The Natchez Trace

For background information on the Natchez Trace, visit http://www.nps.gov/natr/

Day 1 - Asheboro, NC to Lenoir City, TN:  389 miles

Rt. 64(W) to I-40(W) to Rt. 151(S) to the Blue Ridge Parkway(W) to Rt. 441(N) to the Little River Road(W) to Rt. 321(W).

Uneventful ride over to Asheville - traffic was light and running about 5-10 over the posted limit.  I had lunch at the Moose Cafe (Farmer's Market exit off I-40).  Excellent home cooking.

Rt. 151 near the Parkway is one of those roads that is so crooked you can see your tail-lights.  The hairpin turns make Deal's Gap look like an Interstate in Iowa.  The Blue Ridge Parkway, Rt. 441, and the Little River Road are just plain beautiful.  Ride 'em to "rubber neck" and be sure to take a camera.

Last week I bought a new Garmin StreetPilot 2620 GPS and this was the first trip where I had an opportunity to try it out.  It is an impressive unit.  First, it has a 2 Gig hard drive that stores all of the detail map info that traditionally had to be downloaded in segments from Garmin's CD.  To give you some idea of what this means, I found a dead-end dirt road for a relative in Ohio that only has two houses on it!  Second, it's routing software allows you to enter multiple points in a route and it will provide a map of either fastest, shortest, or direct line for you.  It then automatically zooms in or out as needed throughout the route.  If you take a detour, it automatically recalculates the route from your new direction.  I got to use the "Find Services" function when I came across a fellow biker, who had run out of gas on the Parkway.  It found the closest station, routed me there and told me how long it would take.

Happy couple on their way to the Cherokee Rally	Rt. 151 (near the Parkway)
Who names these Parkway overlooks?  What are their qualifications?  What do they see that I don't?	Got to use my new GPS to help a fellow biker
Views from the Little River Road

Tip Of The Day:  Try the BBQ baked beans at Gerald's Smokehouse in Lenoir City.  The ribs were good but I could have made a meal out of the beans.

Day 2 - Lenoir City, TN to Tupelo, MS:  375 miles

Rt. 321(W) to Rt. 70(W) to Rt. 96(W) to various back roads (I followed the GPS recommendations) to the Natchez Trace.

If you are not in a hurry, Rt. 321 and Rt. 70 are attractive alternatives to I-40 for traveling west to Nashville.  Both are winding country roads that showcase eastern TN.  The numerous lakes and rivers make the area a paradise for water lovers.  I saw more bass boats than motorcycles today.

Nashville, like so many U.S. cities, is difficult to drive through or around.  Traffic and construction are everywhere.

The Natchez Trace starts out with sweeping curves and a 40 mph speed limit (it would be awesome with a 60 mph limit).  It then straightens out a little bit and the limit is bumped up to 50 mph.  You can set your cruise control and ride until you run out of gas.  No stop signs or lights for 444 miles!  The many historical spots along the way are clearly marked.

A couple of "caveats" regarding the GPS.  Individual restaurants and motels are not always there and the distances may be off as much as half a mile.  What it does do well is locate groups of restaurants and motels and this allows you find something you like.  Also, I had the GPS recommend a turn off the Trace where the road was an underpass and there was no exit off the Trace.  All in all, minor inconveniences.

View from Rt. 321	The way it used to be
Jackson Falls (off the Natchez Trace)

Day 3 - Tupelo, MS to Monroe, LA:  288 miles

The Natchez Trace to I-55(S) to I-20(W).  The Trace ended at I-55 north of Jackson, MS due to road construction.  You can catch it again off of I-20 southwest of Jackson.  It was raining with no end in sight so I chose to head to Monroe, LA where I lived in the early 80's.

At the risk of committing some kind of "southern sacrilege", I found riding the Natchez Trace to be a little monotonous.  It's pretty but lacks the pizzazz to keep you really interested for 400+ miles.  Even the historical sites were not all that impressive.  I would suggest doing it once so you can say "been there, done that".  Then wait to join a gang of wild biker babe/nymphomaniacs on their way to New Orleans for Mardi Gras before doing it again.

I had visions of cruising Monroe, visiting some old haunts, and maybe, seeing some old friends.  Wrong!  I couldn't even find my old house.  Everything else was gone including the racquetball club where I had met so many people.  The Catfish Cabin was still in business (I had to ask for directions) but was closed on Sundays (when it rains, it sucks).  I did find another restaurant that was open and the catfish was delicious.

The Old Trace	The Pearl River
The Cypress Swamp

Tip Of The Day:  You know you're in the "deep south" when the predominant road-kill goes from possum to armadillo.

Rt. 80(E) & I-20(E) across LA & MS to Rt. 11(NE) to I-20(E).

Unfortunately, I started having a mechanical problem today.  At 65 mph or greater the bike acted like it was not getting enough gas or had lost a cylinder.  The power and speed would drop until it reached 50-55 mph where it would run ragged for a minute or two and then go back to running normally.  I would take it back up to 65+ and within 5-15 minutes it would repeat itself.  Strangely, if I run at less than 65 mph, there is no problem.

I stopped at a Honda dealer in Tuscaloosa and they offered a number of possibilities but nothing conclusive.  I had them change the plugs as the quickest and least expensive option but that did not solve the problem.

Not knowing if it will get worse and not wanting to be stranded in the mountains of Northern Georgia while the theme from "Deliverance" is playing in the background, I have decided to head home via the Interstates and at 63 mph.

Memories of the day (not mechanical):  Old pecan trees, black bayous, rough roads, crop dusters, the sweet smell of honeysuckle in the air, the obnoxious smell of chemicals in the air, and small towns unseen from the Interstate.

Day 5 - Oxford, AL to Chester, SC:  354 miles

I-20(E) to Rt. 27(S) to I-85(N) to a bunch of back roads.

As I once told Bobby Burns, "the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go astray".  The bike just got worse.  It became apparent that if I was going to get home, I would need the help of a professionally trained Gold Wing specialist.  I used the GWRRA book to locate the nearest Honda dealer and the GPS to route me there.

Tony Smith, the Service Manager at Cycle City Power Sports in Newnan, GA, listened to my problem and then gave me and my bike the immediate attention and priority that every out of town biker hopes to get from a dealer.  First, he took the bike for a test/thrill ride that he said took two years off his life.  The problem presented itself as he was between two semis in the passing lane on the Interstate.  He had to ride the bike into the median to keep from becoming some trucker's hood ornament.  He then worked through his lunch hour to fix the problem.  It turned out to be the fuel filter.  Attractive, single women can reach Tony at Cycle City Power Sports.

I rode the Interstate long enough to feel comfortable that the bike was back to normal.  That included surviving the beltway around Atlanta - no small feat in itself.  Then I did what I love to do, just head in the general direction of home taking whatever road that appeared would get me there.  It got dark and cold around 8:00 p.m. so I decided to quit for the night rather than dodging deer after dark.  My room was $34.00 including tax.  I think I could have rented it by the hour.

Tony Smith at Cycle City Power Sports

111,111 miles

Trivia Of The Day:  Royston, GA is the home of Ty Cobb.

Day 6 - Chester, SC to Clayton, NC:  234 miles

Back roads all the way.  Arrived home safe and sound about 1:00 p.m. 

Nothing special to report.  The bike ran like new.