The Great West Trip Part 2

 Picking up where I left off we left the hotel Monday morning there was no breakfast because of Covid 19 but there was a coffee shop just down the block. Magnum coffee and roastery was brightly decorated with a giant Toucan on the outside of the building. Their coffee cups were beautiful works of art as well. I ordered the java potion which was a delicious mix of mocha, vanilla, and cinnamon sugar. The barista was very friendly and as we chatted she mentioned that she was going to be married in the next few months. We congratulated her and my Mom gave her some advice 

"It won't always be easy, just remember that."

As we approached California from Nevada we saw a bright light to our right, getting closer we saw it was part of a solar facility, the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. It is a concentrated solar thermal plant and I had never seen anything like it with the mirrors reflecting the light to the towers. 

Next we took a detour to Bakersfield, CA because our check engine light had come on as we were driving through Nevada. We had gone far but not far enough that we should need an oil change and we were taking it to the closest Ford repair shop on our route, Jim Burke Ford to be exact. I drove to the back where the repair area was and Matthew came out to the car and checked our oil. It was fine, we suspected it was possible that since we had the last oil change done so early the internal counter hadn't reset. He showed me how to reset the system so that it would read that the oil was changed. While we were in town we decided to find the famous Bakersfield Arch and get lunch. The Arch was easy to find as we drove down Buck Owens Boulevard. We didn't actually walk the streets of Bakersfield but we walked from the car to Temblor Brewing and decided that was close enough to get the idea. The brewery was probably our favorite seating area of all the breweries we went to. It was hot and the long benches were enclosed in a covered patio and along the ceiling were misting hoses. At first I was a little skeptical but the mist was very refreshing and the dogs loved it. We had cooling vests for them that my Mom had purchased on chewy.com and those also seemed to help with the heat. 

The brewery is the work of three Bakersfield natives and their award winning head brewer. A relatively new brewery the idea began in 2015 and by September of 2016 they were open and serving customers. There are six mainstays and then a series of seasonal and rotating beers. The flights did a good job of showing the variety of their beers from the dark stouts to the varied colors of their fruit beers. 

Our next destination was Sequoia National Park and along the way we drove past a surprise roadside attraction in Delano, CA. The Halo company turned their packaging plant into a giant box of Halos, a happy accidental find.

It was already late afternoon when we reached the Sequoia National Forest and we started up (and down) the winding roads. We climbed up to the pull off to view Moro Rock and stopped to admire the view.   We continued up the road toward the Generals (Grant and Sherman) and soon found the largest trees I had ever seen. The Sequoias are completely awe inspiring towering above the road with trunks so wide you could lie in front of them and not cover the base. 

I took the photo of Meg taking photos and I think that is one of my favorite photos from the trip. 

Shortly before we reached the Generals we pulled over for a beautiful panoramic photo of the different peaks and valleys surrounding us. My Mom noticed a car with two couples who had been there before we pulled up and were still there when Meg finished taking photos. She said she thought they seemed stressed.  We asked if they were ok and learned that their brakes had stopped working on the winding road through the mountains they had managed to use a lower gear to get to the pull off but were unsure if they could go any further. A tow truck was coming but it had been awhile. Add to that being up on mountains no one had very good cell coverage. We gave them my number and told them we were continuing to the Generals but would come back and if the tow truck hadn't come we could at least get them down to the main ranger station where phone service would be better. After seeing the General Sherman, the largest by volume known single stem tree, we turned back. When we reached the viewing area they were no longer there. We hoped that meant that the tow truck had come for them and we had that confirmed when we reached the forrest entrance. The driver was putting their car down and we pulled over to check on them. Apparently the brakes had over heated and with a little bit of time they would be safe to drive, perhaps at that point they already were. Though they would want to get their brakes checked and change the fluid. 

Because we had started into the park so late it was already dark by the time we came back down. We stopped in at Three Rivers Brewing for a rest. The beer was good with the Oliver, actually made with olives, was interesting and the Honey wheat was my favorite. As we were sitting in the back yard one of the employees came out and we started talking. We told her we were just passing through and she told us about a few spots in the park that she considers the best for swimming and relaxing. While we weren't going to have time to explore the park I appreciate her telling us about the spots because they really weren't the regular tourist areas and it could be she tells everyone about them but it felt nice and personal that she was offering us her advice.

The next morning we turned north toward Lake Tahoe and some more beautiful scenery and a very unique statue- a bear and cubs made completely of pennies. My goal was to mix nature and roadside attractions and this was a perfect mix. The beautiful pines on the Sierra Nevada mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe framed the blue waters of the lake. The bear family made of pennies gave it depth and the pennies standing up looked almost like fur. 

This was the part of the trip where everything was a day away from the previous thing. So we did a lot of driving, saw a lot of beautiful scenery, reached our destination, and then went for dinner and looked for a hotel. In Lake Tahoe we stopped at 50/50 Brewing which Meg selected because they had a beer in honor of the Solar Eclipse- which was an amazing life changing event that if you missed it in 2017 you should really look up the path of the 2024 eclipse and make plans now to travel for it!!!

