When given the opportunity to ride one of the oldest routes in America, visions of forests thick with hickories, oaks and maples, two-lane parkway, gentle curves, wildlife, beauty and history danced in my mind. Our 5-day, fly-and-ride road trip would tour nearly 1,000 miles including the Mississippi portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway and points beyond, beginning and ending in New Orleans.
After picking up our rentals at New Orleans Harley-Davidson (2013 Harley-Davidson Softtail Deluxe for me and a 2013 Road Glide for hubby), we met up with a California guy on an HD Trike, another from New Orleans, and a pair from New York City. Our Mississippi adventure would start with a scoot to Natchez, my first visit to this southern state, fortunately during the less humid month of October.
History
If I’d had more time, I would’ve toured the entire 444-miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway through three states: Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi and 8,000 years of North American history. Today, dotted along the Natchez Trace Parkway’s three state corridors are plenty of distractions: 25 campgrounds; more than 100 wayside exhibits; over 300 types of wildlife; and 2,100 plus types of plants including dogwoods, live oak, water tupelo and bald cypress.
For those who enjoy a relaxed pace, sightseeing and history, this Mississippi motorcycle road trip is the perfect ride for you, a chance to get away on a lazy road with plenty of side trips.
Read about my 1,000-mile “Old Miss Tour-Natchez Parkway” motorcycle road trip including the Mississippi towns of Natchez, Jackson, Canton, Tupelo, and Hattiesburg in Issue 310 of American Iron Motorcycle