Well, yes we do. Shirley and I have traveled the Trace Parkway several times to do the Mississippi Spring and Fall Pilgrimages of Homes as well as a considerable number of other things along the way.
The route was originally a foot path of the Indians that was also used in the late 1700s and early 1800s by flatboaters who had floated cargo from the Ohio River Valley down the Mississippi River to Natchez. They sold their boats for lumber there because it was impossible to float back upstream against the current. So, they walked or road horseback the 444 miles to Nashville and from there to their original point of departure. The Trace was the most significant highway in the Old Southwest because it was critical to connecting the agriculture and industry of the Ohio Valley with major markets.
When steamboats and railroads replaced flatboats, the Trace was abandoned. Beginning in 1938, the National Park System gradually acquired the long, narrow stretch of land that had formed the route. It was not officially completed until 2005. By the way, I understand that Abraham Lincoln floated the river as a young man. He had his first encounter with massive-scale slavery on the plantations. The experience probably influenced his attitudes as a congressman and president.
The Parkway is closed to commercial traffic so it is ideal for cyclists and others who wish to travel without the hazard of getting brushed off the road by big trucks. In addition to regular campgrounds with sites for tenters and RVers, there are campsites and whole campgrounds reserved for cyclists. The Parkway is designed for recreational travel by those who are in no particular hurry.
Over the years, Shirley and I have stayed at all of the campgrounds operated by the National Park Service, and several of the state parks in Mississippi and Tennessee in order to be close to places where we wanted to spend more time. We have taken the Trace on our way back from New Orleans and from Arizona. There are hundreds of marvelous things to see and do along the 444 miles of the Parkway. When planning your trip, the first thing you should do is plan to do it more than once. Even retirees don't have enough time to exhaust all the possibilities on one trip.
But, unless you are camping, don't plan to spend the night on the Parkway. No problem, though, there are numerous charming small towns plus Tupelo, Jackson, and, of course, Nashville and Natchez where you can find a motel or B&B.
Which is more than could be said back in the early days when travelers stayed at "stands" or taverns and inns along the route. Conditions were primitive but, at least, there was protection from the weather and less risk from the bands of highwaymen. We suggest a visit to Mount Locust, a stand just a day's walk north of Natchez, for a look at the accommodations.
The photos below do not represent a mile-by-mile representation but a summary of some of our favorites places along the way.
Melrose, a plantation at Mile 0 of the Trace in Natchez, is owned and operated by the National Park Service as part of our historical and cultural heritage.
Longwood in Natchez was begun just before the Civil War. The first floor was completed and furnished but, after the firing on Fort Sumter, Northern craftsmen quickly departed leaving it unfinished.
Stanton Hall
River boats are still devoted to gambling.
From a gazebo in the park overlooking the Mississippi.
Dunleith is the only surviving example of a fully encircling colonnade of Greek Revival columns. "Why are there 26 columns?" asked our tour guide rhetorically, "To hold up the roof!" said the kid next to me.
Rosalie
The back door at Rosalie. Most of us would be really happy if this were our front door.
Magnolia Hall
The House on Ellicott Hill
Auburn is one of several antebellum mansions that are now inns or B&Bs.
There are five other ancient Indian mound sites along the Trace: Bear Creek, Pharr, Owl Creek, Bynum, and Mangum.
Unlike Emerald, the others are relatively inconspicuous little domes that must have looked totally natural until archeologists cleared centuries of growth from them.
Mount Locust was established in 1780 and served as a "stand" or inn for travelers on the Trace. We met Eric Chamberlain who was born in the house as a fifth-generation descendant of the original owners.The spider lilies out front bloom in September.
You can walk a stretch of the old Trace through the property.
The Old Country Store in Lorman, MS was literally that. Now, the 1875 store serves a buffet including the best fried chicken you ever put in your mouth.
Mr. Arthur Davis, owner and chef, welcomes guests by serenading at their tables. Shirley was partial to his rendition of Sugar Pie, Honeybunch. Our waitress, Erica, made it a duet. (Erica is not in the photo because she took it.)
Windsor survived the Civil War because it served as a hospital. Later burned down because a guest was careless with his cigar.
Cedar Grove in Vicksburg is a B&B that offers self-guided tours. Vicksburg is only about a half hour drive from the Trace and well worth the detour.
The mansion still bears the scars of the siege of Vicksburg in 1863 such as this cannon ball that burst through the front door and stuck in an interior wall.
Gasoliers were an early replacement for candle chandeliers.
Vicksburg was among the wealthiest cities in the world when Cotton was King.
The walls of the levees that protect the city from floods also serve as palettes for artists.
The Vicksburg National Military Park will be featured in a future post about Civil War battlefields. For history buffs, other sites along or near the Trace include Grand Gulf, Raymond, Tupelo, Brices Crossroads, Shiloh, and Stones River. The War of 1812 Memorial marks the place where Andrew Jackson mustered his troops for the march to New Orleans.
The Museum of Coca Cola is located where it was was bottled for the first time in 1894.
In Tupelo, you can visit the boyhood home of Elvis Presley.
Meriwether Lewis's grave is near the Grinder House, a "stand" on the Trace where he died under questionable circumstances. Suicide? Murder?
The Grinder House
We stay at the campground behind the stand.
You may prefer spring when the redbuds are in bloom or...
...the colors of fall.
Cotton field on the Trace at the Alabama-Mississippi state line.
French Camp was founded in 1810 as The Frenchman's Camp by Louis LeFleur as a stand. It now is operated as a Historic District by French Camp Academy where children from troubled homes find refuge.
Every Saturday in October, sorghum is boiled down to make molasses.
I was invited to feed sorghum canes into the horse-drawn mill. Remember to duck so the beam doesn't conk you on the head when it comes around.
Students at the academy learn arts and crafts like pottery making. Their work is sold in the gift shop to help support the school.
The Academy also operates a nice B&B.
There is a trail through the Cypress Swamp north of Jackson.
Pioneer Days is held in the fall at the Parkway Visitor Center north of Tupelo. Traditional crafts demonstrated--and taught.
Shirley learned to weave a basket.
No, really, she did. Pretty fancy, huh?
I once thought there might be a family connection with Pierre LeMoyne or his brother Jean-Baptiste LeMoyne, founder of New Orleans, but Ancestry.com says probably not.
No comments:
Post a Comment