As we had been driving to Lake Tahoe we saw some signs of past fire damage on the pines but I don't think it was from current fires. However we did see a lot of haze and smoke in the sky. As we were starting to head further north back into Nevada the smoke grew thicker. We were trying to reach the Fly Geyser which I had first seen on the cover of a Time Magazine and was shocked to learn the fantastic image was some place in America. My understanding was that it could be seen from the road, we couldn't get up close because it is on private property,  however the smoke was so thick that we are pretty sure we saw something in its shape but could not see the vibrant colors that had grabbed my attention on the magazine cover. Then we began a bit of an adventure. We started driving north west to the California border. The smoke was getting thicker and as we drove animals would occasionally dart from the left of the road (west) to the right side (east) it was reminiscent of something from a movie when animals are trying to escape coming danger. And as we drove we soon saw the danger they were running from. In the distance there were two large red glowing spots and a few small spots. As we continued down the road more small glowing spots came in to view. Several times we thought we should turn and head back but our cell phones and GPS were having trouble getting signal and may not have been able to recalculate and also there was traffic coming from the other direction. However we eventually came to a road closed sign. We were looking at a long drive back the way we had come and while not low on gas we knew we had over 80 miles with no gas stations. It was almost 11pm when we returned to Gerlach, NV. Luckily the station pumps were still on and I was able to fill up.  I then drove over to the local bar to ask if anyone had alternate directions for us to continue on our way. There were a few people there and the bartender had the news playing behind him. One of the customers mentioned that a train had been stopped blocking one of the roads in to town but had since moved since the tracks were cleared of fire. That would allow us to return back towards Reno and from there we would be able to take a more western route to CA. I bought a few bottles of water for us and the dogs and we began driving for what would be a very long night. We ended up sleeping in the car that night and then driving and checking posters and asking other travelers at the rest stops to see what area was closed because the GPS was not adjusting for roads closed due to fire. 

We ended up getting back on track and stopping for breakfast in the small town of Alturas, CA. The city has been the seat of Modoc county California since 1874. Originally the town was called Dorrisville in honor of the bridge that Pressley and James Dorris built over the Pit River. The post office opened in 1871 and the name officially became Alturas in 1876. On its website the town declares itself "where the west still lives." And looking around that seemed like a good description. After sitting with our donuts and coffee from Wild Mustard we walked a few blocks to look at the murals, including a cowboy riding a bull and antelope grazing, around town and turned down one small street to see a pair of deer just walking down the street.

From there we continued on to our next location with giant trees: The Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. 

The phrase "Go Big or Go Home" certainly applied on this trip. The picture on the left is a view inside a red wood which obviously gives the best idea of diameter. My Mom stopped at the base of one of the trees and I got down on the ground to get this angled shot up the trunk of the tree. Pictures don't do justice to give an idea as to how massive and impressive these trees are. Near the tree that Gypsy is sitting in was another tree dubbed "The Immortal Tree" this tree was somewhere around 1000 years old and had survived a lighting strike which had removed several of the upper limbs lowering its height from 298 feet to a mere 248, loggers, a forest fire in 1908, and a flood in 1964. This wasn't the first time we had seen reference to the flood of 1964, or the Christmas Flood as we also saw it called. Earlier as we drove among the redwoods we saw a sign naming the highway the "Sam Helwer Memorial Highway." It listed the many accomplishments of Sam Helwer who was the son of German-Russian Immigrants and was originally from Kansas. He began as an engineer for the California Highway Division when he was a little over 20 years old. Eventually he would become the Deputy State Highway Engineer and helped design the world's first four level highway interchange outside Los Angeles. Certainly his accomplishments had a great effect on the development of California but in Humboldt County he is remembered for his leadership as District engineer during Christmas week of 1964 where his action and compassion is credited with saving lives. 

After seeing the trees our attention turned to getting dinner and some place to sleep. We were all feeling a but tired after the adventure and not very restful sleep of the night before. We stopped at Eel River Brewing for some take out to bring back to our hotel, a Best Western right next door. I think this may have been the first time I stayed in a Best Western. The room was a suite which was great because it had two bedrooms which meant the dogs could get a nice break from each other... or really that Domino could get a break from Gypsy Rover. Gypsy never wants a break from anyone :-)

Eel River brewing is the first certified Organic brewery in the United States and is located in Fortuna, CA. As I have said before the craft beer industry is one of my favorites because so many owner/brewers are in it for the love of the product whether that be food or drink. They care about every aspect- taste and aesthetic. Eel River also has a history of sustainability. They use their spent grain to feed area cattle and have their own treatment system to lessen the burden on the environment. On their webpage they say they wanted to make a beer as hardworking and innovative as the locals of Humboldt County. The breweries motto is "Never straight. Always forward." which certainly has a good sound to it and I think says a lot. Obviously located along the Eel River, a major water shed in CA that phrase accurately describes the motion of the water. It also very well describes life and it definitely described our day of driving which had taken us in all directions as we navigated around northern CA. Good motto, good food, and great beer!

Our next stop was in Oregon but we still had a little more driving to do which was lengthened by construction- which we managed to hit in every state take my word for it infrastructure work is going strong! This time we had a long delay as we drove up a two lane highway that was closed at one point for about an hour as work trucks were hauling dirt from their location to a dump area. I knew going into these trips with the miles and distances we were going to be covering there would be random unavoidable delays so the best thing to do is make the best of it. Its not that different from sitting in rush hour traffic on the LIE or I-24: its there you are there and that is it. So we walked the dogs a little and cleaned the windows really well while we were pulled over. 

