Road Trip — Natchez Trace Parkway - Natchez MS to Clinton MS
Filed in Mississippi, , 1:01 am
(Click the photo for all 167 photos)
I start the morning in Natchez with a visit to an antebellum mansion because I can’t leave town without seeing some of the wonderful stuff here. I drive over to Natchez National Historic Park, Melrose and take a walk around the grounds. They offer tours of the main house, but the next one isn’t for another hour, so I pass on it. The Melrose Plantation was built in the late 1840’s and was owned by four different families until 1990 when the National Park Service bought it to continue its preservation as part of the Natchez Historical Historic Park. The main building is a Greek revival mansion and you can just imagine mint juleps being sipped on the porch. There are outbuildings that were the kitchen and laundry and slave sleeping quarters on the second floor. There is also another slave quarters building that holds an exhibit on slavery. Other buildings are a cottage, a stable and a carriage house. The formal gardens look like they have seen better days, but it was the shadiest spot on the plantation to sit.
In the visitor center I bought a book, Guide to the Natchez Trace Parkway by F. Lynne Bachleda, which turned out to be the best decision. The book details all the stops along the parkway and identifies what are considered to be the top 20 sites to see. And the first one it identified was the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians here in Natchez, so I headed over to see it before starting up the parkway. The Grand Village contains some mounds that were used by the Natchez Indians and some sample structures. I also took a walk down the nature trail to find a geocache and boy is it hot Mississippi, even under the trees!
Back to the air conditioning of the rental 4-Runner SUV, and after a little lunch, I head off up the Natchez Trace Parkway. The parkway is a 440 mile route from Natchez, Missisippi to just south of Nashville, Tennessee. The entire route is part of the National Park System and has history markers along the entire route. Every mile, there is a marker showing you where on the trail you are; they are numbered from sourth (0) to north (440), which is the directions I’m traveling. Below are some of the stops I made along the way:
- Mile 0 - Natchez Trace Parkway Entrance - the entrance sign, I’m officially on the route!
- Mile 4.8 - Elizabeth Female Academy - The first women’s college in Mississippi opening in 1818.
- Mile 8.7 - Old Trace Exhibit Shelter - Sections of the old Trace, walked by the pioneers, can still be accessed and walked along.
- Mile 10.3 - Emerald Mound (Trace 20 Site) - An ancient indian ceremonial mound, used by the Natchez ancestors from 1250 to 1600, covering nearly 8 acres.
- Mile 15.5 - Mount Locust (Trace 20 Site) - Dating from 1780, it is the only remaining inn from about 50 that were along the Trace and one of the oldest buildings in Mississippi. There was an Park Interpretive Staff member that and we chatted. The house has been restored to the state is was in during the 1820s when it was a frontier house.
- Mile 41.5 - Sunken Trace (Trace 20 Site) — Another section of the old trace where you can walk in the footsteps of the pioneers. Also hanging around here, were two of the prettiest and friendliest pure white kittens, that I presume had been abandoned. I gave them a bit of food and felt bad that I couldn’t help them more.
- Mile 45.7 - Grindstone Ford - Marked where you left the Natchez District and entered the Choctaw Nation territory.
- Mile 45.7 - Mangum Mound - A ceremonial mound from the pre-Natchez Indian culture.
- Mile 61.0 - Lower Choctaw Boundary - The old southern boundary of the Choctaw lands, before a treaty moved it north 60 miles, opening the territory to white settlers and marking the beginning of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians being forced out of Mississippi.
- Mile 73.5 - Deans Stand - The spot where a historic stand (inn) stood. There was an old cemetery not to far from the history marker.
- Mile 78.3 - Battle of Raymond - Battle site during the Civil War’s Campaign of Vicksburg. The Confederates were driven back and about 1,000 men from both sides lost their life near here.
And time to head off the Trace Parkway a few miles and find a motel in Clinton.
Road Trip — Alexandria, Louisiana to Natchez, Mississippi
Filed in Louisiana, July 20, 2008, 1:01 am
(Click the photo for all 75 photos)
I leave Alexandra, Louisiana head east towards Natchez, Mississippi so that I can start touring the Natchez Trace Parkway. The benefit of the humidity in the south, that makes your clothes stick to you, is that everything is green–what a vast difference from brown California. The drive through Louisiana is through rural countryside and after a slight wrong northerly turn, I get back on the proper expressway going east. I came upon the Frogmore Plantation, but as it’s Sunday and they are closed for tours, so I just took some photos from the roadside. It’s supposed to be a real-working cotton plantation from the 1700s and that would have been neat to see in action. The next break I took was at the Ferriday Bayou Memorial Park because there was a geocache hidden there and that’s always a good excuse to stop and stretch the legs. At the Louisiana/Mississippi border, I stopped and checked out the Vidalia Landing Riverwalk to get my first look at the Mighty Mississippi River. Vidalia, Louisiana has done a nice job in creating this river park, I was really surprised there weren’t more people there, I was almost alone on this Sunday afternoon. I could see the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge, which would carry me across the border into Vidalia’s sister city Natchez; they call this border area “MissLou”. Across the bridge I go and I’m now officially in Natchez, Mississippi. My first sight of the Natchez Visitor Center is actually the back side of it, and is a circular driveway with these magnificent columns. After checking them out, I move inside and explore the displays. I learned that the “vine eating the south” is called Kudzu and can grow a foot overnight and if you sit still long enough, it’ll get you too! I then walked around Bluff Park, looking at the many history markers and viewing the river. I received a Tiger’s Eye gemstone from a lovely southern gentleman, named Armand, that I met in Bluff Park; he said that the Tiger’s Eye brings good luck to travelers–what a wonderful way to start my travels.
