All right, then: Natchez Trace Parkway (U.S. National Park Service) This site is about the Scenic Parkway, not the Scenic Trail. The Parkway goes from Natchez to Nashville but the (foot) Trail, which the Parkway parallels, is only maintained in certain areas, short sections only for pedestrians to see how it used to be long ago.

The Nat'l Park Service will send you a map of the Parkway, or you can download and print it out, or pick it up for free at Trace Bikes about a mile from the northern terminus of the Trace. Several pages of helpful information are available on the NPS/natr website. You should look around there. There are 5 bicycle only campgrounds and a few other campgrounds along the Parkway, but camping is allowed only in those designated areas. The general location is indicated on the map, but the specific location is not on the map, but on one of those information pages that show various services at various exits. You may be able to stealth camp but if you are seen you might have a problem. Since there are only 5 bike camping spots, you may have to camp at general camping areas where RV's and the like are also camping. We found these folks to be very friendly, helping to scavenge for firewood, brewing coffee for everybody, friendly conversation. At the end of our (half day) biking in the rain, we went off the Trace at an exit to share a pricey cabin at a KOA campground and dry out. There are 'comfort stations' (rest rooms + water, not showers) at comfortable biking distances from each other, and some towns just off or not far off the parkway for occasional meals & resupply. One of those 'info' pages mentioned above has some of that noted. If you want to motel every night, you will need to research the towns where you want to stop ahead of time.

If you are new to pedaling a loaded touring bike, are somewhat older but used to 40-ish mile days, you might consider planning a rest day after 3 or 4 days. If you are used to 80-90 miles per day and are young and tough, you probably don't need that. It will help if you ride with a buddy and draft each other, changing lead every five miles or so. We met a couple young women (mid-20's) who drafted each other, shared a tent, did not even have a stove to cook (or a bike pump the first hundred or so miles), and they cranked out 60-90 mile days, camped where they pleased (out of sight) and had no problems. Everyone won't be that lucky.

Riding strategy: The northern part has more hills, and they are steeper and longer than in the southern part. Going from north to south is possibly a poor plan if you are used to flat rides, so in that case maybe starting in Natchez is a better idea. You will be in shape for the longer hills by the time you get to Tennessee. However, there will be rolling hills all along the way. Mississippi is not flat, and there can be medium to strong headwinds; however, the prevailing wind is generally from the south or sw in that area, unless there is a front coming through. Or you may want to end your ride in New Orleans, in which case you will do the larger hills first and probably ride into a headwind much of the way. If you do go on to NOLA, you may want to cross the Mississippi river at Natchez, and take the river road on the west side of the water. They said there is much less traffic, and fewer towns, and fewer stores, but the east side route is a major highway, not bike friendly.

The Trace Parkway traffic was light and very considerate except near Tupelo and Jackson, Mississippi. In those areas, you need to be off the Parkway during rush hour, particularly in the afternoon. There is no paved shoulder to the right of the white line.

How to get there: Unless you live fairly close and have someone to drop you off, I recommend renting a car. Pierre & I rented a Hertz Nissan Stanza, folded rear seats forward, took bike wheels and seats off, loosened handlebar stem and put both bikes in the rear, closed trunk. Enterprise had a significant drop off fee for a one way rental; Hertz did not. Those were the only two national rental companies in Natchez. Also, in most of the small towns including Natchez, many businesses are closed on Sunday and are not open too late on Saturday. We got to Natchez, took a motel room about 5pm and the car rental places were closed until Monday morning. If I had thought of it ahead of time, I would have made a point to get there sooner.

But then I would not have gone sightseeing in the rain that last Sunday in Natchez. There are a few things to see there and at other places along the way to get there. One of them, in Alabama, is Tom's Wall, a memorial to his great-great-great-great-grandmother and her journey on the Trail of Tears way back in the 1830's. Longest unmortared stone wall in America, http://www.natcheztracetravel.com/na...tone-wall.html.

Pierre and I pedaled at different paces, he being half my age with a lighter bike. We met sometimes for lunch, mostly to camp together, share a motel room $. If anybody wants to go ride the Trace in the spring and wants a companion for camping, please send me a visitor message. If you have any questions at all, send me a message.

It was fun the first time. I met a guy who claimed to have done it 20 times; he offered us lodging in Baton Rouge.

And the thing that impressed me most of all were the beautiful women I met along the way. This must be a curse of getting old.