When I had been looking up roadside attractions along our path I saw a lot of "Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox" statues but had not actually worked one into my trip plans. But some times roadside attractions just happen and as we were driving Paul and Babe appeared on the side of the highway like the oversized figures they are said to be. So we stopped. Now normally with this kind of a statue we try and get Gypsy to do a sit stay and take her picture. But she was afraid of them so we didn't bring her very close. To give you some idea of size Paul is 49 feet tall and Babe is 35 feet tall. Honestly I knew of the stories of Paul Bunyan but always associated him with the middle of the country and Minnesota/Wisconsin and Canada. But given the existence of giant trees in CA it is no real surprise that the figure of American Folklore also found his way there. Although apparently there is some dispute whether Paul actually is a true figure of Folklore or if he was a creation to promote tourism. There are early accounts by loggers in the mid1800s about a Paul Bunyan who was a large man of 7 or 8 feet tall and 300 lbs. These stories give credence to him being a figure of Folklore as they all share similar details despite being told by loggers from Maine to Canada. But the stories of Paul Bunyan first reached wider audiences in the early 1900s when William Laughead published a pamphlet about Paul and advertising the Red River Lumber Company. In the pamphlet Paul grew to impossible heights as did his exploits including creating the Grand Canyon by dragging his axe behind him. In my opinion Paul and Babe certainly belongs to American Folklore. 

We then continued the trip up the coast. We stopped at one beach in CA right off the highway but a large sign said no dogs allowed so we didn't all get out. I did and I took some of the dark grey sand and sea shells and put them in a bag. I haven't it done it yet but my plan is to make a little display in a glass bowl. I had never seen the Pacific Ocean or coast before and this was one of the moments I was most excited for on this trip. From the sandy beach of CA we continued north to Brookings, Oregon and this time we did all get out at the pull off. Below us was a beautiful majestic rocky coast and the most beautiful shade of blue water. 

This is one of my all time favorite photos of Gypsy Rover! And the close up shot shows how beautiful and clear the water is. 

We continued from there to Yachats, Oregon and Thor's Well in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. Thor's Well is a rock formation that during high tide loos like a bottomless pit that the ocean flows in to. To get the full effect you need a high enough tide. While the tide wasn't as high as I hoped the Well was neat to watch as with each wave the water rose and fell inside it. We also got to sit relax and watch the sun set off the Oregon Coast. 

Yachats and Newport Oregon were beautiful small towns. The whole coast area was amazingly beautiful and that night was one of the many times when we decided we were getting a good taste of the area but needed to come back. 

The next morning we stopped for coffee at a Dutch Bros Coffee. On the lid of the cup it said "Make today an adventure" with all these trips I think we definitely fulfilled that statement. 

As we were driving we saw a sign for the "Enchanted Forest" which seemed familiar and it took a moment for us to realize that it was familiar because we had seen it on an episode of Ghost Adventures. The crew had done an investigation there because Aaron Goodwin grew up near the park and remembered going there as a child and hearing stories about it. Sitting in my dining room writing this blog post months after the original road trip it is a little bittersweet. Because I know that a lot of the area that we drove through, miles and miles of beautiful pines have been devastated by wild fires. I have heard stories on the news from locals about the loss of life and property that the people in that area have suffered. 

Our next state on the list was Washington and our destination was Mount St. Helens one of the volcanos in the Cascade Range. For the best view of the volcano we drove to the Johnston Ridge Observatory just four miles away from the volcano and with a stunning view at the crater caused by the May 18th 1980 eruption. 

From the Observatory we could see the damage done to the dome. We could also see lava trails flowing away from the volcano, a reminder of past eruptions. When we had been at an earlier pull off we had seen deer walking around at the base of the volcano.  At the Observatory I left behind a painted rock with a dragonfly on it since that is the official Washington state insect. 

Washington was the 25th state we had visited this year officially we were more than half way done with reaching our goal of all 48 contiguous states in one year. This trip was the big one. Not only was it a 2 week road trip but it brought us to states I had never even thought about visiting before. But here we were and there were still miles to go.

The next stop on the list was in Idaho and it is a bed and breakfast but sadly we were not going to be there at a time that would allow us to spend the night. Still though we went to see it because I couldn't pass up visiting a bed and breakfast in the shape of a dog! Not only that but they had a bed and breakfast in the shape of a tea kettle as well and several other fun designs. So if you are ever driving in Idaho near Cottonwood and you are looking for a place to rest. You could stay in possibly one of the most unique Bed and Breakfasts in the world.

We also got to drive along parts of the original Oregon Trail, a part of our history I love because of the computer game. We saw several historical markers noting the different routes like in Kuna Idaho and Bonneville Point. I think making this trip made me appreciate even more the pioneering spirit and bravery that early explorers had. We had GPS, cell service, regularly spaced out hotels, breweries, and restaurants. And I was still nervous about the trip. 

One of the reasons we went on the Great west Trip when we did was the long days. We needed long hours of sunlight to cram in as much sightseeing as possible. Right now I leave work at 5:30 or 6pm and it is dark out. Then I look back at this picture of a balancing rock in Buhl, Idaho that I took at 7:26pm! PM!! I repeat. And it was awesome out!

Also I love that tee shirt!  In college when I spent three months in Rome we needed to keep a journal for one of our classes. I brought my polaroid camera and lots of film so that I could take pictures on our different adventures and add them to my journal. It was a neat experience, much like I am doing now Meg and I had a map of Rome and every Tuesday and Thursday we had an art and architecture class that would bring us to a different area of the city. We would draw out the different paths we took on the map in an effort to see as much of the city as possible.

