Day 5: Kosciusko to Jackson, MS

Taking a step back to Thursday, included are some photos of the B&B where a few of us stayed overnight (rather than the Econo Lodge). I wsa able to enjoy the slice of cheesecake that was separated from me in Collinwood on Day 2. It melted in my mouth and was the perfect end to a long day. Our hostess, Donna served us coffee early in the morning and then we headed back into the town of Kosciusko where breakfast was provided at a restaurant next door to the Econo Lodge. I opted to skip the sit down breakfast and to get onto the road early. I did have two Skratch energy bars that I had brought along on the trip. It was misting/drizzling, with a temperature of 67 degrees when I started riding at about 8:00 am. I finally had tailwind of 6 mph from the north! I cruised along until the first SAG stop at mile 14.5. I beat the support crew there, but I knew that was possible as I started riding as the others were enjoying a sit down breakfast. I waited just a few minutes for the crew to arrive. I “checked in” and headed back onto the Parkway. I stopped a few times along the way, to the second SAG stop, to take some photos. I met Julia at the second SAG stop at River Bend at about mile 37. It was now about 9:30 am and the temperature was up to 74 degrees and I was still enjoying a tailwind. We cycled along the Ross Barnett Reservoir for several miles. We stopped at a scenic overlook and then headed onto the Chisa Foka multi-use trail. The trail took us off the Parkway, and away from the heavier traffic near Jackson, for the last seven miles. Unfortunately, the trail contained long, numerous cracks/fault lines. due to contracting caused by cold temperatures in the winter. It made the last seven miles slow going as we were riding very carefully to avoid the cracks. Julia and I arrived at the hotel around 2pm. The temperature was now 79 degrees and the winds were still out of the north. I completed just about 61.5 miles. I did run into Bubba in the hotel parking lot while I was on the phone with a friend; Bubba teased me and gave a stern warning to the friend to treat me nice. Bubba looks out for his Coaster family! After cleaning up, we headed to a restaurant in a nearby mall for dinner. Dinner was on our own; we chose to stay within a short walking distance. I’m glad I chose this ride. The pavement was superb on the Parkway and the traffic remained light all week, until we neared Jackson. For the week I pedaled 293 miles over the course of 22 hours of pedal time. The days were definitely longer than the pedal time when including shuttle times and sight-seeing. Overall, I had a wonderful week riding with Julia. The hills were a challenge early on, but riding with a good friend is always the best. We talked so much!

The mailbox at the B & B where Julia, Beth & I stayed on Thursday night.

The B&B from the street view.

Beth (C), Julia (R) and I inside the B&B. We are wearing our Natchez Parkway jerseys that we purchased the day before. Proceeds form the sales help promote safety along the parkway.

Julia did a great job with this selfie that included our Hostess, Donna. It was such a pleasure for Donna to allow us to share her home.

AS I approached the first SAG stop at Myrick Creek, the constant mist/drizzle had finally stoppped.

I was the first one to the SAG stop, I even beat the support crew there. I waited until they arrived so I completed a proper “check-in.” In fairness to the crew, I had skipped breakfast to get an early start and they arrived shortly after I took this video.

Getting closer to the end of our weeklong ride.

In this photo, you can see a pink arrow on the road that directed riders to turn for the second SAG stop at River Bend. New to this ride are the orange flags along the road, near the turning points. I liked this addition as you could see the flags before you could see the arrows on the road.

The SAG stop at River Bend and where Julia joined me for the rest of the remainder of the ride.

The Ross Barnett Reservoir is a reservoir of the Pearl River between Madison and Rankin counties in Mississippi. The 33,000-acre lake serves as the state's largest drinking water resource, and is managed by the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District.

Rather than leave the reservoir and go back on the Parkway, we took the Chisha Foka multi use trail the remainder of the ride to our hotel overnight stay at the Hyatt Place.

Along the trail.

Julia ahead of me on the trail.

Although I appreciated being off the roadway as we cycled closer to town, the trail was full of cracks in the pavement. It was nerve wracking trying to avoid the cracks.

Made it to the end of the ride in Jackson, MS. Our bikes were loaded into trailers and will be headed back to Franklin, TN.

I don’t normally post photos of food, but I thought about having a hamburger all day long! Julia, Beth and I headed to Aplos Simple Mediterranean restaurant. We shared hummus for an appetizer. Usually I would opt for a Greek food, but the hamburger was calling my name; it was delicious.

