Walking the Trails and Trace

Walking the Trails

This area has a huge number of really nice walking trails and we have been able to take advantage of a number of them.  Last Sunday we went across the bridge to Vidalia Louisiana.  They have a very nice river front with a park and a paved trail along the Mississippi.  Here are a few pictures from Vidalia.

The bridge that connects Natchez with Vidalia.  We can see this bridge lit up at night from our cabin.

The river front with concert venue.

The Natchez Trace
Yesterday we set out to see the Natchez Trace.
 Here is your history lesson on that area: The Trace begins in Natchez and runs over 400 miles to Nashville Tennessee.  It is part of the National Parks system.  The Trace was originally created by the movement of Native American tribes who lived in the area.  Then in the early 1800s the Trace was heavily used by the traders called the Kaintucks.  The Kaintucks came down the river with their crops and goods on flatboats from the more northern states.  At Natchez or New Orleans, they sold their goods, sold their boats and headed home via the Trace.  Because the soil on many parts of the Trace is very porous, over 100s of years the Trace has become sunken in many areas.  We had a chance to hike through one of the sunken areas with our Kaintuck guide, Scott.
Mount Locust
Mount Locust is one of the oldest buildings in Mississippi.  It is on the Trace approximately 15 miles from Natchez.  Mt. Locust became one of the first inns for travelers on the Trace.  Later it became a prosperous cotton plantation. 

 
 

The Master Bedroom

Dennis was the Park Ranger who gave us a tour of the property.  It is nice to see someone who is so excited about their job and really wants to help others learn.

A Guided Tour on the Trace
We were lucky enough to come upon Mount Locust just as a hiking tour was beginning.  Our guide, who was a volunteer, was dressed as a Kain-tuck boatman would be if he were heading home after selling his goods.

Scott and Gene discuss Trace history

Eileen was the 3rd person in our group.  She is a native Wisconsinite, but now lives in Long Beach California.  She has been in Natchez and Jackson as an accountant for the movie they have been making here for the past few months.  

At some points the sides of the Trace were 20 - 30 feet above our heads.  A good place for robbers (but we saw none)

Signs of spring along the Trace

We all made it back (4 miles round trip)...yeah!

Volunteers:  When visiting the National Parks and the National Wildlife Refuges we have met some really great people who volunteer their time.  Many of these folks are retired from other occupations and travel around the country volunteering their time and expertise,  Scott, our Kaintuck guide, had been a Coast Guard officer and had a great deal of knowledge about archeology, artifacts and hunting.  We have appreciated everyone's time and expertise.