We stopped for the night in Buhl and had a fantastic meal and beers from Magic Valley Brewing. Decor was neat inside with a good rustic feel. We sat out back on the patio with the dogs. Despite my love for burgers, and the fact that we could smell burgers since they are grilled deliciously on the patio,  I ordered a MVBLT  and for the side I had to get their potato salad... actually I got potatoes every chance I had in Idaho almost like they are known for them or something :-)

The next morning we got up early to see  Shoshone Falls. Referred to as the Niagara Falls of the west it is 212 feet high and 925 feet wide. It was caused by flooding from Lake Bonneville and lies along the Snake river, which we spent a good deal of time driving along. We were there in August which is when the Falls are historically at their lowest flow amount partially because snow and ice melt from Colorado and Wyoming would have already finished and because the nearby power plant has a required amount to draw. Interestingly though it also has a required minimum amount that needs to flow on the Falls during tourist season of 300 cubic feet per second from April through Labor Day. Shoshone is the name of a Native American Indian tribe, also called Agaidika which translates to salmon eaters. The height of the falls made it impossible for fish to continue further inland and so the area surrounding the Falls was known to be filled with salmon and other fish. Apparently some reports said the river was so filled with fish that fisherman could through a spear into any area and catch a fish. I didn't know this but Sacagawea was a member of the Shoshone tribe.

Now it was Sunday August 30th and we had been on the move for over a week and my Mom had a request: she wanted a breakfast platter and she wanted to sit in a restaurant and eat it. And that is how we came to find the Buffalo Cafe in Twin Falls, Idaho. It was everything we wanted. The food was delicious with oversized proportions. I had an omelette and potatoes (because Idaho). The place was busy, for good reason, and the waitresses were on top of everything. Our food came out quickly and our coffee cups were always full. It was a spur of the moment stop but one of the best on the trip. I really liked Idaho the drive was beautiful and the people were awesome. I remember a few times when people saw the magnets on the car and asked us about what we were doing and really seemed interested in the trip. It was fun to get to share the drive with them while we were on it. 

Now next we were supposed to drive to our final stop of part two of the Great West Trip: Great Salt Lake. It was three hour drive from where we were and then Meghan asked "are we going to see the Salt Flats?" A coworker had mentioned it to us and of course Meg knew it from Independence Day, perhaps her favorite movie. I explained that it was an added 2.5 hours detour and that I was planning on skipping it. After all we knew we couldn't see everything in one trip there were lots of really cool things we were missing due to time and distance. As we were getting gas at a Sinclair Gas Station my Mom came over to me. She could tell Meg really wanted to go to the Salt Flats. I agreed and we changed the GPS to take us to the Salt Flats.

A little later on my Mom and I switched drivers so that I could grab a nap in the back. I woke up to my Mom commenting on how bright it was up ahead and Meg knew instantly: it was the Salt Flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the remnant of Lake Bonneville whose flooding 15,000 years ago resulted in the formation of Shoshone Falls. The brightness is from the sun reflecting off the salt flats which sometimes will have a layer of water on them that will give a mirror effect. We were there when it was dry and too late for any morning dew to have an effect but still it was incredibly bright. 

We then continued the drive to see Great Salt Lake  and Antelope Island where we got to see Antelope and Buffalo! We also got one of our favorite moments and a joke that is never going to get old. As we pulled up to the toll booth to enter Antelope Island we asked if the National Parks Pass my Mom had purchased was applicable to Antelope Island. The fellow said no but since we were in Utah today he would let us across anyway. Super awesome of him and his phrasing of "since we were in Utah today" gave us a laugh and became a bit of an inside joke for almost anything. 

We had reached the conclusion of part 2 of this trip and in my original plans this is where the trip would have ended. We would have gone home from Great Salt Lake having made a full circle on the Western part of the US. However when we had added the extra week and I expanded the trip to two weeks I decided to make a northward turn here that would bring us to Duluth and Lake Superior instead of making that a separate weekend trip.

Blog post 100: A drive through time on the Natchez Trace Parkway

Well, well, well post number 100 and it is a long one!

At some point in 2018 my Mom told me that for Christmas she didn't want gifts anymore because she didn't need things she just wanted time spent together. So I started doing what I love to do, planning a road trip. We had driven a little bit of the Natchez Trace Parkway a couple of years ago when our best friend from High School had finished her Medical Program in Jackson, MS. I knew my Mom wanted to drive the whole Trace at some point because it is one of the most beautiful drives and at 444 miles it isn't that bad a trip.

So I worked out a mix of stops that included some of the beautiful examples of nature, major sites and towns along the way, and historical locations along the Trace. Her full Christmas gift was an all expense paid three day trip down the Natchez Trace.

For those who don't know about the Natchez Trace it is a path from Nashville, TN, to Natchez, MS, that has been used by both animals and humans for 9000 years. The years between 1790-1820 saw some of the heaviest foot traffic along the Trace as many different groups used it from Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez Indian tribes, the rough and tough Kaintucks,boatmen who sailed their wares and crops down the Mississippi River to trade and sell in MS and then walked back to their homes as far away as Iowa, to the speedy riders of the early Pony Express, to settlers looking for more land and a future in the southern states of MS and LA, and finally troops marching home during the War of 1812. Eventually steamboats would take over as the best way to travel and the Trace saw less and less traffic. Today the Natchez Trace Parkway follows fairly closely to the old Trace path.

One traveller, Francis Bailey in 1797 said of the Old Trace:

"Surrounded on each side with a deep wall of woods, I enjoyed the serenity of the evening in silent meditation: everything I saw and heard taught me a lesson which required not the powers of oratory to embellish it."

This is going to be a long post because I think we stopped at just about every single stop. They were marked nicely with sign posts identifying each stop and a warning sign about half a mile that noted either a historical marker or nature stop ahead so even stops I didn't have planned beckoned to us.

