Day 2 Wrap-up

Day 2 was great! The day started out at 21° but then warmed up to about 40°. Today Pa rode 70.35 miles over the course of 5:20:43 hours with an average speed of 13.2 mph and a maximum speed of 25.4 mph. His total ascent was 3857 ft and his total descent was 3887 ft

 

About The Trace

The Natchez Trace is more than just an old road—it’s a 444-mile journey through time, stretching from Natchez, Mississippi, all the way to Nashville, Tennessee. Long before cars and GPS, Native American tribes like the Choctaw and Chickasaw used this trail to travel, trade, and connect their communities. Later, explorers, settlers, “Kaintucks” (frontiersmen from Kentucky and Tennessee), and even soldiers walked or rode the same path, turning it into one of the most important routes of early America. Today, the Natchez Trace Parkway lets you follow in their footsteps—only now with a comfy car, smooth roads, and plenty of scenic overlooks. Along the way, you’ll find waterfalls, ghost towns, ancient burial mounds, and cozy spots for picnics or hikes. It’s a living museum of history, nature, and adventure—all rolled into one unforgettable road trip.

Todays Joke: Why did the bike stop moving?

It was two tired! 🤣

And finally a word from pa: I had a bit of an issue this morning in trying to decide whether to do the ride or wait another day owing to the temperatures. The wind chill factor was in the upper teens and the temperature was about 24. As I write this it is a balmy 36.My definition of a winter day is if the temps do not break 40, so I had my first winter day. I think what helped to make the decision was that it was pretty cold in the camper so I opted to head out and try it. Seth was willing to wait a couple of hours to see how I was doing and when he came upon me I thought I was good to complete today's ride. It was my first ride in some time with snow flurries! I was dressed with enough layers that I even got sweaty for a time. The most interesting things today were some of the things I learned about the trace and the area where Meriwether Lewis died and was buried. What I learned about the Natchez Trace. It is thought that the Native Americans began to use the path about 10,000 years ago. Not only did people use it but it was a buffalo trail as well. I had no idea that there were buffalo east of the Mississippi but there were until about 1832. The other thing I learned was that the Old Trace was difficult to travel from the standpoint of the number of snakes and mosquitoes and it was often muddy making it difficult to use for wagons. I came upon an area today that they tried to overcome the muddy issues but they were not quite successful. As for the Parkway itself it was started in 1938 and not completed until 2005. I got to ride a section that had recently been repaved and there has been an area under construction that was to have been completed by the end of October. I should reach that point in 2 days. I am pleased to report that I have completed over 25% of the journey so far. Glenn