By: Bill and Marilyn Kern - Adventure 9
Today was a travel day from Vicksburg, MS, to Vidalia, LA,
via a section of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
The Parkway runs 444 miles from Natchez, MS, to a point near Nashville,
TN. We traveled approximately 30 miles
along the Trace; total miles driven today were 74.
The history of the Trace is the history of people who
occupied the area from the Indian, French hunters/traders, up through the river
men who floated flat bottom boats down the Mississippi River and returned north
without their bots, which could not return upriver after delivering their
cargo. The process stopped with the
appearance of the steamboat, which could navigate the River in both directions.
Because we had a short drive, we had free time before and
after. Some of us used our free morning
to eat breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel Restaurant. They do have good breakfasts!
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| Going to breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel |
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L to R: Marilyn Kern, Lela and Jim Grime, Jeff Totten,
Dave Crowder, Noreene Totten, Hazel Crowder |
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| "the girls" shopping in the women's clothing sales corner at the Cracker Barrel |
Our drive today was beautiful, along rolling hills, forests bordering the road, which was in excellent condition. The truck traffic was light.
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| Natchez Trace Parkway |
We stopped along the Trace at Mount Locust Inn and
Plantation, originally built in 1780 and occupied until 1944. The National Park Service has restored the
home to its 1820 appearance. In 1785 the
house was used as an inn (“stand”, “flops”) for the boatmen returning upriver;
food and a place to sleep for the night – 25 cents!
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| Mount Locust Inn |
We entered Natchez, MS and crossed the Mississippi River
into Louisiana at Vidalia, LA. We pulled
into the Riverview RV Park, next to the river.
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| Crossing the Mississippi into Louisiana |
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| A tug and barge going up river as seen from our campground |
An evening social followed by a sumptuous dinner featuring
Dick Marshall’s smoked chicken and side dishes from the rest of the caravaners
ended a very pleasant day.
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| We formed a half circle to stay out of the sun |
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Dick brought out his smoked chicken....we had our
choice of spicy or mild....it was ALL good |
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L to R: Carl Phillips, Lola Osmun, Sandy Oeser,
Gunter Oeser, Fred Osmun, Jo Ann Phillips enjoying
their meal (as did everyone else) |
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