JULY | AUGUST 2019 169tool in helping plan a trip. Because we were limited to four
days—one for traveling from Memphis to Natchez and three
for exploring Mississippi’s Natchez Trace—we chose the plac-
es we wanted to see ahead of time, mainly from Natchez Trace
Travel’s Top 30 Favorites, which gives you the milepost num-
ber where you should exit the parkway for each landmark.
The day we drove from Memphis to Natchez, we stayed
overnight at Clermont Bluffs Bed & Breakfast, 42 Cemetery
Rd., Natchez, 601.653.1120, clermontbluffs.com, owned by Troy
Bickford and Doug Adams. It is a beautifully renovated and
appointed Colonial Revival home right next to Natchez Na-
tional Cemetery. We enjoyed dinner that night at Cotton Al-
ley Café, 208 Main St., Natchez, 601.442.7452, cottonalleycafe.
com, which had a nice, relaxing atmosphere, delicious food,
and good, friendly service.
Early on the first day of our Natchez Trace journey, I
walked to the cemetery—a very humbling experience, with
the same reverence one feels at Arlington National Cemetery
when seeing the thousands of simple, uniform grave markers
of those who sacrificed so much for what they believed.
Before leaving Clermont Bluffs, we enjoyed a breakfast of
quiche, poached pears, light and thin biscuits, and preserves
like my grandmother used to make, coffee, and juice. Then we
drove to the Natchez Visitor Reception Center, 640 S. Canal
St., Natchez, where we gathered information and watched a
film about the history of the city. From there, we entered the
Natchez Trace Parkway and traveled to Milepost 10.3, Em-
erald Mound, covering eight acres—it is one of the largest
mounds in the United States. It was built and used from AD
1300-1600 by the Mississippians, forerunners of the Natchez
Indians, and was the site not only for temples, but also for cer-
emonies and burials of civic and religious leaders. Emerald
Mound is still used today for Native American gatherings.
At Milepost 12.4 we saw Loess Bluff, formed during the
Ice Age, when glaciers covered the northern half of our coun-
try, while dust storms ripped through the western plains and
carried 30 to 90 feet of windblown sediment or “loess” to the
Loess Bluff area. It landed on a preexisting clay-and-sand
base from an ancient sea to form the bluff you see today.
My favorite stop along the Natchez Trace was at Milepost
122, Cypress Swamp, easily understandable as to why it is a
Top 30 Favorites pick. It’s an excellent place to stretch your
legs for an intriguing 15-minute trail walk among water tu-
pelo and bald cypress trees. Occasionally, you’ll see alligators
cruising in the swamp below the boardwalk.
In Kosciusko, the birthplace of Oprah Winfrey, we exited
for the night at Milepost 160 and stayed at Ivey Lane Bed &
Breakfast; 211 S. Madison St.; Kosciusko, 601.540.0612, ivey-
lanebb.com, owned by BJ and Lane Jenkins. This charming
5,200-square-foot Queen Anne-style home is on the National
Register of Historic Places, and many original features were
preserved when it was renovated with a beautiful new addi-
tion. That evening, we enjoyed dinner at Old Trace Grill, 719
Veterans Memorial Dr., 662.289.2652, for Southern-comfortmile
post
12.4mile
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122
mile
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160