Extended Vacation Tours, 2010

Tour of the Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Trace Parkway

May 22nd through May 28th, 2010

Overview

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444 mile long, limited-access two-lane road that travels through Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. It follows the route of the Natchez Trace, a hunting and trading path originally created by Native Americans to connect the Mississippi River to the Tennessee River valley. The Trace reached its peak of use in the early 1800s, when settler farmers and woodsmen from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky (known collectively as “Kaintucks”) walked back home up the trace after floating their log flatboats down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to the ports of Natchez and New Orleans. Most of this commerce eventually moved to steamboats and railroads, after which the trace became a peaceful forest lane.

The Parkway was started in the 1930s. It parallels the old trace, crossing over the original path countless times over its length. The Parkway is a designated bicycle route; commercial vehicles are prohibited, speeds are limited, and the road is limited access, two lane, well paved and flat to rolling (no steep hills), so it is an excellent place to ride a bike. The Parkway is a National Park and quite rural along most of its length (over 100 species of trees can be identified in the park). There are very few towns directly on the Trace and almost no commercial development in the park, so the scenery is gorgeous. This once was Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez Indian territory, and there are several collections of prehistoric Indian burial mounds along the route. There will be several opportunities to walk the boardwalks through cypress swamps—marvelous worlds of water, tall cypress trees, beautiful flowers and shimmering emerald light. This region is steeped in history, from the prehistoric Mississippian indian civilizations, through the tribes that lived here when western settlers came, through the high point of Trace traffic in the early 1800s, through the tumult of the Civil War, and beyond. With its low traffic, beautiful forest and prairie surroundings, and fascinating history, the Natchez Trace Parkway is an ideal location for a relaxing bicycle vacation.

Our tour is seven days, and covers the 265 mile section of the Natchez Trace Parkway from Tupelo, Mississippi to Natchez, Mississippi. We will drive from St. Louis to Tupelo on Saturday, May 22nd. We will cycle on the Trace for five days (May 23rd through the 27th), then return to St. Louis on Friday May 28th. The cost of the tour is $725.00 per person, double occupancy. This includes six nights in hotels, three star or better where available, five evening meals, transportation from St. Louis to the tour and back, sag service during the tour, ground transportation during the tour, mechanical services, maps, itineraries, etc. Breakfast will be provided at the hotels, usually a buffet. Lunch will be on your own, at restaurants near the trace.

A deposit of $200.00 is required to reserve a spot on this tour. The deposit is refundable until 45 days before start of the tour. The maximum number we can accomodate on this tour is 13 people.

Itinerary

Day 1: Saturday, May 22nd – Drive from St. Louis, MO to Tupelo, MS (335 miles).
The group will meet at the Touring Cyclist Warehouse, 11816 St Charles Rock Road Bridgeton, MO 63044 (phone 314-739-4648) for an 8:00 am departure. If you drive to the warehouse you can park your car in our secure parking lot. Travel time to Tupelo is about seven hours with an hour for lunch and rest stops; expected arrival time is about 3:00 pm. This gives you time to see some of Tupelo.

Tupelo is a town of approximately 35,000 and is most famous as the birth place of Elvis Presley; there is a museum and his birth house. Tupelo is the home of the 11th largest Toyota plant in the world. There is also an Automobile Museum that can display over 1000 antique and classic cars. What will interest us most is the Natchez Trace Parkway headquarters and visitor’s center. We will visit the center to obtain detailed maps, brochures, and information about the Trace to supplement what we’ve already obtained from the Internet. Our hotel is near the center of town and near where we will start cycling on the Trace.

Breakfast: on your own before the tour start.
Lunch: on your own during our drive to Tupelo.
Dinner: Restaurant near the hotel, to be determined.
Hotel: Comfort Inn, 1190 North Gloster Street, Tupelo MS 38804.