DAY 1:

The trip began early with breakfast at the Loveless Cafe less than a mile from the 444 mile marker of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Loveless is well known in Nashville as a great spot for southern cooking and especially the home made biscuits and freshly made jams. I knew a hearty breakfast would keep us going on the drive especially because, since the Trace is a path known for its scenic and natural path, there aren't gas stations or restaurants to easily pull off at during the ride. Most stops involve leaving the Trace and traveling a bit. We did pack a cooler of water, Diet Coke, and YooHoo keeping in mind that we would not be able to easily stop for drinks during the trip.

The next point of interest was just after we got on the Trace when we crossed over the Birdsong Hollow Double Arch Bridge. This bridge is featured on lots of post cards and pictures of the Trace. However driving over it you don't really get to see the architecture of the bridge. But I did make note of it.

There is so much to see along the Trace if you like history and nature that we never really went very far before we had another stop especially in the early part of the trip. Stop three was at mile marker 426.1 at Leiper's Fork when we came to a memorial marker for the troops who used the Trace during the War of 1812. General Andrew Jackson had moved troops North and South along the Trace, to ward off the British forces.

"This Monument memorializes War of 1812 soldiers buried along the Old Natchez Trace, and it honors the service of all brave volunteers who marched on the Natchez Trace during the War of 1812 to help establish American Independence. The Natchez Trace served as an important route to move troops for the defense of the gulf coast region. Tennessee volunteer cavalry under leadership of Andrew Jackson marched down the Natchez Trace to Natchez in 1813. General Jackson marched with his soldiers on their return April 1813. Soldier detachments under Jackson's command again marched on the Natchez Trace in 1814 and following the Battle of New Orleans most of the Americans who fought the battle returned on the Trace. Volunteers marched hundreds of miles often in severe weather with little food and inadequate equipment. Natchez Trace inns served as hospitals. Soldiers who did not survive the marches are buried in unmarked graves along the trace. On General Jackson's return near this point he proclaimed his view of the significance of the victory earned by the soldiers' sacrifices 'Our rights will henceforth be respected.'"

Mile marker 423.9 and the Gordon House was our fourth stop of the day. The Gordon House is significant because not only was it the home of John Gordon who in the early 1800s made an agreement with Chief George Colbert of the Chickasaw Tribe to operate a trading post and ferry on the Duck River but amazingly the home is still standing today.  John Gordon began operating his ferry in 1803 and despite dying shortly after the house was built his ferry was used for over 100 years until 1896 when a bridge was built across the Duck River replacing the ferry.

Unfortunately the first day of the trip was a little rainy and very muddy so our next stop wasn't fully explored because it would have involved a walk to Jackson Falls in one direction and Baker Bluff in the other. However we were only about forty miles from home so some day when the weather is better  we will return.  we did get out to walk around a little but didn't go all the way to the main falls. We did stop to admire one of the beautiful trees we kept seeing along the Trace as we drove. We were so early in spring that most trees only had small buds if anything on them but then there were these beautiful purple flowering trees that stood out among the mostly barren trees.

At mile marker 400.2 we came to a stop along the trace Parkway that my Dad would have loved and probably considered his favorite. Reading about it immediately made me think of him.  The stop is called Sheboss Stand. During the late 1700s and early 1800s stands or inns were opened at roughly a days journey distance from each other. The Chickasaw tribe who owned the land allowed the operation of Stands as long as the proprietors were Native American. The sign explained that somewhere near the spot we were at Sheboss Stand was operated. The reason for the name was that a woman whose last name was Cranfield operated the inn along with her second husband who was Native American. When travelers would stop and ask him a question he would point to his wife and only answer "She boss." I'm pretty sure that had my Dad heard that story he would have adopted that same answer when ever someone asked him a question and would have pointed to my Mom. 

Our next stop again was washed out but would have been at 391.9 for Fall Hallow Waterfall which would have been a roughly hour long walk to the falls. We skipped it and continued to one of the most mysterious locations along the Trace at mile marker 385.9, Grinder's Stand. Here the explorer Meriwether Lewis who along with William Clark had explored the Louisiana Purchase and Pacific Northwest passed away on October 11, 1809 and was buried under curious circumstances.  Lewis was traveling to Washington DC, nearly bankrupt, to submit paperwork on his expeditions and writings on his discoveries. It is unknown though suspected that he committed suicide as he had been very depressed at his bankruptcy and his failed political career. Though there are also reports of him being concerned that he was being followed and that some thought they had seen a man run from his quarters after hearing a gun shot. The monument stands in the Pioneer Cemetery over where Lewis was buried but was built in 1848. Also buried around him are early settlers that lived or passed away while traveling in the area.

The monument is a broken column representing the life cut short and along the base all four sides have writing about the life of Lewis:

"Meriwether Lewis born near Charlottesville, VA Aug 18, 1774 Died Oct 11 1809 aged 35 years. An officer of the Regular Army Private Secretary of President Jefferson, Commander of the Expedition to the Oregon in 1803-1806, Governor of the Territory of Louisiana, His melancholy death occurred where this monument now stands and under which rests his mortal remains. In the language of Jefferson his courage was undaunted; his firmness and perseverance yielded to nothing but impossibilities rigid disciplinarian yet tender as a father of those committed to his charge honest, disinterested liberal with a sound understanding and a scrupulous fidelity to truth."

Nearby was some informational plaques about Lewis and his historical importance as well as a compass rose pointing out the distance of some of the locations Lewis had lived and explored in his short life.

Next we stopped at Napier's Mine and the Metal Ford. The location was used to cross the Buffalo River when as long as there hadn't been a heavy rain travelers would be able to cross. It was called metal ford because the stone of the river reminded travelers of stone 'metaled roads.' We marveled at the way the stone changed color and how beautifully clear the water was to allow us to see the differences. 

