2. Natchez Trace

2) Natchez Trace

No Traffic On the Trace

The ride down was uneventful. We had no problems at all. Riding to New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) was a straight forward ride. We did not take the Interstate system very much, we used, as much as we could, local roads. We even, for a long stretch rode the Natchez Trace. The Trace is a road with a long history and a beautiful ride. If you ever get a chance, ride the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Natchez Trace. It’s a great way to go from north to south or vice versa.

Colbert's Ferry Ran Near This Picnic Spot. Bridge in Background

We stopped to see the George Colbert Ferry, a nice spot and there is lots of history all around. He was a half Scot, half Chickasaw Indian Chief and he charged people to cross the Tennessee River but also guaranteed safe passage across. He once charged Andrew Jackson $75,000 to ferry his Tennessee Army across the River. Colbert’s Stand (Inn) was used by travelers on the Trace.

Meriwether Memorial

We also took the time to talk to a worker at the Meriwether Lewis Memorial.  On Oct. 11, 1809 Meriwether Lewis was found dead on the trace. Some believe he killed himself… you can do some detective work and find out the true story behind the memorial that was erected in his name on the Trace.

Ah, the Natchez, it has so many memories, going way back. This road started off as a path used by American Buffalo travelling from the flat areas in the south to the Salt Licks further north. The Buffalo set it up, laid it out. They used the low ridges to have a safer passage from predators, afraid of being caught in the valleys where they could not see danger coming. 

It then became an Indian Trail, used for hunting but also for trade. It was a walking trail at first. The layout of the road is very, very natural. Not much modern development happens along the way. Modern roads use a different approach of travel, cars are better in the valleys, but the Buffalo had their natural instinct to rely on.

Walking the Sunken Trace a Few Years Ago

The road became ‘famous’ when European settlers in the Ohio Valley

shipped goods down the Ohio River and then the Mississippi River. The settlers would build a raft out of good timber, load it up with pottery, woven goods, hides, etc. and then float it down the rivers, going ever south. Once they reached Natchez, (a few went as far as New Orleans) they would sell all their stuff, including the trees they used to build the rafts. Now having their pockets full of money they needed to walk or ride back north. Yes, the only good ‘road’ was the Trace, the Natchez Trace. But it was not a walk in the park. Robbers, thieves, etc. knew, too that those people now had money and highway robbery was very common then. Imagine a lonely guy walking north, pockets full of

Riding the Old Original Trace

money and totally alone in nothing but woods, swamps and wild life. There was no guarantee that this man would be able to walk back to his home in the Ohio Valley, or even as far as Pittsburgh, PA. The Natchez Trace alone is 450 Miles long (720KM) from Natchez to Nashville, a long way to walk back. It was a dangerous road to travel on, it even is dangerous in some spots if you ride a motorcycle on the OLD Trace. 

We rode part of the ‘OLD’ Trace. It is a

Beautiful Ride on the Old Trace

section with gravel, mud, sand and it can be rough riding.  Not good if you don’t ride an off-road motorcycle; kind of dangerous, too if you need gas. Make sure you are gassed up before you go this way.

Carol and I prefer this kind of riding. To sit on the small seat on an Interstate for hours on end does not appeal to us, we like the local flavor; we believe we see and experience more of the ride. We do this wherever we go. It is one of the reasons we prefer to ride alone and not with the Club. To ride as a very large group is

The Cypress Swamp

not enjoyable for me. Anything over 4 motorcycles is already a crowd. Carol and I are like a team now; we know what each other might do, what the other prefers, where they prefer to stop, etc. We have established a kind of routine that we follow. We stop after a certain time to have a washroom stop, we get gas when Carol’s bike is about 3 bars and we keep in touch while riding via the intercom system we have in the helmets. The Trace really is a mild, relaxing ride if you stick to the tarred road. 
 

Does He Look Like He Enjoyed the Ride?

New Orleans Trip - 1. Getting Ready

1. Getting Ready for the Trip

http://www.neworleansonline.com/

300 years old

http://www.neworleansonline.com/news/2017/Jun/tricentennial.html

How long does it take to ride your motorcycle from Toronto to New Orleans? Oh, I know, some people do it in a day. Some of our guys rode it in 2 days something, but Carol and I allowed 4 days to get there. Mainly because I needed my 600-mile service on my new bike and that service had to be done in the U.S. 

Muffler Had to Come Off Before Adding Saddle Bag Mounts

I ride a new, 2018, U.S. registered bike and the very first inspection on a brand new bike is important. The dealer, where I bought the bike in Buffalo, NY, closed his shop for motorcycles and I had not ridden my full 600 miles before his closing.

I needed someone close enough for the service, but not too far, either. I checked on line, there was no ‘qualified’ BMW certified dealer near Buffalo. 

I had a hard time finding a dealership with a Service Dept. that could help. I looked everywhere in NY State but most BMW shops are on the east side of the State, nothing on the west or north side.

Saddle Bags Needed Before a Trip

 

One additional option was to go south from here; just ride south and I am bound to find a dealer on the long trip to New Orleans.

Well that is what I thought and…

I used the GPS dealer list to find a dealer … and I was right; I found a dealership in New Philadelphia, OH.

Mathias BMW was there to help.

Bigger Side Stand Foot Added Before We Left

We left Toronto on the 6^th of May and I had the 600-mile service done on the 7^th. My calculations were spot on, because the odometer on the bike read 629 miles when the bike went in for the checkup.

Each year during spring, our Canadian Motorcycle Club  plans a somewhat longer trip to get rid of the winter hibernation mood most Canadian motorcycle folks are in.

This year, it was decided, we are going to see an ‘old’ comrade who originally was from New Orleans and moved back ‘home’ a few years ago from Mississauga, Ontario. I guess the club misses Ken, the man who went ‘home’.

I do not remember how many people went on this first club ride for 2018 but it was a good turnout. The logistics were handled by Jack Gucciardo. He did a good job. Laying out the route, finding hotels on the way, setting up the overnights in New Orleans, etc. takes a lot of work, Thank you Jack. Sure he had help from the local man Ken, but…you know the saying, walk a mile in my shoes to see how difficult it is to do anything. Jack did great.

Ready to Ride

I had to get used to riding my new bike. The ergonomics on the new bike are not yet set up to fit me. I am tall and as every rider knows, the riding position needs to be made to fit my body. The bike, new or not, needs adjustments and farkles. Carol and her bike had no issues, she rode like a champ, but for me, my wrists hurt, I was leaning forward too much. My legs cramped up because they are angled wrong. It takes some time to fiddle with those adjustments; it takes miles to find your best position on a bike.

We rode about 400 miles (650 km) a day, and then just settled into any hotel we saw at the side of the road. The U.S. is easy that way, there are hotels in every town and there sure are lots of towns. The total distance from Toronto to New Orleans, with the detour to see the dealer in Ohio, was around 1450 Miles. So you can see we needed about 3 plus days riding at our speed.

69) Scotland, PA

Scotland, PA

We reached PA and from now on we feel we are ‘home’.

Well, kind of home, anyway.  

Unloading stuff for Michelle; passing out gifts for others, just getting wound down ends the day for us.

This is the end of the report blog of the S. America Cruise…

All we have to do now is drive a bit more North to Canada. that is it for the report.

From here on in, it’s regular living until we go on our next trip…   bye