Road Trip — Alexandria, Louisiana - England AFB Heritage Park
Filed in Louisiana, July 19, 2008, 1:01 am
(Click the photo for all 44 photos)
I arrived in Alexandria, Louisiana this afternoon as my starting place for a road trip through Mississippi and Tennessee. The Alexandria International Airport is the old England Air Force Base airport that was converted after the military base closed in the 1990s. I decided to find a geocache or two before heading over to the hotel and the caches took me to the England AFB Heritage Park, a display of old airplanes. The display is across the street from the Oakwing Golf Club, which holds a small veteran’s cemetery and that is where the geocache actually was. The display is quite impressive and I spent some time looking at all the old planes. I did find my geocache, so off to the hotel, it’s been a long day flying out there.
Tickled Pink!
Filed in High Sierra, Other, california, June 14, 2008, 1:08 pmMy friend Qian used one of my photos as inspiration for a watercolor painting… that’s so cool. Check it out on her Voice of Color blog! And check out all her artwork, she’s a wonderful and talented artist.
She’s donating the painting to the local PBS station (KVIE ) for their art auction in September of this year, so keep an eye out for it and place a bid!
Sacramento Zoo
Filed in Gold Country, california, March 15, 2008, 6:55 pm
(Click the photo for all 158 photos)
Today was a day at the Sacramento Zoo with the Northern California Photography Meetup Group. I’d never been to the zoo here before, so it was very interesting to visit. The zoo was built in 1927, so it is an old-style zoo, where the animals are mostly in concrete enclosures with a moat and a fence between us and them. I was saddened by this, as I thought most zoos had evolved to having more natural habitat type environments for the animals. Some of the others in the group informed me, that no, most zoos were still like this. I think I’ll have to visit some of the other zoos in the region and check it see how they are. Flamingos are center stage in the zoo; when you walk in there is a large pond directly immediately before you and the waterfowl all love it. The Red Pandas and Orangutans were snoozing during the nice warm day, as were most of the big cats. The giraffes were ambling around and I could sit and watch them all day. I don’t know why but I’ve always been fascinated by giraffes, so graceful and yet awkward at the same time. The last stop of the day was the Reptile House, not for those that have a fear of the slithering side of the animal kingdom. Some interesting reptiles that I’d never seen or heard of before, like a prehensile skink (totally weird looking). And just how long did that Rhinocerous Iguana have to sit still for and not move, before the spider decided to move in on his head! I ended the fun day at the zoo by grabbing a geocache right outside the grounds near a statue.
Capital Air Show Preview
Filed in Gold Country, california, , 4:32 pm
(Click the photo for all 26 photos)
The California Capital Airshow is happening this weekend out at Mather, the old Air Force Base that’s now converted to private use, and the US Navy Blue Angels were buzzing my neighborhood as they practiced for the show tomorrow. The Blue Angels are a top-notch Flight Demonstration Squadron and since they came to me, I stepped outside and took a few pictures as they practiced overhead. It’s interesting to try and figure out where they are coming from, with the jet engine roar enveloping you, you have no idea until they are in plain view.
Grand Opening!
Filed in Other, February 4, 2008, 1:01 am
Well everybody, I finally got it done.
And am more than pleased to announce
is open for business!
Use code BLOG10 for a 10% Grand Opening Sale Discount!
@
www.BlueKeyGifts.com
If you’ve been wondering where my regular hiking snapshots posts have been lately, now you know what I’ve been doing. I’ve been busy learning how to set up a webstore. It’s been fun and frustrating, but I have a store up and going and I hope you all give it visit and find something you like. Now I can get back to hiking! ;D
Cronan Ranch
Filed in Gold Country, california, December 23, 2007, 1:01 am
(17 photos)
I headed over to Cronan Ranch Regional Trails Park to do some hiking and geocaching; I need to start getting out more and getting my ankle and butt back into hiking shape. Cronan Ranch is near Pilot Hill, at the base of the Sierra Foothills and the landscape was the typical brown on a waterless winter. Not very exciting visually, but a pleasant quiet walk with virtually nobody around. The American River Conservancy has an online trail map.
GPS Stats: • Odometer: 2.48 miles
