April 19th - Our Last Day on the Trace

This will be our last day on the Natchez Trace. This afternoon, we will be pulling in to Nashville. We will both miss this lovely, peaceful little winding road through the past. Even though we are travelling in a huge modern motor home, it is amazing how close you feel to the travellers of this road in the distant past. Of course we can't even pretend to be encountering any of the hazards of those long ago travellers, other than perhaps the occasional thunderstorm or threat of tornado.

Unlike Interstate Highways, we are, most of the time, all by ourselves. It seems as though each traveller of this road is in their own little cocoon. It is only when you stop to view one of the historical markers along the way that you are aware of the other vehicles on the road.

Sometimes, while we are travelling along the road, I have to leave my seat for one reason or another. It is not unusual for me to come back and find that I have been dispossessed of the co-pilot position. Much as I love Chico, I'm not about to give it up without a fight.
At first he will ignore me. Pretend like I don't exist. A mere gnat buzzing around.....definitely something to be ignored.
OK... what's your point, Lady? Can't you see a guy is trying to get some sleep here???
Look, Lady, I said BACK OFF!!! Can't you take a hint?
Get that hand OUT of here!!!!! How about a little bite or two? Getting the picture, Lady? I'm NOT giving up this seat without a fight!!!!!
Well!!! I REALLY prefer THIS seat anyway. It's got a nice comfy quilt on it. I can see better back here, and it's where I meant to go in the first place, don't you know? What are you creating such a FUSS for?
Well, now that ownership of the co-pilot seat has been established, we can get back to the serious business of touring!!!!
It really is hard to imagine what the travellers of the past went through. A 2,000 foot section of the Old Trace is long enough for me!!! I can't even begin to imagine walking almost 500 miles! It took them a month to do what we could drive in two days! And we don't have to put up with any of the bugs, heat, wet or cold!!!
Hmmmm looks like a little cave over there!
This section of the Old Trace was rather interesting. You really could see where the Trace shifted because of the soggy ground.
Delicate little flowers trying to survive in a hostile surrounding.
Another pretty butterfly that obligingly posed for a photograph. Remember the blue one?
The dogwood trees in bloom are splashes of brilliant white in amongst the green. So pretty, but hard to catch in a photo while driving along at 50 miles per hour.
The Tennessee River - HUGE!!
Colors change as we move into Tennessee. Now the dogwoods are joined by a beautiful hot pink bush. I'm not sure what it is, but it sure is pretty!
A little more hilly in the Tennessee portion of the Trace.
The end of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Old Trace went on into Nashville.

Back to civilization! I don't think that we feel the same feeling of relief that the travellers of the 1800's felt when they saw familiar sights that indicated they were nearing the end of their month-long journey!!