April | 2013 | Tony Romano

Before continuing northward on the Natchez Trace, I decided to check out some cool stuff in and around downtown Jackson. The first experience was at the coffee shop when a local drove up with his windows down, a cigar in hand and smiling in a very nice vintage 1957 Chevrolet Nomad.

Azaleas were in full bloom and the smell of sweet flower and pine was thick in the air.

Exiting interstate 55, the Governors Mansion was an amazing site to see with its Mississippi State flag waving in the wind…

I’d never seen church service on a street before and watched in awe as a group of faithful followers sang and rejoiced at a major intersection downtown.

And, Mardi Gras beads from an earlier celebration glistened below a historic clock that loomed over their heads.

The Civil War destroyed most of the old homes in the area but, I did find some very interesting signs…

On the outskirts near the capitol building was a dilapidated part of town that use to be a thriving area back in the day.

Snapping a few photos inside one of the run down shops, I couldn’t help but notice a pair of shoes next to one of many beer bottles and thinking, “What would drive someone to leave them?”

Wall art and old shops where some people still dream of better…

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NATCHEZ TO JACKSON

Natchez Trace Pkwy — Natchez Trace Parkway

Earlier this week, I took a much-needed road trip along the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez to Jackson, a roadway that follows the path of the historic Natchez Trace, [1] as well as the related Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail.

Parts of the original trail are still accessible and some segments have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Natchez Trace, also known as the “Old Natchez Trace”, extends roughly 440 miles (710 km) from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. 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.

Following the old trail, memories of my childhood began to play back right in front of my eyes. A freckled-faced kid hiking through the bottom land of a swamp as thousands of crickets chirped in harmony…

This use to be Choctaw Indian territory…

Winding through fertile land near the Mississippi River, I began to imagine how they lived in those days, how they prepared their meals, the language they spoke and what it was like to be a kid.

The indians lived a rather simple life, until the white man rolled in and destroyed it all.

Countless lives were lost in battle to protect what they held precious for so many years as well disease that men from other countries brought to their land…

And, even after the indians were pushed out and stripped of their soul the white man continued to wage war and battle amongst his own kind for control.

Stopping at historic markers along the way and reading about the past and the many lives affected for me, was unfathomable how difficult life must have been during this time.

Yet, fascination with the Natchez Trace continued and helped propel me along further and further North…

Then, without the slightest warning, I began to sneeze and sneeze some more. Wild flowers were everywhere and so was the pollen! Pulling to the side of the road with itching eyes, rain began pouring down and realized it was time to shorten this road trip and pick back up where I left off next week.