Old Trace

Day 2: Sunday, May 23rd – Cycle from Tupelo trailhead to Maben (56 miles), van transfer to Starkville (19 miles). We will ride directly from our hotel to the trace, a short distance. Today’s ride ends at the Maben trailhead, where we assemble for a van shuttle to Starkville and our hotel. Notable sites along the ride today include the Chickasaw Council House (capital of the Chickasaw Nation in the 1820s), Bynum Mounds (prehistoric indian burial mounds), and the Tombigbee National Forest.

Starkville has a population of 21,600 and is the home of Mississippi State University. Starkville offers a unique blend of old Southern charm and 21st Century technology, and has a strong economic base of manufacturing, small business, research and development companies. Starkville is a Mississippi Certified Retirement Community and many retirees are attracted to the town’s balance of small town security and big city amenities.

Breakfast: at the hotel in Tupelo.
Lunch: on your own off highway 8 going northwest to Houston, MS. This is 35 miles down the trace from the ride start.
Dinner: restaurant in Starkville.
Hotel: Caragen House, 1108 Highway 82 W, Starkville, MS 39759 (phone 662-323-9340).

Day 3: Monday, May 24th – Cycle from Maben to Kosciusko (49 miles). From our hotel in Starkville we will shuttle back to the trailhead and resume cycling southwest along the trace to Kosciusko. Twenty-four miles down the road is French Camp; a “stand” (traveler’s inn) was established here in 1812, and today the site has a historical village that recreates typical dwellings from that era. Kosciusko is just off the Parkway, west on Highway 35. The town (population 7,400) is named for Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish general who assisted the Colonial Army during the American Revolution. Kosciusko is the home of Magnolia Bible College and is the birthplace for several notable people, including Oprah Winfrey.

Highlights of today’s ride include several crossings of the original Trace, Jeff Busby Camp (picnic area, campground, one of Mississippi’s highest points at 603 feet above sea level), Bethel Mission (one of 13 Choctaw missions in the territory), and Cole Creek (short trail through a water tupelo/bald-cypress swamp).

Breakfast: hotel in Starkville.
Lunch: on your own, most likely at French Camp.
Dinner: Penn’s Seafood Restaurant, 506 Veterans Memorial Drive, 39090. We will walk to the restaurant.
Hotel: Day’s Inn, 1000 Veterans Memorial Drive, 39090, just off the Trace at mile market 160. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, internet access, coffee continuously throughout the day, breakfast from 6:00 am to 9:00 am.

Day 4: Tuesday, May 25th – Cycle from Kosciusko to Ridgeland/Jackson (58 miles). We leave from the hotel in Kosciusko and immediately ride the Parkway towards Jackson. The first option for lunch is in Canton, 45 miles into the ride and an additional 7 miles northwest of the trace. Another option is to continue to the day’s end at Ridgeland, where there are multiple food options. Ridgeland is a suburb of Jackson, and has a headquarters for the Parkway. We will shuttle from the Ridgeland trailhead to the hotel.

Sites along the ride today include Ross Barnett Reservoir (the Parkway follows its northern bank), one of the largest remaining cypress swamps along the trace (20 minute walking trail to view the flowers and trees), and the Boyd Site (1200 year old indian burial mounds).

Breakfast: hotel in Kosciusko.
Lunch: on your own, either in Canton or Ridgeland.
Dinner: Restaurant to be decided.
Hotel: The Hyatt Place, 1016 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland MS. This is a new hotel, conveniently located across from a large shopping center (the Renaissance) for any mid-tour needs. The hotel has “free anywhere” high-speed WiFi Internet access, an indoor/outdoor pool, and each room has a 42” flat panel HD television and media center.

Day 5: Wednesday, May 26th – Ride to Port Gibson (62 miles), then shuttle to Vicksburg for the night (26 miles). The first place available for lunch today is Port Gibson. (Remember the Trace is a parkway with limited access, not many towns close by, and very little commercial development.) Port Gibson does not have any hotels, so we shuttle to Vicksburg for the night. This gives us a chance to explore both Port Gibson and Vicksburg, two cities with rich histories.

