Driving the Natchez Trace form Natchez to Nashville.

[huptoy]

It's January and I am having a problem with cabin fever.

It's 25 degrees with 6 inches of snow and about 90 days till I get on the road.

Working on my Bucket List for 2013.

I have a desire to drive the 444 miles of the Natchez Trace from Natchez to Nashville.

I understand the weather in late October is normally a high of the 70's with lows in the 50's.

With no time schedule and may take 3 to 6 days depending what I stop to see and how long I stay.

I plan to do the drive in a 1931 car about 40 MPH and relax.

Looking for comments from people knowledgeable of the area.

My questions are:

Interesting things to stop and see on or near the parkway

Estimated time to spend at the locations.

Recommended lodging locations as well as places to eat.

[West Peterson]

Wish I could join you, Jack. That's supposed to be one of the top highways in the U.S. for that type of travel.

Sorry, no advice as to your questions. Just want to wish you good luck, and have fun.

[trimacar]

I've driven part of the trace, but not the whole way. I asked my brother, who lives in Jackson Ms. and HAS driven the entire trace, and he had some comments....

-in October, one of the main attractions of the Trace will be the Trace itself, with the leaves turning colors, particularly the further north you go

-bring an ice chest with drinks, snacks, maybe sandwiches. There's nothing on the Trace itself in the way of food or gas stations, you have to get off and go to a town, most of which are small and backwoods kinda places

-you'll have to be patient with bicyclists, they'll ride 4 and 5 abreast, and not give way to cars...Mississippi (or, as we learned to spell it in Lousiana, "crooked letter straight letter curved letter curved letter straight letter curved letter curved letter straight letter humpback humpback straight letter) law says that you have to give them the right of way, and stay at least 3 feet away

-from Natchez to Jackson isn't along drive, you may want to explore Jackson a little bit

-there is a state park along the way, I don't have the name

-you might plan on two days in Tupelo, Elvis museum and, I think, a car museum there

-lots of small sights along the way on the Trace, but nothing major (i.e. you won't come to a giant tourist center)

Good luck, should be fun....40 mph isn't bad, speed limit is 50 mph, no trucks nor trailers allowed.....

[D Yaros]

-bring an ice chest with drinks, snacks, maybe sandwiches. There's nothing on the Trace itself in the way of food or gas stations, you have to get off and go to a town, most of which are small and backwoods kinda places

Echo the above remark by David C. While the drive is nice, there is nothing to see but the road and country side. One must get off to find civilization. In days of yore (stage coach times) the trace was a haven for highway robbers.

Edited January 8, 2013 by D Yaros (see edit history)

[Marty Roth]

We drove most of it in our 1927 Chevy Roadster many years ago, and the above comments by David and Dave are correct. It can be one of the most relaxing and comfortable drives anywhere. The scenery is especially nice in fall, but remember that fall comes late in this part of the country.

The Brass Car group (I think Snappers) drove North-to-South, then spent a couple of days sightseeing in Natchez. There is much to see there! Then they continued on to Lafayette, Louisiana and spent a couple of days in Cajun Country - down to New Iberia and Avery Island where Tobasco Sauce is made (30 mles), and nearby Jefferson Island with its salt mine collapse history. Then driving alon old Hwy 182 which parallels US-90 to Morgan City, Houma, a possible detour to Grand Isle or Cocodrie, and continue to New Orleans for the food, a visit to the many sights of the French Quarter, the food, the homes of the Garden District & St. Charles Ave. along the Streetcar Line, the food, the above ground historic cemetaries, oh - and did I mention our food. Our Aquarium of the Americas is fantastic - but the absolute best visit is to the national WORLD WAR II MUSEUM - Spend an afternoon, or maybe the whole day visiting, and then include their IMAX Theater's Tom Hanks / Steven Spielberg production "BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES". You will never forget the show, or what the "Greatest Generation" accomplished! Then stay at the theater area for the dinner and stage show, maybe including the "Victory Belles". You would think the Andrews Sisters were back.

You could then head east along old US-90 to visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and on to Alabama and Florida if you had lots of time to kill. Or just head north through Baton Rouge, and back through central Louisiana and Mississippi to Tennessee - or maybe even drive part of the Natchez Trace all over again.

Whatever you decide, it will be a memorable trip.

[Beltfed]

Drove the whole thing this fall with 12 other street rods. Lots of "stop and looks" from the second highest Indian mounds to a piece of the actual trace. It is a neat drive, took us four days. Not as beautiful as the "Blue Ridge Parkway" but you don't want to do that in winter. Plan on getting off early as we had a problem with deer at dusk. A must 'eat at' is the "Loveless Cafe" at the Nashville end. We at breakfast there, the meal their famous for, I'm still full! Have fun.

[trimacar]

Yes Marty, a 1927 Chevy roadster that you found...oh yeah.. in my garage in Alexandria La!!!

