With the tandem rally now behind us, we venture slightly north with our post rally couples, Beth & Pat Peterson and Bill & Marsha Peters. We decide as a group to find a Subway to buy sandwiches to enjoy a picnic lunch when we gather again at the Meriwether Lewis site on the Trace. Dennis and I navigate off the parkway to experience a 2.5-mile portion of the Old Trace near mile post 376. This venture took us a step back in time to when pioneers travelled this footpath on their return visit from Natchez, Mississippi where they might have traded some goods before returning home on foot using the Trace.
The Trace is one of the most historic routes in America travelling back as far as the early 1600s. The Trace saw its heyday during a 40-year period that began with the arrival of boatmen in the late 1700s. These men built flatboats and barges, loaded them with goods and floated them down the Mississippi River. Upon arriving at Natchez, Mississippi, they broke up the barges and sold their goods—tobacco, iron, rope, four—as well as lumber from the flatboats as the boats were of no use to them on their return journey up river. The only way to return home was by foot on the Trace. The early days of the Natchez Trace were extremely difficult and dangerous. The forests were breeding grounds for thieves and unwelcoming Indians and travelers were on constant alert for poisonous snakes, floods, lightning storms and killer tornadoes.
(Source: Traveling the Natchez Trace by Lori Finley)
Growing numbers of travelers tramped the crude trail into a clearly marked path. By 1810 many years of improvements had made the trace an important wilderness road, the most heavily traveled in the Old Southwest. As the road was being improved, other comforts were coming to the trace. Many inns, locally called stands, were built. By 1820 over 20 stands were in operation, but most provided only basic food and shelter. Even with these developments the trace was not free of discomforts. A new era in transportation dawned when the steamer New Orleans arrived in Natchez in January 1812. Travelers preferred steamboat travel to the slow pace of going overland. Before long the bustling Trace had become a peaceful forest lane.
(Source: Natchez Trace Parkway National Park Service)
The Trace is one of the most historic routes in America travelling back as far as the early 1600s. The Trace saw its heyday during a 40-year period that began with the arrival of boatmen in the late 1700s. These men built flatboats and barges, loaded them with goods and floated them down the Mississippi River. Upon arriving at Natchez, Mississippi, they broke up the barges and sold their goods—tobacco, iron, rope, four—as well as lumber from the flatboats as the boats were of no use to them on their return journey up river. The only way to return home was by foot on the Trace. The early days of the Natchez Trace were extremely difficult and dangerous. The forests were breeding grounds for thieves and unwelcoming Indians and travelers were on constant alert for poisonous snakes, floods, lightning storms and killer tornadoes.
(Source: Traveling the Natchez Trace by Lori Finley)
Growing numbers of travelers tramped the crude trail into a clearly marked path. By 1810 many years of improvements had made the trace an important wilderness road, the most heavily traveled in the Old Southwest. As the road was being improved, other comforts were coming to the trace. Many inns, locally called stands, were built. By 1820 over 20 stands were in operation, but most provided only basic food and shelter. Even with these developments the trace was not free of discomforts. A new era in transportation dawned when the steamer New Orleans arrived in Natchez in January 1812. Travelers preferred steamboat travel to the slow pace of going overland. Before long the bustling Trace had become a peaceful forest lane.
(Source: Natchez Trace Parkway National Park Service)
Meriwether Lewis Site—Trace Mile Post 385.9
We spend some time enjoying the history of this site before we begin biking north towards Jackson Falls. It’s here where we found the Meriwether Lewis monument and the site where Lewis died under mysterious circumstances—Murder? Included at this site was a Pioneer Cemetery memorializing travelers on the Trace that lost their lives.
We spend some time enjoying the history of this site before we begin biking north towards Jackson Falls. It’s here where we found the Meriwether Lewis monument and the site where Lewis died under mysterious circumstances—Murder? Included at this site was a Pioneer Cemetery memorializing travelers on the Trace that lost their lives.
Meriwether Lewis 1774-1809
Beneath this monument erected under Legislative Act by the State of Tennessee, A.D. 1848 reposes the dust of Meriwether Lewis. A Captain in the United States Army, Private Secretary to President Jefferson, Senior Commander of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Governor of the Territory of Louisiana. The report of the Committee appointed to carry out the provisions of the Monument Act, contains these significant statements: “Great care was taken to identify the grave. George Nixon, Esq, and old surveyor, had become very early acquainted with the locality. He pointed out the place; but to make assurance doubly sure the grave was reopened and the upper portion of the skeleton examined and such evidence found as to leave no doubt of the place of interment.”
In the Grinder House, the ruins of which are still discernible, 230 yards south of this spot, his life of romantic endeavor and lasting achievement came tragically and mysteriously to its close on the night of October 11, 1809.
In the Grinder House, the ruins of which are still discernible, 230 yards south of this spot, his life of romantic endeavor and lasting achievement came tragically and mysteriously to its close on the night of October 11, 1809.
Natchez Trace Parkway (Mile post 386 to 405 and back): 39.60 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 2 hours 56 minutes, average speed: 13.4
Comments: Ride Time was 2 hours 56 minutes, average speed: 13.4
We pedal away from the Meriwether Lewis site around 2:00 p.m. heading north towards Jackson Falls. The Parkway is quite hilly at this end but the beauty of the Trace helped to take our minds off the climbs.
This ride gives us another new biking state to add to our list—Tennessee and also a new descent speed: we reached 42.5 mph before Dennis applied the brakes.
This ride gives us another new biking state to add to our list—Tennessee and also a new descent speed: we reached 42.5 mph before Dennis applied the brakes.
We make it to Jackson Falls, named for President Andrew Jackson, and take a short rest. We reverse our journey from here and make it back to our vehicles before the sun begins to set. We pack our bikes back in our vehicles and caravan towards Franklin, TN for our overnight stay at the Country Inn & Suites. It’s getting darker now and we notice that Bill seems to be having some headlight problems so we take it slow and keep him sandwiched between our van group. As we near Franklin, Bill’s lights snap on and all is well. We later find out the auto light switch was in the off position. We all had a good laugh at Bill’s expense adding to our funny moments we had to share—earning Bill the good sport title!
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