Plantations, paddle steamers and moonshine

Us on The Trace Parkway

Mount Locust Plantation House

We’re on the road reasonably early today not because we have far to go but we want to travel on the Natchez Trace Parkway which is a national park and has a maximum speed limit of 50mph. The problem is that I can’t find much information on where to join it, I know that it is 444miles long and has some information centres but not where we are. We eventually manage to get on it 45 miles before Natchez and start to thoroughly enjoy the slower pace of travel through tree lined avenues, we don’t pass another car. The first stop we come to is a place called Mount Locust an original plantation house. It’s not as grand as I imagined but then it is very old. There’s still a wooden porch with a rocking chair and the rooms are laid out with beds and dining furniture, out the back is the cellar (a place where they stored collected water) and the large bell. It still rings well, how do I know, well Dave had to try it out! The place feels like you can hear the slaves singing in the cotton fields, and see the travellers coming up the Mississippi to the house, walking their way back to Nashville and beyond. Our next stop on the Trace is Emerald Mound, it’s an ancient Indian burial and Temple mound which took 300 years to build. Dave is amazed, how did you manage to sneak a temple into a blues music tour he wants to know, sheer genius I say!

Dave in his Rocking Chair!

The Trace ends in Natchez and we drive to the end of the road where we are staying for an impromptu picnic. What a view from the top of the bluff, the Mississippi river stretches out for miles in-front of us, there’s a wooded area far below us and perched on the top of the bluff are a row of gorgeous old houses in all sorts of pastel colours. Time to check in and meet our hosts, Paul and Kristine. Their main house is a tall, Victorian house that looks a bit like the haunted houses you see in old black and white movies. The welcome from Paul includes a potted history of Natchez which is apparently his short version and only lasts 45 minutes! They are both very friendly and great hosts. Kristine walks us to our home for the next 2 days, The Hideaway. It is a lovely one storey Victorian villa with a front porch and a back deck. There is a huge living room, kitchen dinner, and 2 bedrooms all furnished with older furniture in keeping with the villa but it has all the latest mod cons of air conditioning etc.

The Hideaway

Unpacking now takes only 5 minutes, we’ve both learnt not to waste time on this process, then it’s off for a walk down the bluff for a drink in Bowies before going to the Pig Out Inn for an evening meal. We know America likes its fast food but this is beyond fast, the salad is ready prepared in a plastic tray, the pulled pork and beef is cut with the speed of light and the sides of beans plonked on our plates and plastic cutlery thrust into our hands all in the space of 1 minute. Have a good day y’all, follows us as we sit stunned in a red plastic dinning booth, “Can I help y’all” to the next customer.

Well, dinner finished, it’s a short walk to The Inn under the Hill to wait for the live music. “I’m a damn yankie, where yee from?” greets us from a young man sitting by his Yamaha motor bike. Pleasantries exchanged, we go on to discuss North/South differences, travelling and politics all as we watch the Natchez River Paddle Steamer pass, then start to drift downstream. Another local man appears, nods to the boat‘s “gooin to daack”, where we ask as there’s only a road going into the Mississippi here. “Heere”, he nods and sure enough the steamer the size of a small cruise ship edges closer and drops the gangplank virtually on the front porch of the Inn. While this is going on our first friend is producing a clear glass jam-jar from under his T shirt, “try it” he whispers. “What is it?” we whisper back, “moonshine”, he says. The tiniest sip is enough to burn my lips and turn them instantly numb, heaven knows what it does to your stomach never mind the brain!!!! The band has now started playing, we make our excuses and move inside to listen, good blues music with a guest appearance by “The Grateful Dead’s” harmonica player.  But, we only manage to last an hour, that moonshine sure is strong.