And then we reached our first State Line of the trip as we passed from TN into Alabama. 

Our first stop in Alabama was at mile marker 338 at the Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall otherwise known as Tom's Rocks. Tom is Tom Hendrix who had worked for over 30 years to build the wall in memory of his great great grandmother's journey. Her name was Tel-ay-nay and she was a member of the Yuchi Tribe who lived along the Tennessee River in the 1800s. She was forced to leave her home along with her family and the rest of her tribe during the Indian removal to Oklahoma in the 1800s. For her tribe the Tennessee River was called the Singing River because according to myth  a woman lived in the river and sang to them. According to family stories when she arrived in Oklahoma she said the streams and rivers did not sing to her and she wanted to return home. And she did so alone. His family passed on the stories of her amazing journey to Tom and he was moved to build the wall when he was speaking to an elder who told him "all things shall pass. Only the stones will remain." Unfortunately Tom passed away but the current owners of the property still allow people to visit the wall. When we were there walking among the stones two woman pulled up shortly after us. They were returning visitors and told us how on a previous visit Tom had been outside and stopped to speak with visitors about his family stories and the wall. Wichahpi means 'like the stars' which is appropriate since the stars are so many and of various degrees of brightness and color and so are the rocks. The path is very natural as it curves and changes width. One visitor, Charlie Two Moons, was quoted as saying:

"When they come, some will ask, 'Why does it bend, and why is it higher and wider in some places than in others?' Tell them it is like your great-great-grandmother's journey, and their journey through life-- it is never straight."

 For me it was a peaceful place and you could feel the power, love, and dedication in his task.

After this we reached our first trip off the trace at mile marker 320 we exited at the Buzzard Roost Spring where Levi Colbert a Chickasaw Chief had once owned and operated a stand for travelers and we headed to Tuscumbia, Alabama and the birth place of Helen Keller built in 1820 by Helen's Grandparents David and Mary Fairfax Moore Keller. 

Here I got to see the well that Ann Sullivan famously used to introduce seven year old Helen to language. As she poured water from the pump into one of Helen's hands she traced out the word water in her other hand. 

We left Helen Keller's home to drive along Andrew Jackson's military road, one of the larger roads that were built in the 1800s and eventually took the place of the Natchez Trace. The military road was commissioned in 1815 to be a shorter and more direct path between Nashville and New Orleans making what had been a month long journey possible in 17 days.  We passed by the Coldwater Stage Coach Stop which would have served as a rest stop for travelers on the military road.

We drove a town over to Florence, Alabama to see a home designed by famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

And the birthplace of W.C. Handy referred to as the "Father of Blues" because he brought blues music to a much larger audience and greatly increased its popularity. Reading quotes from Handy it is clear that he found music in everything from nature to the sounds made by those around him. One of my favorite songs is Walking in Memphis and in the song the singer asks W.C. Handy to "look down over me." 

That was our last stop for the day and we spent the night at the Wyndam Microtel in Florence. As we checked in we asked the staff if there was any place they recommended to get  a bite to eat. They asked what we were looking for and we said local cooking, not a chain. They recommended a nearby place called Momma Jean's. So we finished checking in and put my Mom's dog in the hotel room to rest and we headed back out.

The food was country cooking and we all ordered some version of a meat and three (meat and three sides). The food was really good and just what we needed after a long day of driving. We had gone 120 miles on the Natchez Trace Parkway on the first day and were exhausted.

DAY 2:

We started day 2 by visiting two of the oldest sites on the Natchez Trace. The first was Bear Creek Mound at mile marker 308.8. The mound was built by Native Americans and housed a temple on top of it. This site dates back to 8000-7000 BCE. 

Twenty miles later at 286.7 we came to the Pharr Mounds, the largest and most important archeological site in north eastern Mississippi. Pharr Mounds are not as old as Bear Creek, dating to around 1200 AD, it is a series of eight dome shaped mounds used by the Chickasaw people to bury their dead.  Bear Creek was flat on top to hold the temple as opposed to the domes of Pharr. 

At 278.4 we reached Twenty Mile Bottom and a beautiful view. Also a cool thing was starting to happen. When we had left Nashville as I said before there were mostly barren trees with really just that one early flowering tree really standing out. Well now even though we really hadn't gone very far we were starting to see more and more greens, like a variety of them. The new growth of the different trees gave a varied assortment of greens. Now I realize we were also starting to see more pines as well but even the grass and bushes were showing more signs of green.

A few miles later at 269.4 we reached a different time period in the history of the Trace. A short walk brought us to the graves of 13 unknown Confederate soldiers. The soldiers had died nearby while troops moved along the Trace and they were buried. It is not known when they passed as there were several different times when troops moved around the area.

Three miles later at 266 we reached the Natchez Trace Headquarters. Here there is a gift shop and lots of information about the Trace including a roughly 20 minute movie about the different people and events of the Trace. We watched the video already recognizing several points of interest from our travels and we picked up our National Parks Passports and stamps for the Parkway. Now I can use the passport book to pick different National Parks for the three of us to visit in future road trips. 

At 259.7 we reached our second trip off the Trace as we left the Trace to visit Tupelo, Mississippi. We first came to a monument to all those who died during the Battle of Tupelo in the Civil War. 

The battle of Tupelo was fought in July of 1864 and was a Union victory that assured Sherman's supply lines would be safe as he marched towards Atlanta. 

