Lake Lurleen

Mon, 11/2/09:

Memphis, TN, to Tuscaloosa, AL: After stopping for breakfast, we were on the road by 9:00 a.m. Continued south on I55 skirting Memphis to the west. Headed east on Rt. 302 through the cute little town of Olive Branch, Mississippi. At the junction of 302 and 78 we headed southeast on Rt. 78. Most of this road was pretty good except for a couple of rough stretches. At the junction of 78 and 43 we headed south on Rt. 43. Stopped at a Shell station, fueled up, and switched drivers. This whole drive was through some really pretty areas of rural Mississippi and Alabama. Went through some really quaint little towns and the fall colors were great. Just north of Tuscaloosa we headed west on Rt. 82 to the turnoff for Lake Lurleen State Park. The road to the park was a beautiful drive through a dense hardwood forest with beautiful, rustic homes tucked back into the woods. This is the first time we've stayed at this park and it's quite pretty with a 215-acre lake surrounded by dense forest. The sites are great with plenty of space between each and lots of trees. We're right on the lake nestled in the trees--and we have the whole loop to ourselves--on football weekends, however, it's packed with Chrimson Tide fans. U of A is only about 15 minutes up Rt. 82. And this park is as pretty as a National Forest campground but with full hook-ups. Arrived here about 2:30, got set up and vacuumed. Sunny and in the upper 60s. The only downside is no cell service, therefore, no Internet. Think we have a mouse in here--at least I've seen some droppings.