Day 14 From Mississippi to Louisiana

Wow, what a day!! The president declared my birthday a National Holiday (thank you, Donald); then he signed off on the first tariff-busting trade deal; and finally, the Conclave of Cardinals elected a new pope. All of this news hit my car audio as I drove down the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Apparently, I missed the original post from President Trump last week when he announced he would be renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War. Today, the White House released the official notice: “THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 8, 2025, as a day in celebration of Victory Day for World War II.”

He also finally made a trade deal with another country. The United States is lowering automobile tariffs from 25% to 10% on United Kingdom vehicles, and 25% steel tariffs imposed by the U.S. were reduced to zero. In return, the UK is lowering barriers for U.S. beef and agriculture products.

Habemus Papam! Remarkably, the Cardinals elected the first American-born Pope – the former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost – and now Pope Leo XIV. He was born in Chicago and attended Villanova University (majoring in Math!) before entering the priesthood and progressing up the chain. He is only 69 years old, making this the first time in my life the pope is younger than me.

As for my trip, I travelled the rest of the way down the Natchez Trace Parkway, stopping at a minor historical site for a dog walk, and also drove into the city of Jackson, the state capitol. I am posting pictures of the Capitol Building and the nearby Veterans Memorial Statue.

The parkway is a much more peaceful drive than the interstates, less stressful and far fewer cars. It ended in Natchez, Mississippi, a location full of history from the 1700s and 1800s. Natchez is also home to the Saint Mary Basilica, a historical church, which was also a cathedral until the diocese headquarters was moved to Jackson in 1977.

At the Natchez visitors center we took another short walk and I took pictures of the Mississippi River, before driving over the bridge into Louisiana. An hour later, I arrived in Lake Bruin State Park to camp for the night.