Our First Day on the Natchez Trace

Friday morning, March 17
We had planned to get up early to call an RV repair shop, hoping to get our non-flushing toilet fixed. After several calls, we decided flushing with a bucket of water didn't sound so bad after all! By mid morning, we were on the road and headed for the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace.

Driving onto the Natchez Trace.

At 11:52, we reached the Trace at MM 444. The weather was cool and rainy, which kind of set the stage for stepping back in time. Pulling onto the Trace, which is a simple two-lane road (no commercial vehicles allowed) with no stop signs or traffic lights and very little in the way of roadside signage, we found ourselves taking a deep breath and exhaling a feeling of peace. The speed limit is 50 miles per hour; we planned to stop at some of the historic Trace areas of interest, all of which are noted in a well-prepared map and mile marker guide.

At MM 438, not too far down the Trace, we found the Double Arch Bridge over Birdsong Hollow. This is a very long bridge, and we exited the parkway to look for the best viewpoint for photographing the bridge. It turned out that the best spot was from this same road on the way back on the Trace.

Double Arch Bridge over Birdsong Hollow, MM 438.

The scenery on the part of the Trace running through Tennessee is lovely, and since we live in Tennessee, we felt right at home. The pull-offs on the Trace are marked by a discrete sign about 1/2 mile ahead of the parking area for the featured spot. All the places we stopped had ample parking, even for our truck and trailer; most had an information board providing a little history about the Trace and the featured spot.

View from Water Valley overlook, MM 411.8.

Smoky's view of the Duck River.

The Water Valley Overlook turned out to have a really amazing view. We turned off the Trace and followed a paved road to the top of the ridge, walked across a field, and saw this amazing view.

We stopped briefly at the Gordon House Historic Site, MM 407.7, but the most important part of that stop was seeing the Duck River. Smoky had not photographed it in a long time, and he was excited about the opportunity today. According to Wikipedia, the Duck River is 284 miles long and is the longest river located entirely within the state of Tennessee. Free flowing for most of its length, the Duck River is home to over 50 species of freshwater mussels and 151 species of fish, making it the most biologically diverse river in North America. It was a privilege to see it.

By the way, most of the photos on the blog are taken by Smoky!

--Shann