Day 4: Witch Dance to Kosciusko

The day started with the riders moving further ahead on the Parkway than where we left the day before. This was because there was road construction and access wasn’t available for about 25 miles. The entire route was 73.5 miles, but I opted to shuttle to the first SAG stop at Line Creek. I had not been getting into the hotels until about 3:30pm each day and didn’t think I could get in at that time if I rode the whole mileage. I was also trying to outrun rain that was forecasted for between 5-6pm. We did have a few sprinkles from time to time during the day. When I started riding at about 10:00am, the temperature was 73 degrees with winds out of S at 5 mph. Just like yesterday, there really wasn’t a lot of picture taking opportunity. I met Julia at the second SAG stop at the Jeff Busby area. From there we cycled about 13 miles to the next SAG stop in French Camp. This is where we had the most delicious cinnamon rolls. The day ended in Kosciusko, MS at the Econo Lodge. I cycled a total of 54 miles, Julia, Beth and I were lucky enough to get to stay at local B&B owned by Donna, the speaker from our first night. Dinner for everyone was at Jason’s Southern Table in downtown Kosciusko. It was raining when the group went to dinner; the rain did materialize as predicted.

I opted to start at the first SAG stop of the day at Line Creek. This deducted 21 miles from the full day of 73.5 miles.

Riders preparing to start their day.

Along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

A few riders ahead of me on the Parkway.

The Jeff Busby area was the second SAG stop of the day and where I met up with Julia.

As I was pulling into my first SAG stop (which was the second one for the day).

The French Camp Academy was the third SAG stop of the day. It was encouraged that the riders purchased a fresh cinnamon roll because proceeds help support the school. Several varieties of bread loaves, cookies, jams, and sauces were also available to purchase. I bought some honey mustard and salad dressing.

I had 1 and 1/2 cinnamon rolls because one was just not enough.

The post office was nearby.

Once again, my favorite mile of the day…the last mile.

A special welcome was in each of our rooms.

I should have snapped a photo of the room I shared with Julia, before all of our things were spread out. We were lucky enough to get to stay at a local B&B. Our hostess was Donna the executive director from Natchez Trace Cycling (our guest speaker on night one).

We even had our names on the door of our room, just like the rest of the riders that were staying at the Econo Lodge..

A bicycle is the base of the guest bathroom sink!

Day 3: Colbert Ferry to Parkway Visitor Center (Tupelo, Ms)

The ride started where we ended the day before at Colbert Ferry where the temperature was 69 degrees. The winds were out of the south at 5 mph with gusts up to 12 mph. After the first 8 miles I felt good and my average was over 16 mph, and then I got to my first challenging hill. It lasted about a 1/2 mile and brought my average down to about 14.3 mph. The first SAG stop was about 19 miles into the ride and Julia was waiting there as she had shuttled to that location. Just a few hundred yards before the SAG stop was the Mississippi state line. Once I got to the SAG stop, Julia headed out about 15 minutes ahead of me. I never did catch her until she waited for me about 15 miles later. From that point on we stayed together. By now the temperature was up to 76 degrees and the wind was now 8mph from the south with gusts of 17mph. Once again, it required pedaling to go down hill very fast. There weren’t many photo opportunities between the first and second SAG stops. Shortly after the second SAG stop we came upon a field of cotton. The fields almost looked like they were covered in snow. After that, once again there weren’t many places to take photos. When we ended the ride at the Visitor Center, it was 83 degrees, overcast with winds from the south at 9mph. I was just shy of 62 miles for the day. We are spending the night near Tupelo, MS with dinner at Red Lobster. Steak and lobster with delicious desserts to close out the night. All day long I could not get the song Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison out of my head. I played the song in our room, shared it with a friend, and talked about it at dinner. It’s been a long time since I’ve listed to Van Morrison - I guess it’s time to go into the vault.

While waiting for the shuttle in the morning, Nancy (the blue arrow points to her) led an impromptu stretching group. It has grown in size each day.

An interesting sign just outside of the hotel we stayed on Tuesday night.

The parkway at the beginning of the day.

Approaching the first SAG stop.

Just before the first SAG stop we crossed into our third state: Mississippi.

The first SAG stop of the day was at Bear Creek Mound.

The second SAG stop was at Pharr Mounds. A mound can be seen in the background. The mounds were built and used about 1-200 AD by a tribe of nomadic Indian hunters and gatherers.

One large cotton field was along the Trace today.

Cotton plants up close.

One cotton cluster up close.

Dogwood Valley.

The ride today ended at the Visitor Center near Tupelo, MS. I am always happy to see the sign approaching the end of the ride.

