Jackson to Natchez, Mississippi

Mississippi River from 'Natchez Under the Hill'

Originally we had planned on beginning our Mississippi journey at Natchez and then driving the Natchez Trace Parkway through Mississippi and maybe all the way to Nashville, Tennessee.  But our detour to Jackson for RV repairs would have had us starting on the Natchez Trace 100 miles north of the southern terminus.  We decided that we wanted to begin at the beginning and so we got on the freeway and drove the quick way to Natchez.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is 444 miles of National Scenic Byway and All-American Road that ‘traces’ American history and pre-history starting with the steps of migrating mastodons and bison, then followed by the first hunters, then Indians, then the conquistadors soon to be followed by more white men, then a kingdom of cotton rose and fell and a civil war was fought.  Whew!  All this and it is beautiful too – no commercial trucks, billboards or power lines, just miles and miles of trees, rocks, water and road.  No wonder the Natchez Trace is on many people’s ‘bucket’ list.

 

Early morning hike to lake at Natchez State Park

 

We arrived in Natchez late in the afternoon and stayed at Natchez State Park, a quiet park just minutes away from the ‘Trace.’  The next morning we enjoyed a nature hike to the small lake at the park’s center and then we went into Natchez to do some sightseeing. 

 

One of the many historic homes in Natchez

 

Natchez is a picturesque river town full of history and grandeur. It sits on a bluff above the Mississippi River and many of the historic homes have beautiful views of the Mississippi.  We did a self-guided walking tour through downtown and then visited ‘Natchez Under the Hill.’  This section of Natchez was located under the bluff right on the river – below and out of sight of Natchez ‘proper.'  Locals of the time described Natchez Under the Hill as the most decadent, seedy and dangerous place imaginable.  No respectable woman would even think of going there.  It was so much fun to learn about Natchez and see the beautiful, historic homes.  What a place it must have been back in the day of the steamboats!