In the early 1800's the Natchez Trace was a direct route northward from the port of Natchez on the Mississippi to Nashville. In between were 500 miles of wilderness. Boatmen, mail riders, traders, soldiers, indians and outlaws passed used the Natchez Trace. On horseback and on foot – later with wagons – they followed the serpentine trail into the deep woods of Indian country. By the mid 1800's the mode of transportation changed and the trace fell into disuse.
Today, the trail is 444-miles of National Park which follows the approximate path of the Trace. Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory when he mysteriously died on the Natchez Trace in 1809, at Grinder's Stand in Tennessee. A monument was erected in his honor in 1848 and sits in the campground named in his honor. This is the campground we have been staying at the last 3 days and where we connected up with our friends Jack and Cassie, a wonderful couple we met last year in NM and who we hope to travel to Alaska with next summer.
The weather has been fantastic, there is still some color to the trees and today we finally spotted some wild turkeys and deer.
Love your pictures. Looks like you stopped at the Tobacco Barn and Old Trace Drive, Jackson Falls and the Double-Arched Bridge.
ReplyDeleteHi Randy you are right on! When we move down the line, we will have more pics for you so keep following.
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