Why a stop at Laurel, Mississippi? We had planned to visit Jackson (state capital) and maybe Vicksburg along the river on this trip, but the January ice/snow storm that was coming to the southeast meant we had to get home a week early to winterize the RV. A couple of times I had watched the TV show Home Town at the nail salon and was intrigued by this couple, Ben and Erin, who wanted to make a difference in their home town, one house at a time. Like going to Waco, Texas, on another trip to see Chip and Joanna Gaines’ businesses, Barney agreed to see the town known for its designers, especially since it was on our way home.
Laurel is also on the Amtrak passenger line that connects New York and New Orleans. Remember we talked about wealthy people, like Louis Sullivan, coming by train from Northern states to the South so they could enjoy the warmer weather during the cold winters? Laurel was one of the train’s major stops.
According to AI: “Laurel, Mississippi, was known as the “Yellow Pine Capital of the World” during the early 20th century, particularly in the 1920s, due to its booming timber industry fueled by extensive virgin pine forests. The city became a major lumber hub following the arrival of railroads, which allowed timber barons to establish massive mills and create a prosperous, historic town.” What a difference from Natchez that didn’t have a manufacturing base after the Civil War.
Erin’s hangout
Ben’s hangout
After visiting their “hangouts,” we drove along the streets that were pointed out to us on the map and saw a number of them that might have had their touch. Since Barney hadn’t seen any of the shows and I had only seen a few, I just guessed at which houses they may have worked on based on the colors, landscaping, and welcoming look.
When we got home we watched one of the current shows, Barney recognized some of the homes in the introduction. What a fun way to close out this trip to Mississippi.
whimsy while we were walking
While we were walking along the downtown streets, we saw this sign: Husband Day Care Center.
We weren’t ready for lunch, so we kept on walking.
We made it home before we had to buckle down for the ice/snow storm. It’s the end of February as I’m writing, and we can’t wait until the end of March to go south to Florida to see our family, get warm, and start on our suntans.
We may have a few in-between posts before our next big trip starting in early June.
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