Here's the whole artice, it's pretty long but it gives the history and the last part is the what to see part.
This August, thousands of Harley® riders will make the Ride Home to Milwaukee. To encourage them to take their time and make the most of their journey, H.O.G.® asked noted motorcycle writer and enthusiast Clement Salvadori to explore some alternatives to the primary routes. In the South, a once-well-traveled stretch of "interstate" is his ideal byway for … Taking the Long Way Home.
In the great, sprawling U.S., there are a number of roads that every motorcyclist should ride at least once in his or her life. One of the most appealing is the Natchez Trace Parkway, the second longest (after the Blue Ridge Parkway) and the skinniest national park in the country. It's 95 percent finished and when fully completed will run over 440 miles from just north of Natchez, Mississippi to a little southeast of Nashville, Tennessee.
Riding the Trace Parkway is a bit like taking a trip back into the 1950s, when 50 mph was considered an adequate speed, and the roads weren't crowded. The two-lane Parkway has no commercial vehicles, no stop signs, no billboards, no glittery convenience stores, no housing developments. Just woods and flowers and water and a lot of history. Fire up your engine, put the tranny in top gear, and admire the views as you rumble along.
Here is how the Trace came about: Beginning in the 1780s, American farmers began moving west over the Appalachians to Kentucky and Tennessee, opening up new land. Only trouble was that it was tough getting their salt pork, corn, tobacco, and whiskey to market, as hauling the goods back over the mountains was expensive. Why not take the river route? Build a barge, load the barrels and bales, float down a tributary to the Mississippi River and on to Natchez, sell the produce and the boat, and go home. Since ships could not sail up against the river's current, you went by foot, or, if you had the money, by horse.
The footpath, created by linking a number of Indian trails together, became known as the Natchez Trace and was the most direct route back to Nashville. In 1801, the U.S. Postmaster General asked President Jefferson to improve the Trace, widening it, bridging creeks, making it passable for wagons ... the "interstate" had arrived.
Which brings us to 1806, when a fellow named Tom Lincoln floated into Natchez, tying up "Under the Hill". The waterfront was a pretty rough place, with drinking and gambling and lots of loose women; today it has been scrubbed clean. When I rode the FLT down there, the only sign of sin was a permanently moored gambling boat and a paddle-wheeler full of tourists coming in. The town at the "Top of the Hill" is really a delight, as the Pilgrimage Garden Club of Natchez has helped to preserve a dozen of the most glorious antebellum houses … which make the McMansions of today look very tacky.
Our Tom was not interested in dissipation; having finished his business, money in his pocket, he wanted to get back to his girlfriend in Kentucky. He might well have stopped at Prosper King's Tavern at the northeast edge of Natchez, the unofficial post office, to see if Nancy had sent him a letter. This was also a place where boatmen would meet to make up little groups for the long walk home, not only for the company, but to defend themselves against the bandits along the way.
King's Tavern still prospers, and I recommend the restaurant for a good meal; the adjoining oyster bar serves up a dozen for a mere $6. From the tavern, I take the Electra Glide® up US 61 a few miles north of town, to where the Natchez Trace Parkway begins. Turning off the busy U.S. highway and onto the Parkway, I enter a different world, an avenue of trees canopying a quiet two-lane road.
The entire length of the Parkway has mile markers all the way to the northern terminus at 442.3 miles. At Mile 15.5 is Mount Locust, a restored example of the 50-some little inns, or stands, as they were called, that eventually dotted the length of the journey. This stand makes a Motel Six look positively sumptuous. Two-hundred years ago the farmer who owned Mount Locust realized that he could earn a little extra cash off the travelers on the Trace. You paid your small sum of money, got a bowl of cornmeal mush for supper, rolled out your blanket on the porch, and drank a cup of chicory coffee in the morning.
Fifteen miles north of Mount Locust, at the 30-mile marker, I recommend taking a short loop off to the west on State Route 552, via Alcorn and the ruins of Windsor House. Windsor must have been a spectacular place, reputed to have been the biggest plantation house in Mississippi, until it burned down in 1890. Left standing are some two dozen stone pillars, each well more than 30 feet high; the skeletal remains are impressive.
SR 552 returns to the Trace at Port Gibson, once on the banks of the Mississippi River, now seven miles inland; the river has a mind of her own. Lots of Civil War history around here, as this is the route that Grant's Union army took during the 1863 Vicksburg campaign.
