But we just couldn’t have folks getting lost, especially when they’re trying to find the largest campground in the whole entire State of Mississippi, and for the very first time. Then Tait Tate came up with a brilliant idea, as he often does.
First of all this is red clover, so there will be no confusion. Now sometimes the flowers will look a shade of purple in the sun but they are red clover indeed.
Now, after the first time of searching for our camp it gets much easier. And, after you’ve been here a while it is said that your truck will start to find it’s own way home. Cars as well, though it seems that pickup trucks learn the way home much more quickly.
“So What did Tait Tate do? What was this great idea he had?”
Well hang on a minute. Let’s talk about why this is so important first. We’ll use the stories of our very own webmaster, Bill, to demonstrate this.
Years and years ago, about the turn of the century – we had another one of those not that long ago – Bill, our webmaster, came to the Cutoff for his very first time. It was Fourth of July weekend and his friends Kieth and Karen Johnson had invited Bill to spend his “break” at the camp. At that time Bill was working on the road doing telecom all month long, except for 4 days per month.
Bill, he followed the directions, but he had been driving all day. Eventually, he ended up at Mhoon Landing sitting in front of Tunica County’s very first legal casino, Splash. Well, Splash was closed by then, which left no one there to ask for directions. His cell phone wouldn’t connect – it was a levee thing – and he had to drive all the way back to Highway 61 to get service again. To hear Bill tell it he was a tired mess by that time.
Later on, when Bill moved into the Cutoff, his daughter Miranda came to visit him. He gave her careful instructions, but then came the phone call. “Dad, I’m lost.” Bill ran across the levee in his golf cart to guide her in.
Well evidently, Tait Tate heard these sorts of stories, so during the winter-time he took measures to fix this problem. Now Tait doesn’t really use the internet and he doesn’t get too far off the levee, except for occasional trips to town for supplies, so he didn’t know about the signs, or the map on the website.
“Well, get on with it. What did Tait do?”
Alright, alright. Tait got himself some red clover seeds and spread them along the left-hand side of the road which runs along top of the levee. He stopped spreading these seeds at the yield sign, where the turnoff for Bordeaux Point sets. In the photo below you can see the yield sign off in the distance on the right side of the road. See it?
But after you make that turn the road forks left and right. Well, Tait started seeding that red clover down the left side of the road to Bordeaux Point. You can’t quite see it as well, since the grass does a fair job of hiding it, but if you look well you can make it out. Fortunately the sign should be able to guide you from there. At the “fork” there is a big yella sign pointing left to Bordeaux Point RV Park, with great big letters and an arrow. And yet, as recent as last year Fed Ex has gone the wrong way and delivered a package to the wrong camp. The right leads to what was once Charlies Camp, but now is Rickie’s – rather private – Camp.
So first time coming in to Bordeaux Point just follow the red clover, when it ends take that first right off the levee, and a left at the fork, just like the sign tells ya, and you will be home. After your first trip in you are free to simply admire how pretty the red clover is, and to think for a moment about the elusive Tait Tate, who had such a wonderful idea.