekend nights (Friday-Monday). We snapped one up and figured we'd head up there early Saturday morning when Jean left for Georgia, and stay through Monday afternoon, taking our time on the return so we could stop at a few spots along the Natchez Trace that we hadn't yet seen (since we'd never been on the Trace north of Canton). We found a house/dog-sitter (Mr. Nick to the rescue!), packed our gear, and headed out! The only problem was the weather, which unexpectedly turned sour very late on Sunday afternoon (we got caught in a thunderstorm and HEAVY rain about a mile away from the car while hiking with the kids along the Outcroppings Trail). With the threat of worsening storms and a tornado watch, and a completely flooded campsite (and wet tent/sleeping bags) by the time we returned to the campground (and at least half the sites suddenly cleared of campers... ominous!), we made the decision to leave early for safety's sake. We packed up in the pouring rain, quickly showered, and headed back to Vicksburg at 7:00pm (snagging "dinner" at a gas station around 8:00pm), arriving well after midnight with two sleeping kids and two wish-they-were-sleeping parents. We haven't had much luck with camping weather lately (wind storm in Ruston, ice storm in Mandeville, and now tornado watch in Tishomingo), but it was still totally worth the drive and packing effort. In about 28 hours on site, we hiked almost 4 miles on 3 different trails, canoed, swam in the river, had a campfire and s'mores, fished, "rock climbed" and tree climbed, danced, bird-watched, captured tiny toads, ran the trails, played with glow lights in the dark, saw a bunch of wildlife (turtles, water snakes, deer, opossums, birds, frogs and toads, cicadas, etc.), and splashed in a couple little waterfalls and streams. It was a memory-packed trip and we all had a great time!

Watching the donuts be made at Shipley's with Gramma before leaving town

Stopping at some mounds for a potty break along the Trace

Watching daddy chop wood for the campfire

Camping bonus for the kids: s'mores, Oreos, chips, and root beer

Scaring mama BADLY on the swinging bridge (making it swing and bounce, and walking at the edge)

Breaking out their dance moves on the boulder "stages"

Continuing to scare mama by leaping through the air over and over...

The tiny waterfall wasn't enough to capture their attention for long... not when there were rocks to climb!

Get a little closer kids. Mama hasn't had a heart attack yet...

Calling in a Hooded Warbler with our pishing

The campsites here had no fire rings, yet campfires were allowed. Weird.

So many tiny toads! (Just like at home! Capturing them remained the #1 activity at camp when we were there though.)

Heading up Saddleback Ridge to start my trail run Sunday morning

Running alongside Bear Creek for a while

This tilting bridge was closed. I turned around rather than cross it!

Sunday morning canoe trip - Jay and Cora setting out just behind James and I.

My co-pilot was part strong-arm helper (part hindrance to staying the course...)

Pretty sure Cora only paddled for the first 10 minutes of the 2-hour trip

Lots of shade on this river!

Paddle up after coming out of some little rapids (so mama could keep us pointed forward)

He was exhausted by the end of the trip - he worked so hard to "beat daddy and Cora!"

One of the sections with "rapids" (plenty big enough for these kiddos and very exciting!)

At the halfway point and way ahead of the rest of the group...

...so we stopped for snacks and river splashing and swimming

Mama stayed in the boat. An hour of paddling after an hour and a half of hilly trail running had me worn out and happy to sit back and just watch my beautiful family for a few minutes.

This is the "help" she gave Jay most of the way... (and he had to retrieve her paddle a few times...)

Hunting for fishing bait after a quick (late) lunch

Attempting to catch some uninterested sunfish. (Uninterested in the cicada parts and raisins we had managed to scrape up for bait, anyway.)

We accidentally flushed a bird off a nest while stream splashing, so we retreated (after taking a quick photo). My best guess was Louisiana Waterthrush, but I didn't get a good look at her.

The bridge across the old CCC Pond

A bigger waterfall, bigger rocks, and a bigger hike (2 miles). This photo was taken about 5 minutes before the thunderstorm unexpectedly rolled in...