RIDING THE NATCHEZ TRACE TO PORT GIBSON

Apr. 20, Monday
50 miles

We were up at 6:30 this morning and got our gear loaded up to ride out on the Natchez Trace. This is the trail that the Indians used and later on the Spanish would bring goods down the Mississippi River on rafts and boats, sell their goods and their boat and then travel the Trace back home. This Natchez Trace goes about 450 miles and is beautifully groomed and maintained! Almost none existent motor vehicles on the 50 miles we rode. It is not open to any commercial vehicles and that limits the traffic quite a bit. It was such a gorgeous, peaceful ride with lush vegetation of all kinds. I fell in love with the fields of red clover that brightened the scenery. And of course the birds were so happy to be there, too, singing all day long.
We took our time riding and just enjoying the experience. We took a small side trip off to see the Emerald Mound which is a historic Indian site where religious worship and ceremonies were performed. It is about as large as a football field with raised mounds on each end. It was a sacred place and there is a very peaceful feeling there today. (We later found out that Indian Mounds are only found in the Eastern part of the United States. There originally were thousands of them but they have been destroyed as time has pasted with so many of them being on private property.)
At the end of our ride we detoured off Trace to Port Gibson where we stayed for the night.