The drive down the second half of the Natchez Trace, from Tupelo to Natchez, was beautiful. There was very sparse traffic, and no transport trucks or commercial vehicles. The cruise control was set for 50 mph.
Lunchtime on The Trace, with the intrepid Navigator |
The weather was sunny, and the seemingly endless vista of forest, rolling hills and pastures was truly good for the soul. This was on Christmas Eve, and we were far from the throngs of people doing last-minute shopping and jockeying for parking spots at the suburban malls.
About to cross the Mississippi River to Vidalia |
River View RV Park |
Every 20 minutes or so, we see a "barge train" pass by on the river. These can have up to 15 barges, pushed by a huge tugboat. The whole thing moves quite slowly, accompanied by the low rumble of massive diesel engines. I was curious, so I looked up some statistics. A typical barge train carries the equivalent of 216 railcars, or 1050 transport trucks. It is the cheapest and safest method of transport for bulk commodities.
Tugboat pushing the barges |
This entire region is steeped in tradition, and the mighty river has shaped towns, cities and lives for generations. Natchez is the oldest settlement on the river, and it is fascinating to visit, and immerse oneself in some of this history.
We leave tomorrow, and head southwest through Alexandria, LA down to I-10, and we will stay overnight at Turtle Bayou RV Park in Texas, just east of Houston. We will pass through Houston early Sunday morning, on route to our destination for four days, Top of the Hill RV Resort in Boerne, TX (pronounced "Bernie").
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