Speaking of, a decision must be made when you reach Interstate 20 at the 87-mile marker. A gap of 15 miles exists in the Trace Parkway as it skirts the west side of Jackson, the capital of Mississippi; this will probably be completed in a few years, but at the moment you have to take I-20, I-220, and I-55. Should you have an extra half a day, let the Harley® zip west on I-20 for 25 miles to the Vicksburg National Military Park, which shows how one of the major battles of the War between the States was fought.
Back to Tom. The town of Jackson did not exist in 1806, and he would have hoofed it along to Brashear's stand, with its tawdry reputation as being "a house of entertainment". Presuming Tom's intense fidelity to Nancy, he probably did not allow himself to get too entertained. Here I get off the Glide to take a stroll along the sunken Old Trace, worn down by the passing of tens of thousands of booted feet, horse hooves, and wagon wheels; along the Parkway are more than two dozen places where you can walk, and even ride, parts of the Old Trace.
Leaving Brashear's, the Parkway skirts the Ross Barnett Reservoir, made by damming the Pearl River; despite its pleasant name, the Pearl is a rambunctious waterway, often flooding. At the north end of the reservoir, a short road runs to Ratliff Ferry, where, on any nice weekend, you will find several hundred Harley riders savoring the barbecue at the little store. There is no ferry these days, and a couple of stone bridge supports are all that remain of a long-vanished railroad crossing.
The Parkway glides along through thick woods, past open meadows, split-rail fences, the occasional farm in the distance. This is cruising, the V-twin hardly pulling; enjoy. Pull off and follow one of the "nature walks", where wooden bridges take pedestrians over the swamps; it makes for a very satisfying leg-stretcher. At French Camp, the basics of an early village have been faithfully resurrected, including a blacksmith shop and a sweet-sorghum mill. If you are hungry, go into the little café where for six bucks you can buy Big Willie's BLT, a triple-decker with 10 slices of bacon. Wowzer!
A little ways up the road, at Mile 193.1, is the Jeff Busby campground, gas station, and small store. U.S. Representative Busby was the push behind making the Natchez Trace Parkway a reality. Back in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was looking for ways to employ the unemployed, and Busby came up with the idea of building a national highway paralleling the Old Natchez Trace, which had practically disappeared over the previous 100 years. FDR approved, and the hiring began in 1937.
Tom walked up through Chickasaw Indian territory, past groves of tupelo, or black-gum, trees; that wood is really hard, good for making wheel hubs. Nothing much was going on when Tom hiked past, but in a few years a town began to appear, and a small Civil War battle was fought nearby in 1864.
Tupelo's most famous native is Elvis Presley, born in 1935; his little house is now part of a museum, a much friendlier place than Graceland.
The Parkway sweeps north, crossing Twentymile Bottom, then runs through the northwest corner of Alabama for 30 miles. A graceful bridge now spans the wide Tennessee River, good for me and my Harley, but how would Tom have crossed that watery barrier?
From about 1800 to 1820 a fellow named George Colbert, half-Chickasaw, half-Scot, had a stand here on the south side of the river and a boat – for a price, he'd take the travelers across. He charged General Andrew Jackson $75,000 to ferry his army over in 1812.
Tom paid the ferry fee and moved north, soon crossing into the state of Tennessee. In a couple of days, he was at Grinder's Inn, close to Little Swan Creek. Not much happening here; he ate, slept, and walked on. Three years later, the rustic inn would become notorious as the place where Meriwether Lewis, of the famed 1803 Lewis and Clark expedition, was killed. Lewis, then the governor of Louisiana Territory, was headed to Washington when he stopped at the stand for the night. Mrs. Grinder heard a shot, rushed to his room, and found him bleeding to death; whether it was murder or suicide, nobody knows.
Tom's feet were moving faster; home was not all that far away. He paid Mr. Gordon to ferry him across the Duck River, and four days later he was in the growing town of Nashville. Good trip, made it safe, kept his money, and now all he had to do was get back to Hardin County, Kentucky. Where he married Nancy, who gave birth to a son, Abraham, in 1809.
When Abe was 19, he took one of those flatboats down to Natchez, but by then life on the river had changed. In 1811, one Nicolas Roosevelt, ancestor of FDR, had launched the steam-powered paddle-wheeler and upstream travel was becoming a reality; Abe went back home in relative comfort.
By 1820, the Trace was falling into disuse; steamboats were the main reason, but also new roads were being built, going different places, and only locals used short stretches of the Old Trace. Much of it just got overgrown and disappeared. In the early 20th Century, historians became interested in this original inter-state road and marked it out.
