Natchez Trace

Bicycling 800 km from Nashville to (ALMOST) NEW ORLEANS

Stretching almost 450 miles from Natchez on the Mississippi River to Nashville in the Tennessee Valley, the Natchez Trace Parkway follows one of America’s most famous frontier trails. The Trace is a story of people on the move, including the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians and French and Spanish trappers and traders. By 1733 the French mapped the land, showing an Indian trail running from Natchez to the northeast. By 1785 Ohio River Valley farmers were floating their crops downriver to Natchez and New Orleans. They sold not only their crops, but their flatboats for lumber, and returned home on foot or horseback on what became the Natchez Trace. With the growing number of travelers, the trail became clearly marked, and by 1810 the road was improved with the establishment of many inns, called “stands”. By 1820 more than 20 stands were providing very basic food and shelter for travelers. The current two-lane highway more or less follows the original Trace through forests, farmland, marshes, and prairie.

trace beginning 20 km outside of Nashville, TN	first day Nice road, no traffic	Southern tennessee
Southern tennessee, with elizabeth	GORDON'S Ferry One of the few remaining buildings associated with the Old Natchez Trace is the house of ferry operator John Gordon. In the early 1800’s Gordon made an agreement with the Chickasaw Chief George Colbert to operate a trading post and ferry across the Duck River.	heading south, temperature drops
Huddling from the cold -5 degress in southern Tennessee. In April. Get real.		campground hosts They kept us alive by driving us to breakast through the ice
		entering alabama
tishomingo state park, mississippi	morning coffee break
old trace		french camp, mississippi