Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace in the Rain

Today was a rainy day, but we can't complain as the rest of the country is getting a blizzard.  The wind picked up a little and the overnight temperature is dropping below freezing.    We drove only a few hours before stopping at a campground to wait out the bad weather.  So far it's not half as bad as the weather forecasters said it would be.

Part of the Original Trail

We are still traveling down the Natchez Trace Parkway.  It's a 444 mile very nice scenic and historic drive from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. We learn more and more about it's origin as we drive along.  At first it was probably a series of hunters' paths.  By 1785 Ohio River valley farmers seeking markets had begun to float their crops and products down the rivers to Natchez or New Orleans.  Because they sold their flatboats for lumber, returning home meant either riding or walking.  The trail from Natchez was the most direct. When steamboats arrived in 1812 the use of the trail diminished.  Today the completed parkway gives travelers a scenic and unhurried route (speed limit 50 mph) from Natchez to Nashville.

Our campsite tonite

This time of year there is hardly any traffic on this route.  The state park we stayed in last night had 60 campsites, but we were the only ones in the entire park.  Tonight we are in a free public park with 18 campsites and there are only two other RVs here with us.