May 17, 2018 Natchez Trace, Tennessee

We finished up the Trace in the car today.  90 degrees and partly sunny, rainy.

We drove the car to see the rest of the Natchez Trace.  It is easier to park the car in the pullouts than the bus. Two of the waterfalls at Fall Hollow. The first is the top of the main falls, the next is a side stream.  It had been raining so it was cool and the trail was muddy.  The falls were beautiful.

This is the bottom of the main falls, about 20 feet tall. You could walk up behind it. Our next stop was the old tobacco farm barn.  The field was around the barn and where they hang the tobacco leaves for 6 weeks to dry.

Informational sign about the farm and the inside of the barn. There are tobacco leaves hanging in the lower left corner. We drove 2 miles of the Old Trace that runs beside the parkway here. No RV’s on the drive.

Red flower, false dandelion, pink flowers, monarda, spike of white, laurel and more white flowers.

The view from Baker Bluff overlook of the Duck River valley. John on the steep 900 foot trail to Jackson Falls.

Jackson falls from the bottom and the top half. 

Wild fragrant honey suckle, field of pink flowers, cool looking dead tree, monarda again, snail, the view of the  famous double arch bridge over  hwy 96 that won the 1995 presidential award for design excellence. They need to trip the trees on the overlook, this was all we could see of it. The sign for the historic Loveless Motel and cafe with hot biscuits and country ham at the terminus to the Trace. 

One of the few remaining  historic buildings is the 1818  Gordon  house, home of John Gordon.  Who operated an inn, trading post and ferry when the Trace was in use.  The Trace came to an abrupt end at mile marker 442 at a plain wooden gate, it is supposed to have 444 miles.  This sign and pull out were at about 440, with no indication that it was then end. No good photo op.

I stopped at the Shimai Gallery at the Loveless shops to met Becca, my friend Katy’ sister and see her gallery. Katy and I went to college together but I had not met her sister before. Here we are standing in the gallery. She looks just like Katy. We stopped at local landmark Puckett’s in Liepers Fork for dinner and listened to some great music. This 13 year old girl had a fabulous voice and the house band was great. We heard that Leon Russell says this is the best place to get a fried pimento sandwich. 

An angel in the park in Leipers Fork.