We really enjoyed driving the Natchez Trace and learning its history. One of our final stops before Natchez was at Mount Locust, one of the original “stands” or inns run for the travelers, who used it for access to the north, especially for the Kaintucks or boatmen. After the paddle steamers provided alternate and cheaper transport, Mount Locust became a fully-fledged inn and plantation with about 50 slaves.

Upon arrival in Natchez we headed for the River View Campground, on the banks of the Mississippi but on the Louisiana side. (http://www.riverviewrvpark.com/ – The website does not do justice.) It proved to be a great choice, as we were able to get a campsite with shade and a clear view of the river so we could watch the barge tows and other river traffic, plus it had a great laundromat! Once settled in, we decided to celebrate Easter Sunday and headed to Natchez Under the Hill, an area of ill-repute in early times, but now the location of restaurants and a casino. We declined the latter but enjoyed a great meal with river views at the Magnolia Grill. In the old days, the police would stop you before you went down to Natchez under the Hill to be sure that you had a knife or gun and would issue you one if you were lacking. The Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the river and most of the area was washed away. That which remains is very nice, but said to lack the “spirit” of the old docking area.

Ndeke Luka settled in for the night on the Mississippi.

Sunset on the Mississippi as seen from Natchez under the Hill.

We really liked Natchez. Founded in 1716, its history was evident everywhere. We took a carriage ride with a horse called Champ and a real character who knew all the gossip in Natchez and who kept us entertained. A display of a hundred or so mid 1800 photographs of a number of inhabitants, both white and free blacks, was fascinating, as was a visit to the William Johnson House. William Johnson was a freed black slave who made a name for himself as a businessman and plantation owner and kept a detailed diary for over 20 years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Johnson_(barber) ) A great barbecue lunch and a visit to the African American Museum completed our day.

Stanton Hall

Denise making friends with the horse. (Part Welsh Pit Pony.)

When we awoke the next morning, the Queen of the Mississippi (http://www.americancruiselines.com/small-riverboat-cruise-ships/Queen-of-the-Mississippi) paddle steamer had tied up next to our campground. We of course walked down to inspect, but the day was a bit dismal so we moved on. Our stay in Natchez would not have been complete without a visit to the grocery store and as my peeler had disappeared we headed for Wal-Mart. As we were checking out, a gentleman in a chef’s outfit, with American Cruise Line on his pocket, started unloading trays of mushrooms and shrimps and gluten free items for a passenger in need of a gluten free diet. So, yes, their cuisine is locally sourced, just not exactly where you might expect. The trip sounded like fun, maybe one day. Naturally, Denise started up a conversation that ranged from the gluten free cuisine through all of the challenges of keeping 150 passengers happy.

Queen of the Mississippi.

As a final note, we tend to avoid Wal-Mart like the plague, for political reasons. That said, the stores are lovely and very RV friendly. It is easy to see why so many RV owners patronize them.

Two things struck us as we drove through the lovely state of Tennessee – that it is has some spectacular grades, even though we stayed away from the Great Smokey Mountains on this trip, and that there were cemeteries everywhere! All the headstones were beautifully decorated also. Driving down I-81 with the views and the redbuds in full flower on a bright sunny day was a most spectacular experience. We stopped to explore the town of Jonesborough, a historic and charming little town with several restored buildings.

We overnighted at another winery, the Tennessee Valley Winery, run by a brother and sister from South Africa. Fred enjoyed a political discussion over a glass of wine at the picnic table with the owner as we gazed at the spectacular vista of hills. He was nice enough to allow us to fill with fresh water and to drain our grey water tank. The Tiger continues to perform beautifully under chilly conditions. The heat is well able to maintain a comfortable temperature, even at 24F. Courtesy of Harvest Hosts, we are able to camp for free. Of course, we then spend more on wine than the charges at a typical campsite. Seems about right.

We continued west and stopped at the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg. We had previously visited the artisanal distillery built by George Washington near Mount Vernon, VA so we had some idea of the whiskey making process, but it was fascinating to see the same process, duplicated hundreds of times into a full-scale production. It is an interesting tour. We declined to buy a full sized bottle and regretted that they did not sell small sample bottles. After ice cream in Lynchburg, we headed off in search of Tim’s Ford State park, where we planned to camp.

The graves of unknown Confederate soldiers on the old Natchez Trace

And on to the Natchez Trace, an important transit route for the period 1780 to 1832 especially for the Kaintucks or flatboat drivers who would float their goods to Natchez for sale and then walk home. (Before steam engines, there was no way to move a heavy boat upriver, so they floated down, sold their cargoes, then broke up the flat boats and sold the lumber and finally walked home. The return journey took at about a month at fifteen miles a day.) We decided to pick up the Trace in southern Tennessee and follow it to Natchez. It proved to be a delightful and little used two-lane highway bordered by flowering dogwoods and meadows of wildflowers. We stopped a couple of times to view a nature walk full of bluebells and other wild flowers, Indian burial mounds and the ruins of a “stand” or inn run by George Colbert who also operated a ferry across the Tennessee River. While looking around, we came upon three young armadillos, busily munching beside the road. Fred took various photos and they were quite unconcerned until he tried to pet them! Then they raced off to safety! My first wild ’dillos! Bleu was most interested.

Friendly Armadillo

Our campsite for the night was at Tishomingo State Park, Mississippi. A pleasant wooded spot, we ate outside and brought Bleu out for a little. He is adjusting very well to life as a camper cat!

Who would have thought that it would take so long to prepare for our first trip? In fact, our preparations brought back memories of the strains and stresses of packing for an overseas move. Days of hauling food and other items to the camper, and lots of questions like “Do we really need this?” and “Where can we possibly put this?” Learned that it is better to take things out of the fridge, because you need to use them up, than to buy new items for the trip. More last minute shopping trips and items plucked from the pantry shelves and finally we were off. A little later in the day than we had planned but we were off. Bad weather was expected the next day and we were in no way inclined to wait for it.

So, we headed out I-66 towards the Skyline Drive, hoping to camp at Lewis Mountain, the only campsite open at this time of year there. All went well until we arrived at the gate; the inn (or rather the campground) was full. The weather had been delightfully warm at last so you cannot blame people for heading to the mountains. So we headed over the mountain into Luray and had a Mexican dinner at a classic but not especially wonderful Mexican restaurant. Then Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park beckoned. We checked in for the night, taking a tent space with no services. It proved quite pleasant; much nicer than we would have ever expected.

The next morning we went back up onto the Skyline Drive and headed south through the rain and fog, admiring the ghostly shape of deer beside the road. We stopped for lunch at the Lewis Mountain campsite, but our planned walk was washed out by the rain. After over thirty-five years of camping beside the truck, we are slowly growing accustomed to the luxury of hot soup for lunch inside the truck – where it is warm and dry. This RV shtick has much to recommend it. Coming down off the Skyline Drive, we heading down I-81 in the sleet and rain. Fortunately, the weather cleared just at we arrived at the Attimo Winery, our first experience with the Harvest Host scheme. (http://harvesthosts.com/) The parking was free and we could even use the Internet, but we spent nearly as much on wine than we spent at the Jellystone RV park. We are really enjoying the excellent wine, so we plan to go back. Should you want to go there, start here: http://www.attimowinery.com/