Our next destination in Tupelo was the birth place of Elvis Presley. Though I wouldn't describe any of us as huge Elvis fans I wasn't going to be this close to the birth place of a musical legend and not stop. Looking at the small home he was born in and the 1939 Plymouth that his father had used to carry the family and all their belongings to Memphis in the middle of the night really made the quote displayed with a picture of Elvis in his Memphis mansion living room striking:

"We have come a long way from Tupelo."

That house, built by his father, was where on January 8th, 1935 one of the most iconic American musicians of all time was born. All around the Visitor Center were stories and quotes from neighbors, friends, and family about Elvis and his childhood. Of course one such story was when Elvis got his first guitar. Apparently for his birthday Elvis' mother had brought him to the Tupelo Hardware store owned by F. L. Bobo. Elvis had his heart set on either a bicycle or a rifle. However his Mother was concerned about the danger of a rifle and Elvis being injured on the bike. Mr. Bobo recommended a guitar and handed one to Elvis. Realizing he had no other option Elvis took the guitar. One thing I noticed on the boards was that his desire for a bicycle did not go away. One card from a friend mentions lending Elvis a bike to ride, another one says that Elvis had asked to switch his guitar for his friends bike.

After leaving Elvis' birthplace our last stop in Tupelo was some lunch at the Neon Pig Cafe proud home of the "best smash burger in the USA." Described as "house grind includes benton's bacon + filet + ribeye + sirlon + new york + benton's bacon bits + cheddar cheese + quick pickles + pickled onion + hoisin + comeback + ciabatta." And man was it good!

We returned to the Trace for our next stop at Black Belt or Black Prairie. Long ago the area had been under the ocean and shells and marine organism deposited to form limestone. Once the ocean retreated the limestone was exposed to all types of weather and resulted in a dark and rich soil now considered excellent pasture land.

Our next stop was Tockshish, in 1801 the second post office along the Trace was opened up. This served a relay station where post riders could switch tired horses for rested ones. After al they had a harsh schedule to keep too. They had a travel time of five days from Nashville and were expected in Natchez seven days after leaving Tockshish. 

At mile marker 233.2 we stopped at Witch Dance a stop inside the Tombigbee National Forest. As the story goes in this location Witches used to gather for ceremonies and dances. Where their feet touched the ground the grass would wither and die and no grass would grow again.  Looking around I saw several spots of dead grass around the new spring growth. Did witches once dance here and stop grass from growing? I hope not or else I'll never look at bald spots in my yard the same way again.





We didn't go much further before we reached the Bynum Mounds built by the Chickasaw to honor their dead. As we were driving we had seen signs for the Indian Mounds tour, a path that would take travelers through Alabama and Mississippi to visit all of the long standing memorials to the Native Americans who once lived in the area. An informational plaque near these mounds quoted Tribal Anthropologist LaDonna Brown:

"Being a modern Chickasaw .... and knowing that the mounds and this civilization were created by my ancestors ... it gives us a sense of belonging."

Then we reached a monumental moment in the trip mile marker 222- the half way mark of the Natchez Trace Parkway. We were a little sad that there wasn't a good spot to pull over near the post to take a picture with but still were able to get a picture of the post alone.

I'm glad we took our time with the Trace and we were able to pull over and take in the nature and all the different aspects of the history of the Trace. For example we passed Line Creek which served as a boundary between the Choctaw and Chickasaw Native American Tribes. We also passed Pigeon Roost which marked the spot where millions of migrating passenger pigeons, now extinct, once settled.

We then pulled over at stop for Jeff Busby Park. While serving in the US congress representing Mississippi on February 15, 1934 Busby introduced the bill authorizing a survey of the Old Trace in preparation for the road becoming part of the National Park System. We stopped to enjoy the beautiful overlook all around us and took a picture of my Mom's convertible looking like a page out of a travel magazine.

And that brought us to the last stop of the day at 180.7 and French Camp. Louis LeFleur started a stand here in 1812 at the time called "Frenchman's Stand" which he operated with his wife Rebecca Cravatt, niece of Choctaw Chief Pushmataha. Now a small town has developed centered around a Christian school which got its earliest begins in 1885 when an all girl high school was started with forty students. Later that year a school for boys was opened and was called French Camp Academy. In 1915 the two schools were combined under the name French Camp Academy.  Most of the businesses in the historic downtown seem to be in service of the school and helping to cover expenses.  The town also has some of the old buildings preserved for visitors to see as well as the coach of Louis Lefleur's son Greenwood Lefore, he changed the spelling of the last name.

We had our own cabin called the Buford Cabin dedicated on May 29th, 2004 in honor of William Burford a graduate of French Camp Academy class of 1937. The plaque at the door explains:

"This cabin is dedicated to the glory of God in memory of William Milton Burford. Bill considered growing up in French Camp as one of life's greatest blessings. Through that experience, he grew into a man of faith, integrity, hard work, optimism, and humor. His life and the twinkle in his eye warmed those around him like a ray of sunshine. No matter how far away life took him, French Camp always held a treasured place in his heart."

Also in French Camp was the Council House Cafe and from what I saw online we needed to try the potato soup and we did! I also had the FAMOUS Big Ed's BLT which the menu noted travelers rave over up and down the Trace. The description was crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, and the one-and-only Council House spicy garlic mayonnaise.

Some of the other businesses in the historic downtown besides the Bed and Breakfast and Council House Cafe are a small gift shop, Christian radio station, and a planetarium called the Rainwater Observatory. 

DAY 3:

After breakfast in the dining room of French Camp Bed and Breakfast we left to continue our drive South along the Trace and spring became even more apparent. Day 3 weather was beautiful, day 2 was as well, and we were able to drive the whole way with the top down. Just like Line Creek served as a boundary marker we found a line of trees at mile marker 128.4 that marked the Upper Choctaw boundary as determined by the Treaty of Doak's Stand.

