Following is a growing collection of interesting quotes which mention the Natchez Trace Parkway.
It’s a beautiful stretch of roadway that spans from Tupelo, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.
Perhaps you’ll glean some more reasons why The Trace is a place that should not be missed…
As long as I’ve lived in Middle Tennessee, this is one of the first times that I’ve seen peak autumn colors arrive so early — before the end of October.
Usually, fall begins to show its colors around here somewhere between mid- to late-October, and the fall foliage is typically the most vibrant anywhere from early- to mid-November.
As seen in the following photos however, you can see what a difference a day makes!
The weather throughout the year, as well as recent weather in the immediate area can have a dramatic impact on how colorful the leaves are, when they start changing, and how long they stick around. So it’s difficult to predict exactly when the leaves on the trees will look their absolute best at this time each year.
Case in point: Last night and the night before, we had some serious storms around here — with a lot of wind and rain and several tornadoes in the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, that kind of weather wreaks havoc on delicate colorful leaves!
The same thing happened in various parts of the U.S. this year, including Ohio:
Windy and stormy conditions are bringing the fall foliage season to a close this week. Recent rain and winds have been bringing down a lot of leaves across the state over the last week. Most Ohio state parks and forests are reporting that peak fall color is over and leaves are expected to start or continue falling this weekend. “This year’s fall color season was much different than what we normally expect,” said Casey Burdick, fall foliage expert for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry. “Ohio started with drought stressed trees in mid-September showing early color, then nearly the entire state peaked showing a brilliant display around the second week in October. Lack of rain and strong wind events have shortened our usual five to six week fall color season." Source
Here’s an update on this year’s fall colors along the Natchez Trace Parkway, along with the fall foliage pictures I took today…
I live near the Natchez Trace Parkway in Nashville.
It’s one of the most beautiful and peaceful places to escape to any time I get a little stir crazy and just want to get away.
There’s virtually no traffic. No street lights or billboards. It’s just you and nature — whether you’re driving, biking, motorcycling, RVing, or even walking along the Natchez Trace Parkway! (I’m usually Jeeping… with the top down.)
Aside from being there and experiencing the Trace for yourself, the next best way to get a feel for what it’s really like is to view photos of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Following is a collection of Natchez Trace Parkway photos taken by lots of different people…
The Family Roadtrippers document their many travels together as a family — mom, dad, and 2 kids.
On this particular road trip, the family is venturing down the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee, with a George Jones song playing on the radio.
I was enjoying a leisurely day at the Natchez Trace Parkway with my dog yesterday, when I had a brief conversation with Chris Moore (pictured here on her horse, Molly).
She was looking for that one place along the Old Trace Hiking & Horse Trail where you cross from one side of the Parkway to the other via a tunnel.
I’ve hiked that path before, but it was hard for me to describe how (while standing at the Garrison Creek area) how she would have to backtrack to get to that tunnel — by way of the creek itself.
I’ve never hiked it backwards like that, and I know it’s not well-marked along the creek, so I gave her my handy-dandy Natchez Trace Parkway map instead.
Hopefully, she found plenty of fun places to go horseback riding along the Trace on the map!
Does anyone have any advice for hiking or horseback riding that trail “backwards” — starting at the Garrison Creek area and going south toward the Old Trace parking area? Are there some landmarks so you know you’re on the right path when you’re going that way? Just curious.
If you’re not from around here, then you might be wondering if ticks are a problem.
Ticks are definitely something you should take into consideration when hiking around the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Here’s the scoop…
We’ve gone hiking out at the Natchez Trace Parkway several times.
Each time, we’ve come back with some ticks on us.
That is, until we started using Permethrin. We spray this stuff on our clothing (not our skin) before we head out into the woods, and we’ve never come back with a tick on us since!
Before I started using Permethrin to ward off tick bites, I actually contracted Lyme Disease from a tick bite. That’s a slight indication as to how prevalent ticks are in this part of Tennessee.
Here are some tips for the easiest ways to remove ticks from your body.
Here’s how to tell if your dog has Lyme Disease from a tick bite
Awhile ago, I started keeping a collection of tips and reviews from others who’ve traveled on the Natchez Trace Parkway.
I’m sharing the ones that provide helpful information that I think others might benefit from — should they, too, decide to venture along the Natchez Trace Parkway.
This is one of the Natchez Trace Parkway’s hidden gems, if you ask me.
No, not the Garrison Creek comfort station with restrooms and water fountains (though those are nice too)… but rather the tiny little creek that becomes a rapidly moving stream at certain times of the year.
Here’s why I think the Garrison Creek area is so special…
I took a drive out to the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee this morning. I wanted to see what’s changed since the last time I was there — about a week ago.
Peak colors are only days away, folks!
Compare today’s photos with last week’s photos. Then compare those with last year’s peak fall foliage on the Natchez Trace Parkway…
At the request of Mike and others, I took a trip out to the Natchez Trace Parkway this morning to see what I could see in terms of Fall colors.
Peak Fall foliage colors are right around the corner, but they’re not here yet.
To give you some idea, this is the tree (on the left, near the utility boxes) in my neighborhood that I always gauge "peak season" from — in Franklin, TN. The first photo was taken this morning. The other 2 were taken at the end of last year’s Fall foliage season.