Day 2: Meriwether Site to Colbert Ferry

We left the hotel in Linden, TN around 8:15am and headed back to the spot on the trail that we ended on Day 1. The temperature was 70 degrees and the wind was out of the south at 5 mph. That meant riding into the wind, as this ride goes from north to south. The first 2.5 miles was all downhill. It was glorious, yet cool to me. I made short video below shortly after this 2.5 miles and it is in the photos below. Julia on the other hand, shuttled ahead and I met her at mile 21.6. Around 31 miles into the ride we were able to go into the small town of Collinwood. This was the first time we were able to actually ride into town without going more than 1/4 of a mile off the trail. Several riders went into town for lunch. We met up with the support driver, Donna, and went to a local gas station, Hasti-mart, and had freshly made personal pan pizzas. It was a nice change of pace from the SAG stop snack food. We also stopped at the Dragonfly Café to check out their desserts. I have more story on my dessert selection below in the photos.

The wind continued to be out of the south the entire day. I know I have a headwind when I pedal downhill and can’t go over 17 mph. We did cross from Tennessee into Alabama today. The hills were less frequent; I always say I prefer the wind to hills. Today, I had both at the start of the ride. However, at the end of the day, more than an hour was all downhill. There was still the wind, so I did my best to pace Julia. At one point after we climbed a small hill, she asks “can we go slower than 18 mph down hill? I still had to pedal downhill with the headwind. Luck would have it that the downhill grade was pretty good and we both started going about 20 mph. She yells out “I asked about not going 18mph, so you go 20mph?!” I look in my rearview mirror and can see she isn’t pedaling as she is drafting behind me. I reply “you’re not even pedaling.” To which she had to concede that I had a point. It made for a very funny, light-hearted moment on the ride. It reminded me how much laughter we can have on an adventure. We crossed the Tennessee River and ended the day at Colbert Ferry. It was now 86 degrees and the wind was still out of the south at 6 mph. I rode a total of 60 miles today. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in the town of Florence. Dinner was walking distance away at the Pie Factory of Florence where we had pizza. Had I known this, I would have opted for a burger in Collinwood. My right knee is still sore, but nearly as bad as yesterday because there were a lot less hills to climb.

There was a slight delay this morning for the shuttle back to the starting point, so I went for a short walk to find the Linden Post Office.

While walking in Linden, I also came across this mural - appropriate for a bike ride.

When a local road merges onto the Natchez Trace Parkway there are distance signs. This one was from the near the start of my ride on Day 2.

I wanted to share a video because a friend, and new rider, may join me on rides in the future. Hopefully this gives an idea of a typical ride.

Julia mentioned to her husband that there was no fall color here, so I made it a point to capture of photo of this sumac in glorious red, fall color.

Julia had moved ahead, via van, on the route to the first SAG stop so she could shorten her miles for the day. She caught me totally off guard when she said I was the first rider arriving there. I had not realized I was the first rider to start today, so I’m laughing and saying “you must be kidding.”

During our stop in Collinwood for lunch today, we went past a few murals; this was one of the murals.

This was the second mural.

Once again, I found the local post office with help from Julia.

Our last stop in Collinwood was the Dragonfly Café. I bought a giant slice of homemade cheesecake. The owner was nice enough to give me an ice pack to keep it chilled inside the car of a support driver. Unfortunately, that support driver, Donna, went home to Mississippi with my cheesecake still in her car. So, I still haven’t tasted that delicious looking cheesecake.

The support driver I mentioned in the photo caption above, Donna, was responsible for the placement of these signs. The signs were all donated through the Gary Holdiness Cycling Fund established in the memory of Dr. Gary Holdiness, an avid bicyclist. He was riding his bike on the Natchez Trace Parkway and was killed by a motorist. Donna shared with us the heart wrenching story during her talk on cycling safely on the Trace. She said it took five years of petitioning to get the placement finally approved.

The second SAG stop of the day at Cypress Creek.

Julia and I as we crossed from Tennessee into Alabama. Unfortunately, the sun created a glare that I didn’t realize was there until I was at the end of the ride.

The Water Route Overlook. We crossed the bridge that is in this photo.

Julia as she started crossing the bridge.

The Tennessee River as seen from the middle of the bridge (seen in a photos above).

