Last night we enjoyed a fine Italian dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel in Tupelo. The owner came out while we were finishing our desert and played us a tune or two on his concertina. Lots of fun.
Morning departure was a tad later (7:50am) since we had fewer miles today, and a gas fill up was the first order of business.
Then back on the "Trace"
Alan Marsh, aka DC Bubba positioned his 2003 Plus 8 to commemorate this motoring milestone for him and his car.
He tells me that May 12 and 13th, 2010 he drove the entire length of the Natchez Trace in the same car that, in 2004 he drove from John O'Groats to Land's End in Scotland, UK. His mascot, Dudley DoDo rode along on both trips.
On the Trace....smooth road, steady speed, little traffic, nice views, very green. We noted corn crops knee high by the 12th of May. Soy beans were well underway. And, the further north we got the more fields we saw that were fitted out, ready for the growing season. In our home state of Ohio knee high by the 4th of July is the mantra. We must be 6 weeks later in Ohio.
Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark expedition died on the Trace in 1809. This plaque and the memorial monument in the photo below mark his contribution to our history.
Al Marsh provided the photo below that quotes President Lincoln's praise of Lewis. Click on the photo to enlarge it so you can read it.
The Grinder House is where Lewis died of an apparently self-inflicted gun shot. He was 35.
We got off the Trace just shy of the end having driven 429 of its 444 miles, so we could travel to Franklin, TN, a neat little town with great shops and restaurants. There, Anne Leo and Judy Buckly investigate some antiques with orders that they can buy anything they want so long as it will fit in the car.
Despite the forecast for sunny skies, it rained a bit while we were in Franklin. So, hooding was erected on the cars and off we went to Murfreesboro for our overnight at yet another Country Inn's and Suites.
Here is Myron Koenig parking his 1967 Plus 4 two tone roadster, next to my 1991 Plus 8. Twenty five years separate these two cars, but the styling is virtually identical to the casual eye.
Despite the forecast for sunny skies, it rained a bit while we were in Franklin. So, hooding was erected on the cars and off we went to Murfreesboro for our overnight at yet another Country Inn's and Suites.
Here is Myron Koenig parking his 1967 Plus 4 two tone roadster, next to my 1991 Plus 8. Twenty five years separate these two cars, but the styling is virtually identical to the casual eye.A Looooooong driving day tomorrow. About 300 miles with the hood up and 86 degrees forecast. It'll be hot and rainy and the interior of the car will be like a steambath. Hope I have time to write the blog tomorrow before falling to sleep when we get to Asheville.
