Blogs from Natchez Trace, Mississippi, United States, North America

For those unfamiliar with National Park Service parkways, they are (for all practical purposes) two-lane controlled access highways although there is an occasional side road intersection and the “access ramps” terminate at the parkway in a “T” intersection instead of the traditional “merging traffic” feature. The parkways prohibit commercial trucks, are absent of billboards and roadside businesses and have a speed limit of about 50 mph. In addition to the Natchez Trace Parkway, I know of only two other National Park Service parkways. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile scenic connection between Shenandoah National Park VA and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park NC, and the Colonial Parkway is a twenty-three mile scenic roadway between Yorktown VA and Jamestown VA. All three parkways are All-American Roads, and all three have a Mile Post system incorporated ... read more

This is day 3 & 4 of my 4 day trip to see the Natchez Trace on my 883 Sportster. Saturday, 11 April 2009 Well the original plan had me in Paducah KY tonight and that is where I am. Tomorrow is going to be a burger. KC high is supposed to be 48F. Its supposed to be in the 41F here in Paducah in the morning and similar all the way to KC.. It is going to suck riding that 400+ miles home tomorrow. I hate cold. I am in another $50 motel, the Paducah Inn. The last 3 nights all I have done is hmmhaw about the rate and the next words out of their mouths is a rate break. Todays food was under $7. I usually only eat one meal, if I get ... read more

We spent a leisurely morning and left the RV park around 11:00. Jodie and Nancy spent a half hour on the phone going over the mail. We saw our first dead armadillo by the roadside. Will we ever see a live one? A highway sign for an upcoming rest area said, "Security Provided". We decided we didn't need to stop.We passed through Jackson, the state capital. According to the guidebook, it was nicknamed Chimneyville, after Sherman burned the town in July, 1863. There were beautiful, new interchanges in Jackson, but the highway was old, rough, and bouncy. We were sure everything in the trailer would have fallen out of the cupboards and be all jumbled up on the floor. Shortly after Jackson, we got onto the Natchez Trace Parkway. We just happened to have brought along ... read more

After being bitten hard by spring fever and my recent camping trip in the Tombigbee National Forest, I decided to go for a day hike after work. I finally settled on Owens Creek Falls which is at mile marker on the Natchez Trace Parkway. ... read more

We followed the Great River Road all the way down into Louisiana, stopping at a few interesting (and sometimes peculiar) sights. First, Onward, Mississippi. Onward is a corner store. We actually missed it and had to turn around. There's nothing remarkable on the inside: just chips, candy, beer and the like. But, Onward has a claim to fame. It was here that the story originated of the Teddy Bear. It is fabled that Teddy Roosevelt was hunting here when his hunting party came upon a baby bear. The guide lassooed the bear, but Roosevelt declined on shooting it. The party set him free, and Rossevelt's attidtude toward the bear caused a great many cartoons to be printed about it. Then a stuffed animal company wrote to the president requesting that they be able to name their ... read more