Wednesday - Natchez to Tuscaloosa

We left early, about 6:30. Nice cool morning with lots of overcast. It looked like rain, but it never did.

We took part of the Natchez trace and than turned off to see the Windsor Ruins. An amazing sight at the end of a dirt road in the middle of dense woods. All that is left of the huge mansion are these gigantic columns with very elaborate iron work on top. The man that build it died weeks after it was ready, the civil war spared it, but about 20 years later it burned down by accident.






It is very surreal to see morning sun peaking thru the dense woods lighting up the columns.








We walked around for a while, but it is a sight that gets stranger as you keep looking at it.

Huge ornate columns that serve no purpose in the middle of the woods. When the house was there it must have looked just as strange: A huge mansion with a mix of European architecture in the middle of a Mississippi forest. That is what new money did in the 1800's.









They are so large that it is hard to get them all in one frame.












Cast iron detail on top of the columns looks brand new and shinny.












The road from the Windsor Ruins to Fort Gibson is the perfect motorcycle road. Well paved, winding, and no traffic.











Today there was no good way to avoid the Interstate after our detour to the ruins and Fort Gibson. The good thing about interstates is the choice of restaurants. We picked a Cracker Barrel for Breakfast. It was yummy!










From there we took the Interstate past Jackson, MS and Meridian, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL. Pretty uneventful ride with little traffic on the roads. Compared to the last few days it was almost cool. Only 92 degrees..

Today we rode 310 miles.

Now we are checked in to the La Quinta and will leave early tomorrow for the Mercedes Benz factory tour.

Touring Natchez

Today was HOT!

We took a short ride to visit the Mc Murran house. It is said to be the most original of all remaining Antebellum homes. The National Park Service runs it including the grounds and outbuildings. It looks beautiful inside and out. One gets a great sense of how wealthy people and their slaves lived in the 1800's.

Over 90% of the inside is original to the house and the rest are period items and reproductions right down to the carpets and other floor coverings.

As grand as these houses are, we still live a LOT better today. No AC, no electricity, no refrigeration, no pluming, no showers... No Thanks! But they had a remotes already...

Various cords from the inside leading to bells on the outside, to let the slaves know that they needed to report inside. By the pitch of the bells and the amount of rings they knew who was wanted for what.

http://www.nps.gov/natc/historyculture/mcmurran.htm

From there we rode to see the Basilica, an absolutely amazing church that has been fully restored.

We happen to enter just as the priest started to give a tour to a bus group. We just joined. What stood out the most to me is of money the church has spend over the years on the church. And they are in the middle of spending another $1,000,000. But the church is something to be seen. Not what you would expect in the American South. Gold inlay everywhere, marble, ivory, stained glass imported from Austria, carvings and paintings from 18th century artists that came from Europe to Natchez paid for by plantation owners. Really quite something. Our tour guide yesterday told us that Natchez was the 2nd richest city in America after New York during the cotton boom in the 18th century

There are more pictures at Picasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/wolfgang.h.sander

We ended the day with time spend at the hotel pool, and pizza and a movie in the room. Lights went out at 10:15PM since we have a long ride ahead of us in the morning.

Natchitoches to Natchez

We actually left early, about 6:30AM. Enjoyed the free breakfast at the Super 8. Once again, you get what you pay for... We took state road 84 completely avoiding interstates. This seems to be a poor area with a lot of dairy farming and forestry. We stopped at a small town gas station for some Gatorade, and as always so far, people have been as friendly as can be.

Today we rode about 260 miles

Click on pictures for full size

We crossed the Mississippi at about 9:30AM. Our hotel, the Isle of Capri casino was kind enough to let us check in early. Not a Vegas casino, but for $49 a night, not bad at all.

We checked out the very nice Visitor Center across the street, and set off for a ride on the famous Natchez Trace. It was first mentioned in 1733 by the French who had dicovered that the Natchez, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians had a system of trails that traced the Mississippi river. It was later used by farmers from Ohio Valley that loaded their crops on wooden flat-bottom boat and went as far down the river as New Orleans. They sold their boats for the lumber and rode horseback or walked back following the Natchez trace.

Riding the trace

We visited one of several Indian mounts along the trace that the Indians build over 100's of years. It gave them an elevated vantage point to warship and dominate the area.

Later in the afternoon we went on a city tour. Since we were the only guests the driver choose to take us in a limo instead of the bus. You should have seen Quintens smile!

The number of homes from the 17 and 18 hundreds in immaculate condition is amazing. And there are just as many waiting to be bought and renovated. We will tour some of the homes tomorrow

We just had dinner across from the river boat casino about a mile from the hotel We could not get on the boat because of Quinten's age.

Sunday In Natchitoches

Today was a real lazy day. Just what one is supposed to do on a hot southern Sunday.

We slept in and by the time we were going to enjoy the "free" Super 8 Motel breakfast it was too late. It is only served until 9AM including on weekends. That policy must save them a lot of Money.

Off we went to the Huddle House. Quinten was hungry and ordered chicken fried steak, with two eggs, toast, and grits.



He actually ate it all, except the grits...

We rode into town to take a city tour on a carriage or one of these street car looking buses. Only to find that they don't run on Sundays. They really take Sundays serious around here. Not a bad thing. We walked around on the river front looked an old house, took some pictures, and got bad directions to Melrose Plantation.





The ride thru plantation country is very pleasant, mainly along the river with a number of historic sites along the way. Melrose Plantation is fairly well preserved but not really true to any particular time in history. It has gone to several owners over the years, been renamed from Yucca Plantation, rooms have been added to the buildings and lots of other changes made. But still it is a very interesting trip thru time with a nicely done tour by volunteers.

http://www.canerivercolony.com/History/story_of_melrose.htm

The original art by Clementine Hunter comes to life with the stories told be the guide.

http://www.clementinehunterartist.com/

It is amazing how many well known American writer have spend time at Melrose and wrote some of their works here. William Spradling, Gwen Bristow, and Lyle Saxon are among them. Recently the plantation was the backdrop for a new movie staring Kris Kristopherson that is not yet released. The title is: For Sale by Owner. Robert Duvall is the Director.

Quinten got to swing the "Punka" a huge fly squatter that was to keep the flies from the freshly prepared meal that was sitting on top of a pre-heated old mill stone to stay warm. This was done only by 11 year old boys we were told. 10 year olds were not strong enough and 12 years was the age to start working the fields. While swinging the Punka the boys had to whistle loudly. Not to let folks know that the meal is ready, but to assure that they were not stealing food, unless one could whistle and eat at the same time, it was very effective.




We finished the day with a few purchases at WalMart and a surprisingly good meal at an "all you can pig out on" Chinese buffet. Time to hit the bed, we will get up early tomorrow to head for Natchez, MS before it gets hot.