Location: Natchez

Day 1 - 1 Apr 2019

Natchez Pearl

Content: We started out our road trip with a night in the historic Natchez Pearl. The Natchez Pearl has a main house and carriage house that are nestled in an equally historic residential area. The location is close to downtown Natchez. We slept like babies so we highly recommend staying here

Location: Natchez

Day 2 - 2 Apr 2019

Steampunk Espresso Bar

Content: Just a short drive away from the Natchez Pearl, is the top-rated espresso/breakfast cafe. They serve espresso, cappuccino, cafe lattes, pour overs, french press, siphon vacuum coffee and Turkish. The cafe is located in an old brick cabin that dates back to 1868 and is located just a block from the Mississippi River. Grabbing a cup of coffee and enjoying it while watching the barge traffic on the river is a great way to start your road trip.

Natchez Visitor Center

Content: This really needs to be your first stop if you plan on spending any time in Natchez or before hitting the Natchez Trace Parkway. For a visitor’s center, it’s pretty nice. There’s an entertaining movie about the history of Natchez, maps of the parkway, and you can buy tickets for various tours of the city. The staff is super nice, even if you ask them way too many questions.

Location: Natchez

Day 2 - 2 Apr 2019

Natchez Trace Parkway

Content: From the Natchez Visitor’s Center, take Highway 84 east to the Natchez Trace Parkway Exit. There are signs to the start of the parkway, so it is easy to find. All along the parkway are mile markers with signs for historical and natural sites. Mile Marker 0 is also called the Southern Terminus.

Location: Natchez Trace Parkway

Day 2 - 2 Apr 2019

Emerald Mound

Content: Built by the Natchez Indians, this ceremonial mound is the second-largest temple mound in the United States.

Mount Locust

Content: This home is one of the oldest structures in Mississippi. It functioned as a plantation and also an inn. Of the 50 inns that lined the Trace, this is the only one that has survived. Restrooms Available

Jackson, Mississippi

Content: Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and is a great spot to grab some lunch (or dinner). Depending on how much you are stretching out this trip, Jackson also has a large variety of lodging choices.

Reservoir Overlook

Content: Here you will find a beautiful scenic view of the Ross R. Barnett Reservoir. Cyclists and hikers can access the Natchez Trace Multi-Use Trail from this point.

Cypress Swamp

Content: This is a quiet, 1/2 mild trail through a water tupelo/bald cypress swamp. Boardwalks keep you from getting muddy and safe from the occasional alligator.

Jeff Busby

Content: This short drive is one of the highest points in Mississippi. For those of you outside the southern delta, that’s not saying much, but the view is terrific! Restrooms and campgrounds available

Holiday Inn & Suites Tupelo

Content: Very clean and nice hotel. Looks well kept as well . Rooms were spacious. Would be nice to have a better chair or recliner in the room though .Very good sized indoor pool with a hot tub .

Location: Natchez Trace Parkway

Day 3 - 3 Apr 2019

Elvis’s Boyhood Home

Content: Before leaving Tupelo, spend some time touring the historic town. This was the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

Tupelo Automobile Museum

Content: Tupelo also has a HUGE automobile museum with over 100 antique and collectible cars.

Parkway Visitor Center and Headquarters

Content: Here is a great little stop to gather more information about sites along the parkway. It is staffed with rangers, has a great informative film about the parkway, and little gift shop. Restrooms available

Pharr Mounds

Content: This site has eight Native American burial mounds built about 2,000 years ago. Restrooms available

Colbert Ferry

Content: In the early 1800s, George Colbert operated a ferry here to take travelers (even Andrew Jackson and his army) across the Tennessee River. Today, you’ll take the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge. This is a great place to picnic! Restrooms available

Meriwether Lewis

Content: At this stop, you’ll find the gravesite of Meriwether Lewis. Lewis (of Lewis & Clark fame) was traveling here in 1809, on his way to Philadelphia to edit his accounts of the great Lewis & Clark expedition when he unexpectedly died. Campground and restrooms available.

Jackson Falls

Content: This is one of the Trace’s most popular sites. A steep, but concreted path takes you down 900 feet to a beautiful small waterfall. There is also a sign to hike to the Baker Bluff Overlook. Don’t take the hike from here unless you are just looking for more feet time. It’s the next stop on the parkway, so why not just drive there! Restrooms available

Birdsong Hollow

Content: This stop is a double-arch bridge that passes over Highway 96. The bridge was completed in 1994 and has won the Presidential Award for Design Excellence. It rises 155 feet from the valley and crosses 1,648 feet. Take the exit, just south of the bridge to view it from the bottom. Then cross the bridge and park (large parking area) to view the bridge from the top.

Loveless Cafe

Content: If you don’t catch a bite to eat in Leiper’s Fork or downtown Franklin, you MUST stop at the Loveless Café! It got its start giving weary highway travelers a meal and place to sleep. It still feeds travelers from all across the globe.

Nashville, Tennesee

Content: A great way to end your Natchez Trace Parkway road trip is to explore Nashville, Tennessee.