It's a great drive for someone who is comfortable with themselves and their companions, and can appreciate the slow pace of life.

My brother mentioned the "stops and looks", but remember this is northern Mississippi, and an "overlook" can mean 40 or 50 feet to the bottom.

Start your journey by eating at "under the hill" in Natchez. Stay at the Eola Hotel in Natchez for your first stop. You'll love the high ceilings and Southern charm, and I guarantee that you'll have great grits for breakfast...

Natchez is an interesting place. My mother was from there, her father was mayor of Natchez in the 20's and 30's for over 20 years, Luther Whittington. We used to go there when I was young, in the 1950's and 1960's, there was a paper mill and the place had a stink that's hard to describe. Lots of old money, and as the old money ran out, there was maintained a façade of wealth and ease of living. A saving grace was the Natchez Pilgrimage, which was tours of old homes and other events which brought money into the city. One has to go back and think how this city was bustling in the early 20th Century, a main port on the Mississippi river and lots of oil money, from the river of oil that flowed oh so close....

My mother told the story of her and two of her sisters going to Louisiana State University in the late 20's and early 30's. They were more than comfortable, and in fact had a Lincoln sedan that they drove. They stopped one day to flirt with the workers building the new State Capital in Baton Rouge, and for some reason the Lincoln backfired and caught on fire....a couple of workers opened the hood, and threw a shovel full of new dirt on the engine to quench the fire. I have records on one of my aunts, with entries and dollars spent...she was spending $10 and $20 dollars for items, clothes and such, in 1930 and 1931, remember, this was the depression....and that was wages for a month for a normal working guy...

No, the dollars didn't come down to me, although my Grandfather left us a gift that I won't discuss here...

Sorry for the rambling, but Natchez is very special to me, as it gave me my mother...

Edited January 6, 2013 by trimacar (see edit history)

[Marty Roth]

Yes David, and we have you and that '27 Chevy to thank for getting us back into the touring end of this great hobby - along with the '17 Franklin 9-A Touring which begat the '12 Oakland, which begat the '14 Buick and the '30 Packard -- startin to remind me of the soundtrack from "Finian's Rainbow" with the Begats".

Suffice it to say that the Natchez Trace can be a really nice drive -- but bear in mind -- the parkway is a 2-lane road without commercial traffic running through a narrow strip of undeveloped 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide land in most locations, and not really all that far removed from civilization -- not at all like driving Monument Valley in Arizona, or the Devil's Backbone, a 50 mile streach in the Gallatin Mountains of Montana. I love driving these places, and would go back to any of them again and again.

[huptoy]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I will probably take 6 days or more with all the stops available. I will definitely check out eating at "under the hill" and stay at the Eola Hotel in Natchez. I must to check out Natchez before leaving for Nashville. I will be looking for lodging before dusk. I am not ad-versed to stopping early to visit local sites before giving up for the day.

Yesterday, a friend suggested I take the trip in May as the days will be longer. Will not rule it out.

Mississippi expects bicyclest to obey all state laws including riding single file on roads. In Ohio, bicycle club members will merge to single file when a vehicle is near. This is not true of many non club riders interested in safety and state laws. We can't have it all and the race car want-a-be who always want the get there first are my biggest danger.

It is interesting that my daughter only lives 5 miles from the "Loveless Cafe" at Nashville.That will be a must stop.

[Guest Texas Old Car Guy]

JSD:

If you enjoy looking at trees, trees, and more trees you will have a great time - I drove the Trace in a modern car several years ago and the previous posters were right - pack a lunch. There really aren't any gas stations or food places unless you get off the Trace Parkway.

Here's a great link to help you plan your trip. If you check out the left navagation panel it includes everything from lists of B&B's, places to eat, vista overlooks, and even a few youtube videos of car trips. Beautiful place in the fall!

Old Trace Drive / 1930 Model A Ford Coupe - Natchez Trace Fall Foliage Photos | NatchezTraceTravel.com

Have fun planing your trip,

Fred

Edited January 8, 2013 by Texas Old Car Guy (see edit history)

[Guest Bill Miller]

Somebody else mentioned it but DON'T MISS the car museum in Tupelo. It's next to a Hilton Garden Inn. My wife and I drove the entire length of the Trace maybe 8 years ago and that was the highlight. The Elvis house is just down the road a short drive but it's nothing much unless you're a huge fan. There are some old ruins of a burned out mansion called Windsor Ruins I think, and that's worth a stop also. There are a couple of swamps and portions of the original unpaved Trace worth walking the paths around and some native American mounds as well. We stopped at nearly all of the historical markers along the way and had a great time. Go online and buy the book which contains a mile-by-mile description of what's on the Trail. I think the National Park service sells it. By the way, don't worry about services such as food and gasoline. The Trace gives you the illusion of being out in the wilderness but you are never more than a quarter mile from civilization. There's one gas station / food stop located directly on the Trace about mid-way.

Bill