Just a bit of a sluggish start to the day after the Blues last night! But, once again we were greeted with clear blue sunny skies. We left Clarksdale wishing we had more time to explore and soak up some more Blues. We headed East to Tupelo and here picked up the Natchez Trace Parkway. Until I began researching scenic roads and byways I had never heard of this route. It is actually a very historic byway. It originated as an animal track, made by the migration of Bison from the salt licks in Tennessee to the grassy plains of the Mississippi Delta. The constant migration created a depressed track (referred to as a "Trace" by the French). The track was then used by Native Indians to move up and down the countryside to trade with other tribes. The whole area around the Trace is very rich in history and it was fascinating to spend time at the visitor center learning all about it. It was saved from disappearing altogether when the route was developed as a scenic byway therefore making sure it will be preserved. It was a very peaceful drive as no commercial traffic is allowed.
We stopped for lunch on the banks of the Tennessee River in Alabama,
We ended up cruising leisurely along the parkway into Tennessee and exited to head East a little more until we finally stopped in the town of Fayetteville. We made good progress today, having breakfast in Mississippi, lunch in Alabama and supper in Tennessee!
Trip: 295 miles. Moving Average: 49mph. Moving time: 6hrs.
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