"The historical riches, cultural avenues, and exploratory possibilities of the Natchez Trace Parkway are numerous. This park's natural beauty doesn't come from dramatic mountainous overlooks. Instead, you will find mostly flat terrain rendered in a balanced, subtle palette. In the spring, roadside stretches of clover, wildflowers, grassy fields, and dogwood blossoms wave. Summer is often crowned with pure blue skies and a healthy green, divided only by the yellow-striped roadway. In the fall, the soft, gray Spanish moss gives way to the russet of maples and oaks. In winter, the sturdy dark green of mature cedars takes on promising significance"--
Enjoy the Best Road Trip in the South!The Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles of rolling hills, historic sites, and beautiful scenery—from Mississippi, through Alabama, and to Tennessee. Countless discoveries await you on a route that everyone should traverse at least once. The historic byway is peppered with fantastic food options and unforgettable attractions, and you want to experience the best of them. This guidebook is essential in planning the perfect trip for yourself, your friends, or your entire family.
Whether you’re exploring a few miles or a few hundred, maximize your enjoyment with the Guide to the Natchez Trace Parkway. There’s a visual delight at every turn.
Inside You’ll Find
- More than 100 destination highlights, including the best food, lodging, historical sites, and attractions
- Essential information, from Parkway rules to tips about when to travel
- Practical advice for hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians
- Nearly 100 possible milepost stops, sorted into categories
This guidebook leads readers to the best regional food, lodging, and attractions along the historic Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.|
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| Acknowledgments |
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| Introduction |
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1 | (7) |
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2 | (1) |
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What and Where Is the Natchez Trace? |
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3 | (1) |
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4 | (1) |
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The Birth and Death of the Natchez Trace as a Road |
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5 | (1) |
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The Resurrection of the Natchez Trace as a Parkway |
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6 | (1) |
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7 | (1) |
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Chapter 1 Traveling Your Own Trace |
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8 | (20) |
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10 | (1) |
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10 | (18) |
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10 | (4) |
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14 | (1) |
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Kaintuck Boatmen and the Postal Road |
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15 | (2) |
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Archaeology and American Indians |
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17 | (4) |
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Civil War and Other Military History |
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21 | (1) |
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22 | (3) |
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25 | (1) |
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National Park Service (NPS) Information |
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26 | (2) |
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Chapter 2 The Nuts and Bolts of Traveling the Trace |
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28 | (18) |
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30 | (1) |
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30 | (1) |
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31 | (1) |
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31 | (1) |
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32 | (1) |
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Speeding Along on the Parkway |
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32 | (1) |
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32 | (1) |
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32 | (1) |
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33 | (1) |
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33 | (1) |
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34 | (2) |
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36 | (1) |
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36 | (10) |
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Chapter 3 The Many Ways to Travel the Trace |
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46 | (12) |
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48 | (1) |
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48 | (3) |
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Hiking and Horseback Riding |
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51 | (5) |
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56 | (1) |
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Accessible Areas for People with Disabilities |
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57 | (1) |
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Chapter 4 A Chronology of the Natchez Trace |
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58 | (8) |
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Chapter 5 Sightseeing by Milepost |
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66 | (68) |
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Mississippi (Mileposts 0.0--308.8) |
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68 | (41) |
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68 | (6) |
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Between Natchez and Jackson |
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74 | (12) |
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86 | (2) |
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Between Jackson and Tupelo |
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88 | (11) |
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99 | (6) |
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Between Tupelo and the Mississippi--Alabama Line |
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105 | (4) |
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Alabama (Mileposts 313.0--341.8) |
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109 | (8) |
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Tennessee (Mileposts 343.5--444.0) |
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117 | (17) |
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132 | (2) |
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134 | (15) |
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Appendix 1 Information Sources |
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136 | (4) |
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Appendix 2 Accommodations near the Parkway |
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140 | (9) |
| Index |
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149 | (5) |
| About The Authors |
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154 | |
Tim Jackson met Taryn while in a creative nonfiction MFA program in 2004, and they have been married since 2009. They live in Northwest Alabamaabout 20 miles from the Natchez Trace Parkwaywith their two dogs and a rabbit. Both are writers and editors who love to travel and explore. Both love music. They lived in the area of Asheville, North Carolina, for seven years before moving to Alabama in 2018.
Taryn Chase Jackson writes grant proposals for nonprofits but has also worked in universities, museums, and educational technology. Her writing has been published in Southern Living, The Roanoke Times, The Laurel of Asheville, New River Voice, Chautauquan Daily, and Guide to Phone Apps magazine. Tim and Taryn met at Goucher College where they both earned MFAs in Creative Nonfiction. This is their second co-writing effort. The first, Images of America: Weaverville, was a pictorial history of a North Carolina town near Asheville, released by Arcadia Publishing in September 2015. Taryn has also taught workshops on memoir writing and social media for small businesses. She enjoys singing with the Shoals Chamber Singers, making mixed media art, and shopping at estate sales.
