I left Natchez, MS bound for Port Gibson, MS on the Natchez Trace with high hopes. I had read and heard about how beautiful the Natchez Track Parkway is. I am primarily following the Mississippi River Trail for this tour but I intentionally left the MRT for a couple of days so that I could ride some of the Natchez Trace.
Even before I got out of the city of Natchez, the road was nice.
Just past where I took that picture, a deer darted across the road in front of me. It’s buddy was too timid to follow. I started hollering and ringing my bell. I didn’t want it to be surprised when I appeared on the scene. It did not work. The animal leapt out of the woods and raced straight for me before realizing at the last moment that there was something in front of it and veering behind me. I have to wonder: do deer have any brain at all?
A mile beyond this, I found a typical suburban shopping district and stopped in at Walmart to restock my larder. About a mile beyond Walmart, I cycled up the ramp onto the Natchez Trace Parkway. It did not disappoint. Even under overcast skies, it was pretty.
I spent the first hour pedaling without earbuds or music, just listening to the birds. One of the neat things about the Natchez Trace Parkway is that it crosses above virtually everything. Certainly creeks, like this, but most of the roads that cross the Parkway cross under it. Between the lack of crossroads and the complete lack of commercial signage, it is mile after mile of nature.
Elizabeth: these are for you. I pulled into a turnout for the Elizabeth Female Academy. Built in 1818 or 1819, depending on which sign you believe, it was the first college in America to grant diplomas to women.
Here is the new sign.
Here is the commemorative plaque from 1925.
A few more miles of pedaling brought me to Mount Locust, where one of the oldest buildings in Mississippi stands. This was a very pleasant surprise (I had neglected to look at the NPS map of the Natchez Trace) because it had a bench to sit on for lunch, a bathroom, and running water to refill my water bottles. You cannot beat the haute cuisine at the outdoor cafe.
Despite the cloudy start to the morning, the sun did poke through and the light was amazing.
I was kind of surprised to find that, after a couple of hours of riding the Natchez Trace, it got kind of boring. It does not change much at bicycle speed. The creeks that I crossed were welcome diversions.
All of a sudden, the trees changed. I found myself riding past loblolly pines.
I had time for one last bridge photo because you can never have too many bridge photos.
Then it was time to turn off the Natchez Trace and ride into Port Gibson, MS. I found the best fried catfish I have ever had at the 61 Seafood Market. Fresh caught that day with a very nice batter and not at all greasy.
The day was a pretty low key four hours on the bike. I got several podcasts in (two RadioLab episodes and two Death, Sex, and Money). I was disappointed to not find the original Bat Out of Hell album by Meatloaf on YouTube Music.
Having finished this ride, I have ridden 683 of a planned 1,012 miles. I am about 2/3 of the way done.
Check out St. Louis to New Orleans for links to the other blog posts in this series and a map of my whole route.
The photos are magnificent. What gorgeous country and sounds like a glorious ride. How much I am enjoying your daily posts and riding along with you. With my birthday yesterday, at the now ripe old age of 82, am very content riding with words and pictures. 😄
Beautiful pics, as always! The light in the one you remarked about is really ideal. Glad you have had such a (mostly) smooth road to enjoy. Much easier on the arms and glutes, for sure!
Looks forward to the next installment…
Meatloaf — one of my favorites!