Places to see on the ride today include the Battle of Raymond site (significant in the Civil War Vicksburg campaign), the Rocky Springs townsite, Owens Creek Waterfall, and the Port Gibson Historic District.

Port Gibson (pop. 2000) was chartered as a town in 1803. It was first occupied in 1729 and is Mississippi’s third oldest settlement. Port Gibson was the site of several clashes during the American Civil Was and was important during Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign. The Battle of Port Gibson occurred on May 1, 1863, and resulted in the deaths of over 200 Union and Confederate soldiers. The South’s loss here was an important turning point in the Confederate’s attempt to hold Mississippi and defend against an amphibious Union advance down the Mississippi River. Port Gibson has many historic buildings which survived the Civil War because General Grant believed the city was too beautiful to be burned. An architectural highlight of the area is the Windsor Ruins, a particularly large plantation mansion that survived the war but was destroyed by fire in 1890. The Windsor mansion remains are very picturesque and have appeared in several motion pictures.

After exploring Port Gibson, at 1:00 pm we will shuttle to Vicksburg for the night. We will stay in the downtown area and have an opportunity to enjoy this historical city and its many antebellum buildings. The city had a significant part in the Civil War, and General Grant’s eventual victory at the bloody Siege of Vicksburg opened the Mississippi River all the way to New Orleans for Union armies. A tour of the Vicksburg Battlefield National Military Park is a moving experience.

Breakfast: hotel in Ridgeland.
Lunch: on your own in Port Gibson.
Dinner: Restaurant to be decided in Vicksburg.
Hotel: Horizon Casino Hotel, 310 Mulbury Street, Vicksburg. The hotel is next to the Casino (one of five in this town of 25,000), near downtown and the river. The hotels next to casinos offer excellent value, clean rooms, and friendly staff.

Day 6: Thursday, May 27th – Shuttle back to Port Gibson (26 miles) and cycle to Natchez (40 miles). Once back in Port Gibson we will begin our last day of riding and head to Natchez. With an early start we should have time to explore Natchez and its surrounding area. The river town of Natchez is the oldest permanent settlement on the Mississippi River. It was home to prehistoric Indians, then sun-worshipping Natchez Indians, then French, British and Spanish colonists, and first flew the American flag in 1798. The town abounds in Greek Revival antebellum mansions with meticulously maintained gardens. Fourteen homes stay open for tours all year round, including the elaborate octagonal Longwood Mansion at 140 Lower Woodville Road. The van will be available for those who wish to tour some of the antebellum mansions and plantations surrounding Natchez.

Breakfast: hotel in Vicksburg.
Lunch: on your own in Natchez.
Dinner: on your own in Natchez.
Hotel: Natchez Grand Hotel, 111 Broadway Street, Natchez. The hotel is conveniently located in the downtown district on the river’s bluff and has incredible views of the Mississippi River. It is just steps from dining, shopping, entertainment and many of the city’s famous attractions and antebellum homes. This last night in Mississippi is a final chance to bask in the fine hospitality of the Old South.

Day 7: Friday, May 28th – Return to St. Louis via van (517 miles). After breakfast we will pack up our luggage and leave for St Louis. We will try for an early start to arrive in St Louis before the heavy afternoon traffic. Plan on leaving Natchez around 8:00 am and arriving in St Louis around 4:00 pm. End of tour.

Breakfast: hotel in Natchez.
Lunch: on your own, on the road back to St. Louis

Reservations

To hold a spot on this tour please call Carol Boedeker, 314-739-4648 and pay your $200.00 deposit. We will have an “Icebreaker” party prior to the trip for everyone to get to know each other and review the itinerary with the tour leaders. For further questions contact Donald N. Humphries (email [ donaldh AT touringcyclist.com ] or call 314-739-4648).

< Previous | Next > (Tour of the Illinois and Michigan Canal)