Day 6: Part II - Tennessee

11:30 PM |

Note: this part II of day 6 -- please read part I first.

Since we’re not on a major highway there isn’t a large welcome center after we cross the border into Tennessee, but when we follow a sign for visitor info it directs us to the Wayne Co welcome center which is located only a short distance off the Trace. They have a little stand with brochures in the parking lot so I don’t even have to go inside to get another state map for my collection.

We stop at the small picnic area along Glenrock Branch, set just below the parkway where a gentle creek curves along a steep limestone cliff.

Hey! Somebody walked into my picture

Curious rock formation

Lime stone bluffs on the right

There’s a scenic trail off the modern Trace that follows the route of the original Trace. It curves and winds through the mountains. Supposedly there are three overlooks along the way, but we only manage to find two of them.

In summer, Metal Ford is a popular destination for families to spend the day and splash in the Buffalo River, but it’s deserted when we get there. Still I am not to be deterred (bikini is in my day pack just in case) and the water is cool, but not cold so it’s all looking good … except the footing is SO bad! Sharp, little rocks that shift as you walk on them. Ouch! So much for the metal-like smooth bottom stones the place was named after.

The next stop is one of historical significance; the gravesite of Meriwether Lewis of the famous Lewis & Clark expedition. Whether he was murdered or committed suicide remains a mystery to this day.

Marker placed by the Daughter's of the Revolution. They played an important role in the preservation of the Trace Parkway by placing markers in every county to trace the route with accuracy.

We both love waterfalls so we’re really looking forward to the next stop, when suddenly, with a mile to go the Trace is closed up ahead and we’re forced to take a detour. Luckily it gets us back just in time!

My guidebook spends surprisingly little time describing the stop at Fall Hollow. Kind of a disservice to such an awesome place.

The trail starts out with a short paved section leading to a 20ft waterfall. It’s nice, but there’s more of a trickle down a slope instead of a straight drop and the view is partially obscured by trees.

View from the overlook

For the more adventurous there are several unimproved trails leading to other waterfalls, some small and gentle, others large and cascading straight down. Nothing makes me happier than navigating tricky mountain slopes and watching waterfalls so while Sandy admires the view from the top I check out the other falls.

Little waterfall

Loved this one! Picture doesn't do it justice :-(

Same one seen from the side

We stop at another overlook, but the light is unfavorable for pictures and we have a concert to go to tonight so we quickly move on to Jackson Falls. This one requires a 900ft descent to the foot of the falls, but it’s all paved so it’s actually easier to get to than most of the falls at Fall Hollow.

The next stop is another overlook, this time of quaint farming land complete with silos and cattle.

Just as we're pulling out of the parking lot a flock(?) of wild turkeys run across the road

Remember how I said earlier that there are only two surviving structures left from the Trace’s early 1800s. Mount Locust was one of them, Gordon House is the other. It was bought by the National Park Service, but to date it remains closed to the public although plans exist to turn it into an exhibit.

The Water Valley overlook is one of the most beautiful if you can ignore the power lines that cut through the landscape.

Cropped it so you can't see the power lines ;-)

We stop at Garrison Creek because it’s a popular stop for horseback riders, but other than hitching posts and piles of horse poop there is no evidence of horse activity when we’re there. I left my camera in the car so no pictures of the creek … it was smaller and less impressive than the other ones we’ve seen anyway.

Orange tree in the parking lot

The guidebook recommends leaving the Trace to visit the “quirky” town of Leiper’s Fork so we do. It's probably not worth a stop though unless you have lots of time on your hands ...

Cute litlte house

Our last stop is the often photographed Hwy 96 Double Arch Bridge. You can pull over right after the bridge and walk across to take pictures of the valley below, then take the car and drive into the valley for a picture of the bridge. Unfortunately the sun is already very low on the horizon leaving the bridge almost completely cast in shade.

Valley

And then, at mile 444, it’s over – the Natchez Trace Parkway ends! Here's another short movie to celebrate our amazing journey:

It’s a bit of an adjustment re-entering the real world, with multi-lane highways, fast food joints, billboards and traffic lights everywhere you turn, but there’s no time to stop and think; we have a concert to get to!

Nashville skyline

We’re both famished so we decide to duck into the Mall by the Opry and head to the food court, which of course is located on the opposite end of the mall and we can’t find a cut-through. There really isn’t any time to eat so we order fries and a burger at Burger King, which takes a really long time to get ready … so much for fast-food! No time to sit down so we do the best we can eating on the go as we’re hurrying back.

Luckily things move very quickly after we’re able to find a parking spot and we get to our seats with time to spare. The seating arrangements are really cool; long plush benches set on a steep slope to allow everyone a clear view of the stage while creating a communal feeling.

Pam Tillis kicks off the night

The Grand Ole Opry is a country music landmark and home of the longest running continuous radio show. Today’s concert too is part of a live show, with the MC reading out ads for both local and national chains in between acts.

Hillarious singing cowboys

Today show honors one of America’s first, and most famous, country comediennes Minnie Pearl and so the acts are divided between singing and comedy.

Picture of Minnie Pearl -- with trademark pricetag hanging from her hat.

Newcomer Anita Renfroe

Amy Grant and her husband Vince Gill

What a great show!

Picture of the outside

For our last night I Pricelined a ridiculously upscale hotel, the Sheraton Music City. Oh, the look on the concierge’s face as we dragged our rumpled, muddied selves across their grand foyer to check in haha.

The fries from Burger King tasted kind of funny (and upset my stomach) and I only ate a few before throwing the rest away so with minutes to spare we place an order for room service. Might as well enjoy staying someplace fancy!