Need Some Natchez Trail Recommendations......

[mhallock]

Judy and I are going to Nashville in May, 2010. It will be our 5th trip on the Valk from NJ to visit my family there. Have traveled east from there a few times to North Carolina.....west to Paducha once (Inzane V) but have never traveled south ......you know, Natchez Trail.....want to try it this time and thought, who else better to ask than my freinds at the V.R.C.C......any advice??? What not to miss??? Love to fly fish almost as much as ridin' the Valk......Any advice?????


Mark

[Gilligan]

We did this trip in 2004 and stayed in Natchez for a while.  Be prepared for the 45 mph speed limit.  They mean it.  You also have to watch for critters crossing the road.  We dodged snakes and armadillos several times.  The ride on The Trace does get boring.  Trees block all of the views.  It was so hot and humid when we rode it, that our friend riding with us actually fell asleep on his Harley with his wife on the back.

Here are some pics.


Entering the Parkway



Double Arch Bridge



Meriweather Lewis Memorial



Unknown Confederate Soldiers



Elvis' Birth Place



Johnnie's Drive-In



Tupelo Bald Cypress Swamp



Sunken Trace



Windsor Ruins



Walk Along the River



Natchez Under the Hill

[..]

The northern 1/3 is worth riding. The rest is flat, pretty much straight and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Strider]

Like Mr Gilligan posted - watch for critters and obey the speed limit.  If you don't have to get anywhere fast - it is a very nice ride.  The maximum speed limit (I think) is 50 and they will write a ticket for 2 miles over.

Trees do block the view, but it is also going back in time.  No 18 wheelers allowed, no billboards, no cities (well, you will skirt Tupelo and Jackson).  VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC because of the speed limit.  The main thing is gas - no gas stations either.  So, fill up when you can.  If you fill up in Tupelo, you should make Rankin or Jackson without problems.  Fill up in Jackson and you should make Natchez.  

There are a lot of turn outs with history.  If you stop at every one, it would take you days to get down the trace.  There are some nice Indian Mounds about an hour south of Tupelo and some huge ones towards the end in Natchez.  The Reservoir just north of Jackson is cool.

Do watch out for critters!!!!  It is like a state park so little hunting.  I have seen deer every time I have ridden the trace and the last time, a Bobcat ran right in front of me without warning.  Had deer watch me from the side of the road as I rode by and had 3 walk in front of me.  There are wild turkeys that I have also seen every time I have ridden the Trace.

With the speed limit, you will get great gas mileage.  Figure 2 days to get down the Trace.  I can make Lafayette, Louisiana to Tupelo in a day - but it is a long day.  Nashville would be another day.  Remember also when I say I can make Lafayette to Tupelo - that also includes 4 - 5 hours to get up to the Trace.

My suggestion is if you have never ridden the Trace - DO IT!  It is hours and hours of thought provoking time.  You will be on a 50 mph 2 lane with no traffic for 2 days.  When my Dad passed, we rode it for that reason......Again, it goes back in time.  You will not see a billboard, an 18 wheeler or a hotel (on the road) for 2 days.

I personally love the Trace and ride it when I can.  If I don't have to be anywhere quickly, I ride it.  If I have to make time, I take another route.  Again, I love the Trace, and so does a motorcycle.  The speed limit is the main thing.  Also, if you pull into one of the Ranger stations, I guess most are bored, but they can tell you all this neat history and where to stop, etc.  It is a low and slow ride - but if you got the time, ENJOY IT!!!!!

[..]

Have you ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway?

[mhallock]

Rode the BRP a couple times. We usually take Skyline Drive (so I don't mind the speed limits) to BRP, then west to Nashville or east to North Carolina, depending on destination. We scoot over to hotels on 81, but don't ride the super slabs too much while on vacation. Don't care for Interstate 40....rather take the slower, scenic routes. Pics are from previous trips. Great advice so far.......keep it coming!!!!





Markl

[thumper]

The northern 1/3 is worth riding. The rest is flat, pretty much straight and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

+1

A couple of years ago I did Smokin' Joe's ride to mile marker 1.  I made it as far as Roanoke Va. and then rode back to Maggie Valley N.C. by myself.  It was magic....one of the greatest motorcycle experiences I've ever had.

[thumper]

Have you ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway?

+1

[clsimmonsjr]

Wife and I rode it last summer and enjoyed it immensely, took our time, cant get in a hurry anyway, be sure to stop at all the historical spots.

[Pete]

The Natchez Trace is a great ride, we do it often. Get a copy of the Natchez Trace guide book from the Park service and us it to schedule your stops for the most interesting places. We usually do 2 days down and then turn around and do 2 days back. We usually overnite somewhere around Tupelo. In the summer we ride from daylight to 2:00 PM and then hit a hotel swimming pool. The rest of the year anytime is fine. Be especially careful of animals early morning and late afternoon. I would not ride at night.

Gas can be an issue, but is usually available on a major highways crossing the Trace, with 2 to 5 miles. Example US64 east, or US72 east, Tupelo, Koscusiko, Jackson, Natchez.

Riding the Trace can be a great history lesson if you stop at the markers and attractions. 450 miles without red lights or stop signs and it is easier and more relaxing to ride than the Blue Ridge . Both are great rides just different.

Spring or fall rides offer the most colorful mother nature. In May some things will be in bloom, temperatures will be "warm". Showers are a probability. Thunder showers with lightning possible.

Relax and have fun, it is a great ride.

Thanks Pete. 

[mhallock]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. This was just the type of feedback I was looking for. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and photos. Now I have some planning to do that will help me get through the winter months. I'll be sure to post a ride report with pics after the ride.

Mark

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. This was just the type of feedback I was looking for. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and photos. Now I have some planning to do that will help me get through the winter months. I'll be sure to post a ride report with pics after the ride.

Mark

Hey Mark we are having a group ride September 3 - 5  next year ( Labor Day Weekend ) and will cover the entire Trace starting at mile marker 0 in Natchez , Mississippi and ending at mile marker 444 in Nashville...Bring It...LET'S RIDE 

[mhallock]

Joe,

I have marked it on my calendar. From the input I have received, it sounds like a ride I will make this coming May, and then again in September. Thanks for the invite!

Mark

[Rocketman]

Definitely ride the Trace.  It's a great ride.  No hurries, no worries.  50 mph highly enforced speed limit means no daredeviling, but lots of relaxation.  It also means more mpg.  My mileage went up ~10 mpg on the trace vs. freeway.  I haven't ever ridden the whole thing, but I figure a gas stop in Natchez, another one in Tupelo, and that would get me all the way (with an IS tank).
As for time, I'm not sure that it's that much slower than interstates.  If you're truly going from Nashville to Natchez, there are no interstates going direct, so the direct route plus the easier traffic could get you there in reasonable time.  (Google maps shows Natchez to Nashville at 8.75 hours.  440 miles at 50 mph gives ~9 hours.  Add whatever you like for stops, and for the interstate route, subtract whatever you like for higher speeds.)  If you like to stop and see the sights, that'll slow you down.  You could spend all week hopping from one pull-off to the next.

[2 Valks]

We have ridden in 48 states and 7 provinces of Canada and my wife and I would have to say that the Nacthez Trace is the most mundane, boring ride in America! Stay North and ride the BRP and the Cherohala Skyway.