Natchez Trace Parkway: Day 1 - Southern Terminus to Rocky Springs

David and I decided to travel the entire Natchez Trace Parkway in January.  The first few pix are of the very southern end of the Trace, which we travel on often between our Mt. Locust site and Natchez.  So those pix are actually taken before our excursion.  We started our 4-day trek on January 22, 2015.  I would really love to come back someday and spend about 2 weeks on the Trace.  There is a ton history to absorb, and lots of hiking trails. The entire Parkway is owned and managed by the National Park Services.

Southern Terminus just outside Natchez

the DAR had a huge hand in getting the Parkway built and the Trace history acknowledged 

girl power!

this site was the first college in the USA to offer degrees to women

it is said that Audubon taught here

this is all that is left of the school

this Indian mound is the 2nd largest in North America

Nat'l Historic Site

larger of the 2 small mounds on top

it was mostly a ceremonial mound

looking across from the top of the larger of the 2 small mounds

it's builders were ancestors of the Natchez Indians

hard to capture how large it is

it covers 8 acres with 2 smaller mounds on top

our "home" since December

the historic inn and plantation at Mt. Locust -- an entire blogpost covers this site

some cool fungus on a log at Mt. Locust

the front of Mt. Locust from the Parkway

The above pix were taken at various times in December 2014 and January 2015.

1-22-15:  Our journey begins today.  First stop was the Sunken Trace.  This is in many of the pictures, brochures and other gifts about the Trace. It's sunken because of the many, many years of foot and horse traffic from Native Americans, Boatmen, and Civil War Soldiers. The soil is so soft (loess soil), that it was just beaten down from all the traffic.

David taking a pic of Rocky and me from down in the sunken trace.

the trace forks at this point, one way going to Natchez and the other probably to Port Gibson

beautiful even in the winter

fallen trees are very common along the Trace and Parkway due to the loess soil

Beech trees are one of our favorite sites in the woods along the Trace

David has an eye for catching the beauty

that same fallen tree from above

Rocky loved the Trace

wonderful stop

this pic of Rocky cracks me up -- he was running circles around me

my feller at the fork in the Trace

Grindstone Ford has an historic cemetery that is basically untouched

there is so much Native American history along the Trace

you can see an old family cemetery near the top of the mound

great little walk and history here

Rocky likes to read the signs also

this little guy was having fun

many sections of the old Trace are marked along the Parkway

these 2 women died the same year, probably of yellow fever

Interpretive trail at Rocky Springs

historic UMC building from the trail

example of the erosion

sign in front of the historic church -- which still has services

this tree looks like it could walk away

inside of the church

front of the church

and the side as we were headed to the cemetery

very old graves -- some markers were broken, but most were still standing tall

2 who died at a year old

can you see the face on this tombsone?

not sure what the structure was

fenced in grave and trees

this church is the only bldg left in the "ghost town" of Rocky Springs

came in handy when it started raining on is

the bldgs are gone, but the safes still embedded in the ground

was kinda hoping to get to crack it

remains of a cistern

my Mother loved her Nandina plants

another cistern

our last glimpse of the beautiful church from the trail

interesting nature

We're not finished with Day 1. So much to see!  More on the next post.