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Natchez Trace Parkway ?

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smkn clutch

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A few years ago I followed a few other riders back from TN to TX and had a chance to ride for, maybe 60 to 80 miles on the "Trace". It was a really nice and serene ride with almost no traffic. ( Something I wanted to do again while not following a group )
Fast forward... a couple of buddies and I want to start from Natchez MS and ride, to just short of Nashville. ( No time to take in all that extra fun )
Any suggestion's on restaurants or stays along the way, possibly avoiding any heavily congested areas?
We're planning on late March and staying out for about a week.
 
A good friend and I have talked about doing the "Trace". I will have to send him the like and see what he says.
 
There are a couple very nice free campgrounds on the Trace. Jeff Bixby is the one I typically use due to logistics. I don't understand your comment about Nashville. That is where the Trace stops, nothing extra exists.
 
Two wheels or four, whenever I'm looking at an upcoming road trip I spend a lot of time researching the route(s) on google maps. I really don't like to travel more than 7 hours, so I do the math of miles and travel time. Once I have an idea of how far I can travel within that alloted time, I begin looking at nearby camping areas / motels and places to secure food. I read the reveiws and look at satellite pictures of the area to complete the familiarization of the area. I then put my choices/options in a notebook to reference as I travel. When I did the "Trace" almost 8 years ago, I found I had to recalculate travel/distance times due to all the stops and exploring I did along the way. Oh, almost forgot. I also watch Youtube videos of the area(s) I'm interested in. As with all Youtube subjects there are good videos and not so good videos. Either way, they help me in prepping for an adventure.

As for congested areas, I recall following the Trace through Jackson, MS and where it ends/starts near Nashville were really the only areas where traffic was heavier. Otherwise there was very little when I did this route. However there were times when vehicles seemed to be in a hurry and could care less about the posted speed limit. I pretty much thought these were locals that no longer cared about taking in the natural beauty the Trace has to offer.

As for food. Just know what they mean by loaded. After having gone all day without food I pulled into a cool old school drive in service style eatery and ordered a hamburger and hot dog. They asked if I wanted it loaded. Heck Yeah! Thinking onions, relesh, pickles, tomatoes. When I got my order I was shocked to see coleslaw on the burger and hot dog. Also expect to see a lot of BBQ pork in that part of the country.

Best of travels!
 
Many years ago, we stopped and had lunch at the Loveless Cafe outside of Nashville. It is right at the end of the Trace.
It was so long ago all I can remember is that we did eat there.

Home

www.lovelesscafe.com www.lovelesscafe.com
 
YEARS ago, during the Obama sequester, (we zoomed it just fine since no cops around at the time) we did the trace all the way from Natchez to Nashville. Started from Houston, Tx. Stayed at holiday trace inn in Houston, ms. Small town, just off the trace.
The funnest curvy part is towards the top, south of Nashville, so try and finish it. We ate at a restaurant at the very end. Don’t remember name if it but it was slammed.
Maybe same restaurant as above noted.
 
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If you're starting at Natchez, you might want to google the Windsor Ruins or Rodney ghost town. They are not far from Natchez. There is also the Meriwether Lewis gravesite and building where he committed suicide or was murdered (historians are not sure which). The time that I went to the Loveless cafe it was excellent.
 
We rode the southern end of the NTP on a ride to Vicksburg a few years ago, basically Natchez to where the NTP hits IH20. Nothing much on that end. Nice scenery and a good road but nowhere (at that time) to stop and eat. But that’s not a very long section I guess.
 
I did it, gosh, maybe 15 years ago? I remember plenty of LEO’s during peak daylight hours, but evening time the traffic and enforcement were very light.

Lots of critters come out at night.

The Loveless Cafe is great. The rest of it I just stopped when I needed fuel. Since you have to get off the trace for fuel, I ate at those times too.

The Meriwether Lewis site is very nice. I recommend stopping there.

Over all I enjoyed it immensely as long as you’re not in a hurry.
 
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