These efforts resulted in the Natchez Trace Parkway ... a perfect ride for a leisurely couple of days on a Harley. As we celebrate the centennial of Harley-Davidson, we can reflect on the fact that this may be the ideal match: a 100-year-old motorcycle on a 200-year-old road – both updated to the 21st Century, of course.
Clement Salvadori is a longtime motorcycle enthusiast and noted freelance writer. His work can be found in a number of well-known motorcycle publications.
Going to Go?
Things to Know …
Visitor Information
The Visitor Center in Tupelo, at milepost 266.0, is open year-round from 8AM-5PM. For general park information, call 1-800-305-7417 or visit
www.nps.gov/natr.
Accommodations and Services
There are NO HOTELS on the Parkway itself, though they can be found in nearby cities and towns. For information about lodging, restaurants, and other services and facilities, you may contact local chambers of commerce.
Camping is available at three sites: Rocky Springs (22 sites) at milepost 54.8, Jeff Busby (18 sites) at milepost 193.1, and Meriwether Lewis (32 sites) at milepost 385.9. There are no fees, but campsites are only available on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations accepted). Individual sites have a table, grill, and level tent area; restrooms and drinking water are available. For organized group accommodations, contact the Parkway superintendent at 662-680-4025.
The ONLY service station is at Jeff Busby, milepost 193.1.
Sights and Highlights
Note: The entire Natchez Trace Parkway is marked by mileposts, beginning with "0" in Natchez. The mileage marks below are estimated to the nearest tenth-mile.
8.7, 198.6, 221.4, 397.4, 403.7, 426.3 Old Trace
At these points along the Natchez Trace Parkway, riders can stop, and view or explore sections of the original Trace along self-guided trails.
10.3 Emerald Mound
Covering nearly eight acres, this ceremonial mound was built by ancestors of the Natchez people in about 1400. A trail leads to the top if you're looking to seriously stretch your legs.
15.5 Mount Locust
Stop for the restrooms, stay for the exhibits at this restored historic house. Interpretive programs are presented February through November.
41.5, 350.5 Sunken Trace
As the name implies, sections of the original Trace are deeply worn down and eroded.
45.7 Grindstone Ford/Mangum Site
This spot marked the unofficial entrance into "wild country" for northbound travelers. It's also a site where prehistoric artifacts have been found.
102.4 Mississippi Crafts Center
Stop for a demonstration of Mississippi crafts – and purchase a few while you're at it.
104.5 Brashear's Stand
Located close to the original Trace, in 1806 this inn beckoned travelers as a "house of entertainment in the wilderness".
105.6 Reservoir Overlook
Stop and gaze out over the Ross Barnett Reservoir. You'll see much more of it as you head north; it runs along the parkway for eight miles.
160.0 Information Center
Pick up travel information and chat with volunteers from the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.
180.7 French Camp
A stand established in 1812 became a school in 1822 and remains one still.
193.1 Jeff Busby
Sounds like a guy standing by the side of the road, but it actually offers a picnic area, campground, service station, store, phone, and restrooms. Take a nature walk, marvel at the views from the overlook, and take advantage of the only opportunity to gas up without leaving the Parkway.
232.4 Bynum Mounds
View prehistoric mounds dating from between 100 B.C. and 200 A.D.
266.0 Tupelo Visitor Center
Set aside 20 minutes or so if you want to take a self-guided nature walk. This site is also the park headquarters, with restrooms, exhibits, information, and an orientation program.
278.4 Twentymile Bottom Overlook
Not as tawdry as it may sound to schoolchildren, the "bottom" is a low area along the stream through which the Old Trace passed.
308.8 Bear Creek Mound
A ceremonial structure built between 1200 and 1400.
363.0 Sweetwater Branch
Fast water and wildflowers are highlights of this self-guided trail.
375.8 Old Trace Drive
This 2.5-mile road follows the original Trace route and offers great views of the surrounding countryside.
385.9 Meriwether Lewis
This marks the burial site of the famed Lewis and Clark explorer, and offers a campground, picnic area, restrooms, phone, and ranger station.
401.4 Tobacco Farm
Get the lowdown on tobacco growing from exhibits on the farm, then continue on a two-mile drive along the Old Trace.
407.7 Gordon House and Ferry Site
For many years, starting in 1801, the Gordon family shuttled travelers across the Duck River by ferry at this spot. So they built a house there.
Cheers,
Scotsman
Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
