Riding the Natchez Trace

 Wednesday morning I packed up the bike, bid my farewells to Kathy and her friends and worked my way through Nashville to the start of the Natchez Trace Parkway. A 444 mile long road that traverses three states, the Trace is a national park that was started in 1938 but wasn't completed fully until 2005.

A corridor traversed by the Natchez, Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes, the route became popular with the early settlers returning north after ferrying their goods south on the river before the advent of steamboats. It became a primary mail route to keep the north and south in touch with each other, and homesteaders became inn keepers of sorts, turning their homes into "stands", allowing weary traveler a place to bed down

and a hot meal at the end of a long day. 

The national park system has done a fantastic job capturing the history of the route, from the far earlier periods prior to the days of Columbus, through current, and bringing the rich and often sad history associated with the Trace to life. 

There is a fascinating stop that pays tribute to Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition fame. After returning from their expedition, Lewis was granted a government position overseeing the Louisiana Territory by Thomas Jefferson, with whom

he was friends. However when Jefferson was replaced as president by his successor, federal funds to sustain the territory were withheld and Lewis spent much of his personal wealth attempting to finance the territory while fighting for the funding... sounds much like our government today! At 35 he died a rather mysterious death at one of the stands along the Natchez Trace and today there is a very detailed memorial of his life and death, as well as his final burial location, in the park. I learned far more about the man and his adventures and life in a half hour at this memorial than I ever did in history classes in school!

The Trace has multiple locations of native American burial mounds along the route. There are numerous placards with stories and history along the way. I spent two days traveling from Nashville, TN to Natchez, Mississippi and had to skip multiple displays to make it in that amount of time.

The road for the Trace is a beautiful ride on a motorcycle and would be enjoyable in a car as well. I met and chatted with several other two wheeled adventurers
along the way as well.

Be prepared to either carry water and snacks or know where to leave the Trace of get some. And the same goes for fuel!! Yesterday I was running on fumes when I finally located a gas station off the Trace at an exit I passed without realizing it! There are no conveniences directly on the Trace and no signs anywhere to advise you where to exit to easily obtain them! I got off the Trace a couple of times thinking a town would have gas or readily available food, only to find I was wrong. At one stop, I asked a gentleman who was pulled over in his truck for directions to a gas station, only to have him give me entirely false information! At another stop, I got stuck behind a truck painting lines on

the two lane country road I was on, doing 25 mph!! Much of what is off the Trace is rural and convenience stops need to be planned, especially on a motorcycle.

All in all, I had looked forward to this part of the trip for the last year and was not at all disappointed. I was exhausted due to the 100 degree temperature the second day (95 the first) but this part of my trip was so worth it. A part of American history that we are so fortunate to have been captured and documented and shared with us and for generations to follow. I would encourage anybody who enjoys learning about our country and more of our history to take this road. It was so worth it.

Next stop is Hot Springs, Arkansas. Peace and Love People!! ...Bobbi

One other fascinating thing at the end of the Trace... I had just gotten out of the shower and spied these two senior ladies hanging around my motorcycle in the parking lot and I wondered what the problem was. So I stepped outside and one of them asked, is this your motorcycle? I said yes and what followed was a wonderful visit with two of the early members of Women on Wheels. No longer riding due to age and health issues, we shared many stories. One of the gals had ridden to Alaska with two other women riders when she was 39 years old! They were charming and I was so glad I stepped outside to make their acquaintance. They were also heading to Arkansas for a WOW convention. I wish them well.