Day 3: Natchez Trace

April 17, 2014

This morning was cool again so we decided to drive part of the Natchez Trace Parkway until it warmed up some.  On the way out of the park we extended our stay here another day and will leave tomorrow – Friday.  The “Old” Natchez Trace extended about 440 miles from Natchez, MS to Franklin, TN.  It was created and used for centuries by Native Americans and was later used by early European and American explorers, traders and emigrants in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Today, the trail is commemorated by the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway which follows the approximate path of the Trace.  Parts of the original trail are still accessible and we hiked on a short nature trail on the original Trace today. 

2014 is the 75^th Anniversary of the Parkway.  It was beautiful today with all the Dogwoods and Red Buds in full bloom.  There was an interesting burial site we stopped to see – the site of 13 unknown Confederate soldiers graves with the markers facing the Trace.  

We noticed coins placed on some of the sites and later at the Visitor's Center we learned this was done to commemorate the “ultimate price” paid by these soldiers.  We also had a little medical education today at the Dogwood Valley Nature Trail on the Trace.  The Indians used the dogwood bark as a remedy for malaria.  The pioneers steeped the bark in whiskey and drank it when they had the “shakes” and “ague.”  The Confederacy used it when there was a shortage of quinine.  Hmmm – wonder if you could use it for restless leg since we can't use quinine anymore???  Probably not because it's suppose to taste pretty awful.  We logged a few more geocache finds along the Trace as well.

When we got back to the park we gave one of the disc golf courses a try.   

There are three courses here and they have large tournaments here different times of the year.  The course we tried was pretty hilly so we got a good workout.  No we didn't keep score but neither of us came close to par.  Scout really didn't seem fond of the game since he wasn't allowed to catch the disc and return it.  He expressed his sentiments by stomping on one of the discs when it was in a mud puddle so that it was stuck in the mud.   

Tomorrow we plan move on closer to Saint Louis.