Wondering what it's like to drive along the Natchez Trace Parkway?

Thanks to Columbia7200, a motorcycle rider from Spring Hill, Tennessee... now you can experience it yourself, right from your computer screen!

Check out his awesome videos of four (4) scenic drives along the Natchez Trace Parkway -- beginning at the arched bridge over Highway 96 in Franklin, TN and going all the way to Highway 50 near Columbia, TN.

Jim and I have driven the entire length of the Natchez Trace Parkway -- from Tupelo Mississippi to Nashville Tennessee -- several times. (We have a friend who lives in Starkeville, Mississippi... enough said.)

In total, the Natchez Trace Parkway covers 101 miles in the state of Tennessee, and passes through 7 Tennessee counties: Davidson, Williamson, Maury, Hickman, Lewis, Lawrence, and Wayne (from north to south, respectively). It spans from mileposts 341 to 444.

Plus, I've biked the northernmost end of the Trace more times than I can count. Mostly I ride from the Garrison Creek parking area just past the Leiper's Fork exit (Hwy 46) -- all the way to the very end of the Parkway at Highway 100 in Nashville (near the Lovelace Cafe).

That's my favorite out & back biking route along the Natchez Trace -- roughly, from mileposts 427 to 440.

Did you know?... The Natchez Trace Parkway is rated one of the Top 10 Biking Routes in the country!

Mostly, these days we like to hop in the Jeep and ride. We turn around whenever the mood strikes us. And we stop & see whatever we feel like stopping and seeing. It's such a relaxing and leisurely drive.

Here are my tips if you want to see the Natchez Trace, but you only have a very short time to do so...

This year, I can definitely say: "I saw Tennessee's peak colors!"

As evidenced by the pictures I took of Fall colors along the Natchez Trace last weekend, I was one of the lucky ones to see firsthand Tennessee's natural beauty ...at its peak!

But what a difference a day makes. Just check out this photo of a tree I photographed last Saturday, then again the very next day:

This rapid loss of foliage was due to a very windy night -- one which stripped many of Tennessee's trees of their colorful leaves in a matter of hours.

So, I decided to hop in my Jeep

...with dog in tow.

I wanted to see how the colorful landscapes had changed along the Natchez Trace

...overnight.

If you haven't already taken that annual photo of the family, and you live anywhere near Nashville, Tennessee, then you might want to zip out to the Natchez Trace for some of the most beautiful colors around.

I call it "the long and winding road".

More than just a "piece of pavement" stretching from Tennessee to Mississippi, the Natchez Trace Parkway is a piece of history -- a journey to be cherished, and a route that relatively few have traveled.

Take it from me... I've biked it (and driven it) on numerous occasions, and there's hardly ever a soul out there!