Day 1: Northern Terminus to Meriwether Site

Day 1 began with the riders loading into vans, at 8am, to be moved to the start of the ride at the Natchez Trace sign at the northern most point of the trail. It was about 68 degrees with calm winds at the start of the ride. We took several group photos and riders slowly made their way onto the parkway. I was slow in starting because I had to pump up my tires and I am always leery using someone else’s pump. Julia and I did great at the start of the ride and I have to give her super, extra props because her front brake pad rubbed for twelve miles. That was not good for her because it definitely sapped her strength immensely. She was a trooper and kept going once we go the issued resolved at the first SAG stop (mile 12.4). After the first SAG stop we made another quick stop at a historical marker in memory of the War of 1812 soldiers that were buried along the old Natchez Trace. The second SAG stop of the day was at the Gordon House historical marker. I took an extra few minutes to phone a friend. John Gordon was a ferry operator in the early 1800’s. Further along the road I stopped at the Old Trace Tobacco Farm. Probably my favorite stop of the day was Fall Hollow because it reminded me of hiking the Appalachian Trail with Julia. The only things missing were a backpack and hiking poles. The day ended at the Lewis Meriwether historical site. It was 84 degrees outside and the winds was 3mph from the NE. I bicycled just a little over 55 miles today. I was asked not once, but twice, did I have everything off of my bike because it was being loaded on a storage trailer until the next morning. I looked at my hands: Garmin, front light, radar and phone. Yep, I have it all. Of course, I forgot about what was in my bike bag: my hotspot, my extra battery pack and my wallet . No worries as Julia bought me a couple glasses of wine with dinner. I truly enjoyed dinner tonight as there was no real lunch today as it was mostly snack food at the SAG stops. We spent the night in Linden, TN at the Commodore Hotel. To be fair, there were no real options for a restaurant in a small town today. All in all it was a great day!

Coasters from over the years in this picture with Bubba.

Julia and I at the start of the ride.

Bubba and I at the start of the ride Day 1.

The first SAG stop today was near Garrison Creek.

My friend Julia’s maiden name was Gordon, so this was an appropriate second SAG stop today. The Gordon House, is in the background of this picture (the brick building).

Baker Bluff Overlook.

A historical stop along the way. It honors the farming industry of Maury County, TN. This county was the home of the 11th president, James Polk.

There was even tobacco hanging in the historical building.

The Fall Hollow stop reminded me of hiking the Appalachian Trail with Julia.

It was a small, yet beautiful waterfall.

The site of Lewis Meriwether’s death and burial was the last stop (pick up point) for today’s ride. I didn’t get in early enough to visit the historical site.

Tiny hotel where we spent the night. The car out front belongs to the hotel.

Pre-Ride / Franklin, TN

My trip to the start of the Natchez Trace started on September 30th when I drove nine hours to Dalton, GA. I spent the night in Dalton and headed to Franklin this morning. The longer drive time yesterday meant I could stop at a few distilleries along the way today. I stopped at the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, TN. I didn’t do any tasting at this distillery, but did walk through town and stopped into several gift shops. I managed to keep my purchases to the liquor to take home to try. The next stop was at the Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, TN. This distillery was the Most Awarded American Whiskey or Bourbon of 2019, 2020 and 2021. I made a purchase to take home and also stopped in the onsite bar called Humble Baron. Once in the bar, I decided to purchase an Old Fashioned and it was one of the best I have ever tasted. After this stop I headed to Franklin at the hotel meeting place. My bike was loaded onto a trail to be moved tomorrow to the start of the Natchez Trace Parkway. I will be riding with my friend Julia. I share hiking adventures with her (including a couple of times on the AT), so this bike trip was my adventure idea to share. The hotel provided appetizers worthy of a meal and then we had the traditional rider meeting. Bubba started the meeting and then introduced us to the new owners of Bubba’s Pampered Pedalers: Phil and Pat. Back in their youth, they were two guys that were in the Peace Corps at the same time. It seems like it will be a smooth transition.

An early morning stop at the Tennessee welcome center.

I did not opt to go on the tour, but visited the welcome center and purchased some Jack Daniels and their own recipe for bitters to take home. I’m looking forward to trying them out with a friend from my old high school.

There was an entire wall made from Jack Daniels whiskey bottles at the welcome center.

The tradition continues of finding a local post office.

I had already planned to visit the Nearest Green Distillery before I headed to Tennessee, and my stop at Jack Daniels cemented my plan. This artwork is outside of the visitor center. Nathan, “Nearest” Green was Jack Daniels first Master Distiller. He was the first African American master distiller on record.

This is just a tiny snapshot of the bar inside of Humble Baron. It is part of the world’s longest continuous bar at 518 feet long. It wraps around an indoor stage.

I just had to try an Old Fashioned — it was great.

Photo opportunity with Bubba and Geepa (aka Brian). Geepa lives nearby and stopped in to say hello!.