Franklin
March 4, 2021
Natchez Trace and the Gulf
When COVID-19 forced us to postpone our trip to Spain for another year we took the opportunity to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway, a road trip we’ve been wanting to do. We combined that with a couple of weeks along the Gulf of Mexico for some beach time and long walks in nice weather. We split our gulf time between Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The beaches were nicer than expected and the weather was great for being active outdoors if not sitting on the beach (we’re more familiar with further south on the gulf in Florida).
- 27 days
- 2021 Spring
Food and Beverage $23 per day
Average per person per day. Our longer stays were at places with kitchen facilities, so we ate a lot of meals in. And did a lot of takeout, thanks to COVID.
Lodging $74-$168 per night
Franklin was our least expensive stay. Orange Beach was the priciest. Most places were in the $100-$110 per night range.
Transportation $267
Gas and a couple of bridge tolls. It was 3037 miles all in and we got 35 miles per gallon.
Entertainment $7
We stopped at a Mississippi state park that had a $4 entry fee. And we paid $3 to park at Ole Miss so we could walk in Bailey's Woods.
Days 1-2: Franklin, Tennessee
Planned Activities
- Drive to start of the Natchez Trace
- Check out Steve’s old neighborhood
- Hike
Actual Activities
- Drive to start of the Natchez Trace
- Check out Steve’s old neighborhood
- Hike at Meriwether Lewis
The Plan: We’ll spend our first day driving to the Nashville area to the start of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Then we plan to spend a day in the area checking out where Steve used to live near Summertown and probably do some hiking.
The Reality: It all went according to plan!
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Drive from home
542 miles
Stay at Best Western
Good for a quick stop. On a very busy roady near the freeway.
Get around by driving
We did some driving around while we were there; about 134 miles.
Day 3: Florence, Alabama
Planned Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Hike at Devils Backbone or Meriwether Lewis
- Wichahpi Stone Wall
- Rock Spring
Actual Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Rock Spring
The Plan: This will be our first full day on the parkway. We plan to stop for a hike and at any wayside stops that look interesting to us.
The Reality: We missed the Wichahpi Stone Wall, which wasn’t right on the parkway. Watch out for small detours like that. We still found enough along the Trace to keep us busy all day.
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Franklin to Florence
March 6, 2021
Drive from Franklin
150 miles
Stay at Hampton Inn Downtown
Right downtown and not too far off the parkway.
Get around by driving
We stayed in downtown Florence and could walk to where we needed.
Days 4-5: Tupelo, Mississippi
Planned Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Hike at Tishomingo State Park
- Pharr Indian Mounds
- Day trip to Oxford
Actual Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Visit Tishomingo State Park
- Pharr Indian Mounds
- Day trip to Oxford
The Plan: Our second day on the parkway. We’re spending two nights here so we can take a day trip to Oxford and the Bailey’s Woods Trail, a hike that sounds interesting to us.
The Reality: We skipped hiking at Tishomingo, opting for a short visit instead. The problem with hiking earlier in the day on a road trip is that you don’t know how long the rest of the drive will take!
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Tupelo
March 7, 2021
Oxford Day Trip
March 8, 2021
Drive from Florence
75 miles
Stay at Hilton Garden Inn
So-so room in a great downtown location.
Get around by driving
We drove 153 miles in the area, mostly to Ole Miss and back.
Days 6-7: Jackson, Mississippi
Planned Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Day trip to Vicksburg
Actual Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Day trip to Vicksburg
The Plan: Our third day on the parkway. We’re spending two nights here so we can take a day trip to Vicksburg.
The Reality: Our day trip ended up being to the Vicksburg National Military Park and not the town. Which worked out well. We spent a couple of hours at the park and could have spent longer except it was closing.
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Jackson
March 9, 2021
Vicksburg Day Trip
March 10, 2021
Drive from Tupelo
177 miles
Stay at Home2 Suites
In Ridgeland, right next to the parkway.
Get around by driving
It was about 121 miles to Vicksburg and back.
Days 6-7: Natchez, Mississippi
Planned Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Hike at Rocky Springs or Potkopinu Trail
- Emerald Mound
- Sightseeing in Natchez
Actual Activities
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Hike at Rocky Springs
- Emerald Mound
- Sightseeing in Natchez
The Plan: Our fourth and last day on the parkway. We’re spending a second night here because here are lots of old house in Natchez and we enjoy viewing them. We’ll probably spend a day just wandering around Natchez.
The Reality: That’s pretty much what we did. The hikes at Rocky Springs were very short but interesting. Leg stretchers really.
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Natchez
March 11, 2021
Old Houses in Natchez
March 12, 2021
Drive from Jackson
110 miles
Stay at The Guest House
The one B&B we found, and a great one!
Get around by driving
We detoured 20-some miles off the Trace to visit Windsor Ruins.
Days 10-14: Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi
Planned Activities
- Hang out at the beach
- Explore the town
Actual Activities
- Walk the “boardwalk”
- Hang out at the beach
- Explore the town
The Plan: We thought we’d experience three different areas on the gulf. Bay Saint Louis sounds appealing for the small town atmosphere.
The Reality: We did enjoy the small-town charm. The “boardwalk” (actually a wide concrete path) along the beach was a nice surprise and great for walking. The beach was more beautiful and longer than we expected too.
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Bay Saint Louis
March 13, 2021
Drive from Natchez
195 miles
Stay at Airbnb
A cute two bedroom cottage with a handy screened in porch.
Get around by driving
Days 15-18: Orange Beach, Alabama
Planned Activities
- Hang out at the beach
- Hike at the state park
Actual Activities
- Hang out at the beach
- Hike at the state park
The Plan: Orange Beach will represent the Alabama section of the gulf. We like the idea of walking to the state park to hike.
The Reality: We did enjoy hiking at the state park. The beach was also great, and great for walking.
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Orange Beach
March 18, 2021
Drive from Bay St Louis
144 miles
Stay at Airbnb
A condo right on the beach.
Get around by driving
Days 19-25: Panama City Beach, Florida
Planned Activities
- Hang out at the beach
- Walk on the beach
Actual Activities
- Hang out at the beach
- Walk on the beach
The Plan: While we’re in the area we thought we’d hit the Florida panhandle, since I haven’t been to this part of the state. My brother’s family likes this area.
The Reality: We liked it too. This is probably the closest we’ve come to traveling “like a local.” We didn’t sightsee or eat out; just went back and forth to the beach.
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Panama City Beach
March 22, 2021
Drive from Orange Beach
144 miles
Stay at Airbnb
A condo in a quiet neighborhood less than five minutes walk to the beach.
Get around by driving
Days 26-27: Panama City Beach to Home
Drive from Panama City Beach
974 miles
Stay at Country Inn & Suites
One night in the Nashville area on the way home
Get around by driving
Resources
- We used Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip (Kindle format) as our main resource for the Natchez Trace Parkway portion of our trip
- NatchezTraceTravel.com was also a good resource, as was the National Park Service website