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For two centuries the question has persisted: By His Own Hand? The historian contributors to this volume follow the format of a postmortem court trial, dissecting the case from different perspectives. A documents section permits readers to examine the key written evidence for themselves and reach their own conclusions. Guide to the Natchez Trace Parkway by F. Lynne Bachleda Book description: A unique journey through the heart of the Deep South, The Natchez Trace Parkway traverses miles from Natchez, Mississippi, across the mighty Tennessee River in northwestern Alabama, to its northern terminus just shy of Nashville, Tennessee.

For travelers planning a visit or already on the way, Guide to the Natchez Trace will help them discover all that the historic byway has to offer. Whether exploring a few miles or a few hundred miles, visitors will enjoy it most with the Guide to the Natchez Trace. The Natchez Trace is one of the oldest trails in North America.

In , President Jefferson ordered the Army to build a road along the trail to provide a route for moving troops and delivering mail. Jefferson dispatched soldiers down the road in to protect the Louisiana Purchase, and Andrew Jackson and his troops followed it to battle the British in the War of As an era link between Nashville, Tennessee, and Natchez, Mississippi, the road served as a pathway for settling much of what we now know as the South.

Twentieth-century writers such as Eudora Welty later embellished its lore of heroes, bandits, and spies, inspiring Southern leaders to revive the Natchez Trace. Daily mileage options allow cyclists of varying abilities to enjoy this tour. One of our favorite options is to give cyclists a "bump" via the support vehicle, or a 10 to 20 mile lift down the road representing an hour of pedal time.

After the bump the rider is "off the front" and riding at his or her own pace without feeling they are being left behind the group. They'll then have time to linger and take in the spectacular scenery. All cyclists come together in time for lunch. Seamless Mileage Options Lizard Head Cycling Guides designs multiple mileage options for each tour — something we're well known for in our business.

This technique is similar to heliskiing in that one does not ski everything, they ski the best. Many cyclists who sign up for our tours have worried themselves silly about not being able to keep up, but then they're surprised to find that all the worrying was about nothing. They do just fine! Slow and Fast only exist relative to other cyclists. Speed does not matter as long as one is moving on the bike.

Adventure #8: Mississippi Biking The Natchez Trace

As long as one is moving, they are truly going fast enough. If you have questions about your ability to ride this tour, please contact our office via email or call us at Please also see this blog post for more information. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour. If you have the time, we encourage you to arrive early in Jackson, MS even a full day before! There are dozens of great little shops and eateries along with a many historical sites throughout the town of Natchez.

Natchez to Sunken Trace 46 Miles with up to 2, feet of climbing. At mile marker 10, we will make a short divert from the Trace to view the Emerald Mound Site — an ancient ceremonial mound built by ancestors of the Natchez Indians that dates from the period between and A.

Not Without My Father: One Woman's 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace

After Emerald Mound and back on route, riders will soon make another quick divert to Mount Locust Historic Home , one of the oldest surviving structures in Mississippi. While riders take a tour of this house, guides will prepare a gourmet lunch in the parking area. Guests will have time before dinner to stroll this small town or to relax at the inn after the adventures of the day.

Sunken Trace to Ridgeland 62 Miles with up to 2, feet of climbing. This day begins with a hearty breakfast. After our short hiking break, we remount the bikes and continue to thread our way through the dense ancient hardwood forests, past open pastures and cotton fields. At Natchex Trace Parkway mile marker 89, we will make a stop to explore the Clinton Visitor Center where guides will prepare another healthy lunch for riders to refuel. After departing the Center, we finish the last miles of our journey along the Ridgeland Multi-Use Path and leave the Trace to check into our lodging for the night in Ridgeland, MS.

On this third day of the tour, our mileage increases yet again, but since this is one of the flatter portions of the Trace, the 81 miles you pedal today will pass by quickly. Departing our hotel, we make our way back to the Trace, though this time we will not ride on the parkway itself, but for the first five miles on the bike path system adjacent to the Trace.

Natchez Trace Bike Tour: Highlights

At mile marker , we will make a stop at the Cypress Swamp where a boardwalk trail leads over the murky waters through a tupelo and bald cypress swamp… but make sure to watch for alligators! Also along the way we will pass Kosciusko, Mississippi — the town where Oprah Winfrey was born and lived until age 6. By the end of the day, we arrive at the French Camp Historic District log-cabin village where riders can relax and enjoy a well deserved authentic Southern meal.

French Camp to Tupelo 88 Miles with up 2, feet of climbing. However, we will start early and riders will have plenty of time to casually pedal along enjoying the scenery of the Red Clay Hills before settling into the bottomlands near the headwaters of the Big Black River. The miles will seem to zip by along this quiet section of the Trace, with only a few minor hills and minor changes in the uniform surroundings.

Just past Houston, Mississippi are the Bynum Mounds — six burial mounds and an associated habitation area built between B. Our destination for the evening is Tupelo, Mississippi — birthplace of Elvis Presley — where our lodging, dinner and post-ride relaxation await. Afterward we shuttle a short distance back to the Trace and depart from the Parkway Visitor Center to continue our northward journey. Halfway through our ride we make a stop at the Pharr Mounds — a complex of eight dome shaped Tumulus burial mounds built between and A. We then continue our ride to end near Tishomingo State Park and from here we shuttle to our destination at The Belmont Hotel, a restored Georgian style hotel in Belmont, Mississippi.

We start early in order to get out onto the Trace with plenty of sunshine to spare.

Building the Natchez Trace Parkway - theranchhands.com

Shuttling a short distance from Belmont, we begin the riding and the scenery remains world-class, from the wooded ridges to the steep hollows carved by brooks cascading over rocky stream beds. We will pedal across three states today starting from Mississippi, passing through Alabama, and finally ending in Tennessee. We end the ride at the Meriwether Lewis National Monument and then shuttle to this evenings accommodations. The final day of the tour has arrived and we have saved what we think is the best of the Trace for last!

Following breakfast we will shuttle a short distance from our lodging to the Meriwether Lewis National Monument. Here while riders check out the monument to a great American explorer, guides will get the bikes ready for the final leg of the Trace. Riders roll away and soon enjoy the magnificent scenery along the twisty turns and rolling hills on this final section of the Trace.

Account Options

At mile marker you will ride across the gracefully designed Double Arch Bridge and then soon after the bridge, pull into a turnout at the Northern Terminus to end the riding for the week. The tour concludes with 30 mile shuttle back to Nashville, TN. Bikes can be shipped either to our partner bike shop in each meeting town for professional assembly or directly to the meeting hotel for self-assembly. Bike boxes can generally be left at the meeting hotel during the tour. Bikes shipped across the continental US should be shipped 8 days prior to your tour. Each day there are additional mileage options for advanced riders.

A passenger van and trailer that carries luggage, food and equipment will support this tour. A policy can be purchased individually through the sales link below or Lizard Head Cycling Guides can also set-up a policy for its clients. The Natchez Trace is a beautiful road. Below the Double Arch Bridge. Starting the week from Natchez, MS. Emerald Mound just off the Trace. Mount Locust Historic Home. Quiet roads await on the Trace.

The only remaining building in Rocky Springs. On the Old Trace footpath. Riding along the Trace. Cabins at the French Camp Historic District. Rolling into Bynum Mounds on the Trace. Early morning paceline on the Trace.


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View from the Jeff Busby overlook. One of the many sections of the Sunken Trace. Spring flowers along the Trace. Beautiful morning on the Trace. State Line between Alabama and Tennesee. Final day on the Trace. Adding the Natchez Trace sticker to the collection.