Today I rode the entire length of the Natchez Trace Parkway . 444 miles of the same sort of road as the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fantastic riding the entire way. Started with a breakfast at the 'world famous' Loveless cafe just before the Parkway.
Stopped for lunch at the French settlement. "Where you from?"; the usual opener. After we had dispensed with the usual tale we got round to talking about all sorts of interesting things."I've seen a lot of sites commemorating the civil war. Is it still important?" I asked.
"It is, but not as much as it was. Until a few years ago, we would still say Damn Yankees, if we heard the accent. Its not so bad now".
"See the visitor centre? Its a cabin a black family used to live in. It was moved from 5 miles up the road. I went to school with the kid who lived there. We still work together at the saw mill actually".
"I guess things have changed a lot?"
"Well racism isn't as bad as it was but we still live seperately. We work together but he mixes with people and we mix with ours. We were Troopers together and it was the same then. His people liked to be together and ours did too". I thought at first that shows there is still a hangover but thinking further I dont suppose its any different anywhere really. hmmm.
I getting close to running out of fuel as I approached the end of the Parkway so pulled off a few times looking for a town.
Ha! A town! At each T junction the signs pointed left and right indicating a town at 20 miles in each direction. Hmm, wouldn't get back if there was no gas station (and that isn't out of the question). So you can imagine how happy I was to find a sign which indicated a town at 1 mile away.
There were ramshackle buildings on either side of the road when I pulled over to ask a guy if there was a gas station nearby. "Sure" he said "Just down the road". "Say, that's a nice looking bike. Will you let me ride it?". I was nervous enough about stopping let alone somone 'trying out the bike'. There were about 50 guys on one side of the road drinking from bottles in bags listening to the loudest Rap I have heard and 20 on the right side all starting to take a keep interest. I pretended I didn't understand what he said, gave him a smile and thanks and steered around him.
It wasn't much better at the gas station. It was where they purchased their alcohol and they were having a ball on the forecourt also. Never mind, a cheery smile and a wave and I'm on my way... But glad to be out of it.
Arrived in Natchez, tired but having had a great day.
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