Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park

682 miles into my walk…

Was I ever glad I stuck around Memphis for the International Blues Challenge. What an afternoon in the beautiful Orpheum Theater where Mighty Lester of the Triangle Blues Society placed third, the kids from Tupelo called the Homemade Jamz' Blues Band – ages 14, 12 and 9 - amazed the crowd and took second place. Here’s a rough video of them performing a classic BB King tune.

First Prize went to Sean Carney Band from the Columbus Blues Alliance. Sean also took the Albert King Award for best guitarist and was also the Best Dressed!!

I was saddened to leave Beale Street and the wonderful atmosphere and music and food, but I was anxious to hit the road once again. Temperatures were dropping and by the time I hit the outskirts of Memphis, the temperatures were in the 20’s. I bundled up and hit the Great River Road/North Watkins Road heading north. I turned left on Locke Cuba Road and then took a right on River Bluff Road. A short while later I was standing outside the Shelby Forest General Store.

This was a store with an interesting looking charm and I thought it would be a nice place for a rest and late breadfast. I walked inside and went straight to the wooden counter for a hot cup of coffee and ordered an omelet with biscuits and gravy and country ham. While waiting for my breakfast to arrive I looked around the shop and saw fish mounted on the walls, deer antlers, and old saw, a TV in the corner and racks of snacks and canned goods (a lot of locally made treats and preserves) and fridges stocked with drinks. The gentleman at the counter told me that I was at the gateway to the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, a bit or wilderness on the edge of Memphis. He said that there were cabins in the park or I could just pitch a tent at one of the many campgrounds. Feeling the cold draft squeezing through the cracks around the entrance door, I thought a cabin would be a better choice for the night.

This park was really beautiful. Bordering on the mighty Mississippi River, two-thirds of this 13,467-acre park are bottomland hardwood forests of large oak, cypress and tupelo. The park also contains two lakes and many miles of hiking trails. The Meeman Museum and Nature Center is named for Edward J. Meeman, courageous conservation editor of Scripps-Howard newspapers who helped establish this park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park maintains a boat ramp on the Mississippi River. Deer, turkey, beaver and some 200 species of birds are abundant.



I spent about 5 hours walking some of the park trails and then headed to my cabin by the river. The skies were clear and there was a full moon and I could hear night birds softly chanting in the tree tops. Since the beginning of my journey, this was one of the most relaxing and refreshing days I experienced. Though the temperatures never crept above freezing, I felt a warmth in this park that cannot be explained. There was a quiet beauty to this forest and I was glad it was preserved. Thank you Mr Edward J. Meeman for having the foresight to save this place. You knew beauty when you saw it and knew the importance of preserving this slice of nature.



I would like to spend more time in this park, but my plans are to head further north tomorrow… well, maybe after walking just a few more forest trails.

Brian