Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN - The Final Cycling Hoorah!

It has been over two weeks since our last post, and it certainly feels like a lot of time has passed!  Neil and I have reached the tail-end of our cycling adventure and we feel pretty chuffed to have successfully reached the goals we set out to achieve.

In the last four and a half months we have cycled over 5000km in over a dozen states or provinces of Canada and the US. It has been without a doubt the most challenging and rewarding experience with respect to personal development, relationship growth and physical endurance. We have been gifted incredible hospitality and generosity from countless kind people, many of whom have inspired us with their great philosophy for life.  We have had hours upon hours of time lost in thought as we cycled quietly, or enthusiastically revealing our take on any given issue, devising plans for the future or nutting out exactly what we are going to do with our (many) small business ideas.  This trip has enriched our bodies, mind and our relationship in so many ways - we count ourselves very lucky!

After leaving New Orleans kicking and screaming and arriving in Natchez, Mississippi, we set off on the Trace headed for Nashville - 12 days and 444 miles away.  As we quickly discovered, Natchez to Nashville is mostly all uphill - initially a very slight incline for the first six days, followed by rolling hills for the last six days.  The road was quiet and beautiful with our arrival just in time to catch the lovely autumn colours and falling leaves.  Overall there were very few cars (compared to many other roads we have cycled), and any that did pass slowed down or gave us plenty of room.  We stayed in a mix of campgrounds and bed and breakfasts throughout the Trace, with more of the latter due to the the overall lack of cheap camping options.

Mount Locust Plantation

The definite highlights of the ride were the little towns we visited and BnB's we stayed at along the way.  We were again fortunate to experience the wonderful southern hospitality from everyone we met.  Our first night was spent in Port Gibson (Mississippi), in a beautiful 1880's historic bed and breakfast.  We met the most friendly and hospitable owner - Bobbye, who was a proud Trump supporter and more than happy to tell us about the commemorative "Make America Great Again" plate she had made to further support President Trump. Luckily for us, the jibes about Trump were volunteered by another man who was also a guest at the house (though she got the final laugh it seems).

Bobbye's Bed and Breakfast

The following night we found ourselves about 6km off the trace in the town of Learned, with a population of approximately 100.  We stopped in at the very old local store (circa 1890s) and met the most energetic, enthusiastic and bright-eyed girl serving us.  She had 101 questions about Australia, wanting to know anything and everything about what we eat, what words are different, what is the temperature like and what kind of animal ya'll got there? All this with a strong Mississippian accent which was straight from a movie.

After saying our farewells to our young friend we cycled onto Harmony Farm Bed and Breakfast to meet our wonderful hosts Nancy and Bill.  After showing us to our fantastic cottage, Nancy explained she was soon to feed the horses if we would like to join.  We jumped at the offer and for the next two hours helped Nancy round up and feed six horses, two donkeys, one pony and a bull calf.  It was a magical experience being surrounded by these majestic and powerful mammals, and we very quickly discovered their different personality traits and quirks.  It was really a fun and memorable evening, especially as I narrowly avoided being mauled by the skittish bull - it's a good thing I'm quick on my toes! Nancy offers equine-assisted psychotherapy at Harmony Farm, and as a Clinical Mental Health Nurse, it was fascinating talking to her about her work.  She and her husband Bill are passionate about animals great and small, environmental conservation, English literature and travel. Overall, it was really special being able to meet them and enjoy the peaceful refuge of the farm.

The next morning after meeting more animals on the farm (doves, rabbits, chickens, koi, goat, pig, cockatoo), Neil and I continued up Mississippi towards the capital Jackson.  We were very fortunate to find the multi-use bicycle trail which took us off the increasingly busy trace as we neared the city, returning us as the traffic dissipated.  We spent the next few days cycling through Mississippi, into Alabama and quickly found ourselves in Tennessee.  We camped in pretty campgrounds or stayed in motels depending on our location and mood. There were times when we struggled mentally, which is ironic given the Natchez Trace has been some of the most gentle cycling on our trip. Whether it is the extended nature of our trip or the amazing time we had in NOLA (or both), we were getting a little tired of life on the bike. There were a few conversations about how we might get to the finish with an engine, however we are definitely glad we persevered.

For the much anticipated US election we needed a T.V, so we headed into the town of Collinwood to Miss Monetta's Cottage, a lovely big, warm and comfortable renovated home.  With beers, chips and salsa at the ready and a curry at the simmer, we began watching the election, filled with a sense of anticipation. The election has cast a significant shadow over our time here, and the memories of our adventure will no doubt be fused with those of the uglier nature of the campaigns. Well...we all know how it turned out and will leave political discussion to the pundits. Suffice to say, there are a lot of Americans who are in mourning.

Election night - before things went South

The next morning we continued on to Fall Hollow Campground, where we met yet another sweet and hospitable southerner who offered to arrange breakfast for us at the BnB connected to the campground.  After surviving the first night of frost for the season we were welcomed up at the BnB by the owners and their guests to enjoy a traditional southern feast of eggs, biscuit and gravy and strong black coffee. It was another great chance to mingle with friendly folk which has definitely become a favourite part of our time here.

A good breaky always helps the first 20kms, so we made fairly light work of our ride to Leipers Fork where we were being hosted by Warmshowers members Phil and Susan.  Historic Leipers Fork is the most picturesque little town, with large green farming paddocks, a quaint village, beautiful houses and a gorgeous little whiskey distillery.  Celebrities including Nicole and Keith, Justin Timberlake and Johnny Depp all have houses in or nearby this village.  We had a really fun time staying with Phil and Susan, who offered us our own room, a delicious meal and honest conversations.  Susan is a host on a well-known travel TV show called Tennessee Crossroads (of which we were given a sneak peek), and again Neil and I walked (or rode) away from our stay hoping to take away even just a slice of Phil and Susan's philosophy on how to lead a good life and raise well-rounded children.  Thank you Phil and Susan, we will definitely visit again!

Leaving Leipers Fork marked the final day of travelling as 'touring cyclists', and we were to ride the approximately 30km to our lunch stop at the infamous Loveless Cafe on the outskirts of Nashville, which officially marks the end of the Trace. After a celebratory feed, we slowly cycled the final 30km into the city using the very lovely Music City Bikeway, passing many different neighborhoods ranging from those beautiful estates of old money, to the inner city projects. Our accommodation (Downtown Nashville Hostel) was in the heart of the city, and we arrived at dusk with a mixture of feelings - accomplishment, excitement, relief and a bit of sadness.

Luckily the adventures are not over, and we now move onto the next chapter (sans bicycles)! We will leave our time in Nashville for the next installment.

Celebration drinks!