April 8 – Natchez Trace
After our delicious lunch at The Tomato Place we headed onto the Natchez Trace to a free campground. As we drove along the quiet, scenic road we saw out of the corner of our eyes a tree begin a slow-motion free fall, directly across the road not 50 yards in front of us! We pulled to a stop to inspect it and saw that the roots were dislodged from the rain saturated ditch at the side of the road. Just then an armadillo crawled out of the canopy, looking none the worse for wear, and scampered away, down the slope to the ditch and swam into the brush.
Just a few more yards and it would have been on top of us!
We had to backtrack and find another route to the campground, we got there just in time to get the very last campsite! We set up and took a hike on the Rocky Springs trail to the ghost town of Rocky Springs. Walking on the sunken grade of the old Natchez Trace in the footsteps of Native Americans, pioneers, merchants and slaves was an experience. We saw more evidence of the rain saturation walking around a mini landslide.
The landslide scar was still fresh!
A trail around the town site was interesting and informative. The only structure still standing is the Methodist church which continued to hold services until 2010!
The approach to the townsite reveals the church appearing to be on a bluff above the trail.
The cemetery behind the church was fascinating to explore.