Our next stop was a splendid view of the Pearl River so named by Pierre Le Moyne in 1698 when he sailed into the river and found pearls.

And then we came to one of the stops I had been looking forward to the most: the Cypress Swamp at mile marker 122. Here we saw baldcypress trees and water tupelo, plants that take root in the dry summers and then can survive submerged for the rest of the year. As we took the twenty minute walk around the swamp we listened to the sounds of birds singing and marveled at the still reflections of the trees on the water. Walking slowly we also got to see some of the residents of the swamp including a snake, small lizard, turtles, and finally an alligator.













After leaving the swamp we had long stretch of uninterrupted driving so Meghan used my phone to take a time lapse out the top of the car.

And then we took another trip off the Trace to explore some of the sites in Jackson, Mississippi. The first stop was the Boyd House or Oaks House. This was home to James Boyd who served as Mayor of Jackson several times. The house built in 1853 is one of the few buildings that survived the Civl War undamaged.




We stopped for lunch at the Pig and Pint, recommended by our friend who had lived in Jackson for awhile. She highly recommended the fried green tomatoes. So I ordered the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with a side of mac and cheese.

And then we drove to the Mississippi Petrified Forest. Which was cool but not what i was expecting, I let my imagination get the better of me. Without knowing anything about it and just hearing the name I expected to find trees standing up from the ground that had been turned to stone. I don't really know how I thought that happened. The forest consisted of pieces of petrified wood surrounded by tall pine trees. It was amazing to touch and feel the ancient pieces of wood, some from tree species that are now extinct. 

Next we returned to the Trace and passed the Battle of Raymond Memorial a battle that was a Union victory and convinced General Ulysses Grant of the need to take Jackson in order to be successful at the Battle of Vicksburg and to gain control of the Mississippi River.

All along the Trace we had seen signs pointing to the Old Trace but I had passed them because I had planned to stop at mile marker 41.5 to get out and actually walk along the old or sunken trace. 

Later at mile marker 10.3 we reached Emerald Mound the second largest Native American Mound in the United States covering over 8 acres. The flat topped Mound was built and used between 1300-1600 by the Mississippians predecessors of the Natchez Tribe and had secondary mounds on top of it as well as a temple.

That was our final stop along the Trace and we entered the city of Natchez and headed to our bed and breakfast for the night Aunt Clara's Cottage part of the Devereaux Shields homes.

After settling in with we left to get dinner at The Camp restaurant in Natchez. The area where the restaurant is located is right along the Mississippi in an area called Under The Hill. We pulled up just in time for a beautiful sunset over the Mississippi.

We sat out back in their beautiful beer garden.

DAY 4:

We had a few stops planned in Natchez but not many since we had a long drive back home. First was a visit to St. Mary Basilica. The Basilica was designed and completed by James Hardie in 1882 in the Gothic revival style.

We stopped at City Hall to see a monument to a beloved city pet "Tripod the cat." Tripod had a four year term in city hall from June 1979 - October 1983. Tripod hung around city hall and employees began feeding him and soon he had a cat bed and a permanent home in City Hall.  Although there is a story of one Alderman, Hall Wilson, who either didn't like or was allergic to cats. During a meeting he motioned for the cat to be banned from City Hall. The motion did not have a second and so did not pass. A second Alderman, Al Graning, then motioned for Hall to be banned from City Hall.

Our final stop in Natchez was at the donut shop for a sweet treat for the road.

Next we got a little lost and ended up making a beautiful discovery. Windsor Ruins is one of the most written and talked about places in Mississippi however it was a fifty minute detour of the Trace and I had chosen to skip it on this trip. Apparently that wasn't to be. We found ourselves at on a small winding road and soon right in front of the ruins.

We also saw a majestic bald eagle just a few miles away from the ruins. He was eating at the side of the road but as the car approached he took off into the sky. It was an unexpected and wonderful surprise.

Our trip took a sad turn as we drove through the flooded Mississippi Delta. On both sides of the highway we saw flooded fields, streets , and houses from rain waters flowing South. This was probably the same rain and flood that had caused the Cumberland to spill into Riverfront Park in Nashville. The Duck and Tennessee River had also flooded in several places throughout TN and further South as well. On the GPS the map showed green for fields but all we saw was water.

Our destination was Onward, Mississippi the birth place of the Teddy Bear. In 1902 Teddy Roosevelt was in Mississippi and during a black bear hunt he had been unsuccessful. Apparently a bear cub was captured and chained up so that Roosevelt could have a successful hunt. Teddy refused to shoot the bear. On November 16th the Washington Post ran a comic strip by Clifford Berryman called "Drawing the Line." Toymakers in NY saw the comic strip and began work on a new toy "Teddy's Bear" which became the Teddy Bear sometime around 1906.



We then turned North and headed to Oxford, MS where William Faulkner, creator of Yoknapatawpha County, is buried. The first work by Faulkner I ever read was a short story called Barn Burning. The first full novel I read was Go Down Moses and it left me completely confused at times but also left me wanting to read more.

A short distance away we reached downtown Oxford where there is a statue of Faulkner sitting on a bench holding his pipe as if in a conversation with someone.

From Oxford we drove a few more hours back to Florence, AL where we spent another night in the Wyndam Microtell before finishing the drive the next morning.

What a great trip it was a lot of fun and really a beautiful drive. I feel like it is one we will be taking again. We certainly need to return to Natchez sometime, later this year there is a hot air ballon festival and we might try to see that.