THE CAROLINAS AND NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY

Preamble

I returned from my summer trip to the UK early October, enjoying fall foliage and some mountain biking over the next couple of weeks back in western North Carolina, courtesy of Les Thompson’s generosity in accommodating my motorhome on his second site at the Mountain Falls Luxury Motorcoach Resort.

Not much water flowing down the Toxaway Falls after a dry summer, the color of the rocks seeming to be in sympathy with the fall foliage that had been slowly turning over the previous couple of weeks.

From here, my trip back to my Texas would be a little less than direct, with two distinct halves – firstly visiting my favorite US city, Charleston, and neighboring Savannah, before then looping back north and through Tennessee in order to connect with the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway which would take me south to Natchez itself, in Mississippi.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2023

Saturday, October 21, 2023 – Lake Toxaway, NC, to Fort Mill, SC

Today it was farewell to the mountains and on to coastal South Carolina.

Having hooked up the Jeep in the “staging” area of the resort entrance, I headed out of the resort and down Route 64 to Brevard, a route much travelled during my late spring stay either for groceries or early morning mountain bike outings on my favorite trails in Dupont National Forest.

I took the easier, though marginally longer, route towards Asheville staying on 64 until reaching I-26 south where I pulled over at the rest stop for morning coffee.

Back on I-26 a short 10-mile run down to the junction with Route 74, a good 4-lane highway although with a stretch of slow traffic and lights going through Shelby. A combination of various interstates took me around the west side of Charlotte, past the airport, and on down to Fort Mill, the KOA campground there conveniently only ½ mile from I-77.

I had stayed at this KOA a few years ago when heading south, diverting there in order to have dinner with an old friend, sailing and diving buddy who sadly passed away in April this year.

Sunday, October 22, 2023 – Fort Mill, SC, to KOA Mount Pleasant (Charleston), SC

A slightly tedious exit from the campground as my neighbor’s truck was parked in such a way that I couldn’t get out of my campsite and to the exit with the Jeep hooked up, so had to take the Jeep down to a staging area at the exit and then return to back the RV out of the site before going down to join the Jeep.

The day’s drive down to Charleston – or Mount Pleasant, to be exact, immediately to the north of Charleston – was a very straightforward drive, on interstates all the way, but seemed to take rather longer than the 200 miles should have, perhaps due to several sets of slow traffic and one hold-up due to a tree branch on the highway. Rather a lot of traffic on the road for a Sunday.

So it wasn’t until late afternoon that I pulled into the KOA campground to get set up in the site where I would be staying for the next three nights.

Monday, October 23, 2023 – Mount Pleasant, SC

A visit to Fort Sumter on the schedule for the morning, via the ferry departing from Patriot’s Point.

From Wikipedia:

“Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island near Charleston, South Carolina to defend the region from a naval invasion. It was built after British forces captured and occupied Washington during the War of 1812 via a naval attack. The fort was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battle of Fort Sumter occurred, sparking the American Civil War. It was severely damaged during the battle and left in ruins. Although there were some efforts at reconstruction after the war, the fort as conceived was never completed. Since the middle of the 20th century, Fort Sumter has been open to the public as part of the Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, operated by the National Park Service.”

I had made the trip to Fort Sumter on my first RV trip south in November 2014, and the intervening years don’t seem to have improved the presentation of the remains of the fort, with several of the more interesting sections roped off and generally looking uncared for.

Got back to Patriot's Point on the ferry a little after 1:00pm

Nothing much in the vicinity in the way of a lunch venue, so detoured on the way back to the campground via Isle of Palms, enjoying a fish sandwich lunch on a restaurant deck overlooking the beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 – Mount Pleasant, SC

Today was Charleston day, starting with a quick visit to the Visitor Center where I parked the Jeep, before walking south to Marion Square where I picked up morning coffee from a very busy Starbucks, which I had hoped to enjoy on a bench in the park... but it was probably the worst Starbucks coffee I’ve had, so most of it went into a trash can.

Headed west from Marion Square across to the Ashley River and the grand houses along Lockwood Drive, and then down to The Battery at the southern tip of the peninsular, pausing for a while in the shade of the trees in the park there, White Point Garden.

Then back north to my favorite street in my favorite city, Tradd Street...

...working my way in a meander east to the Waterfront Park on the Cooper River and finally up to the covered City Market, the area from where the horse carriage tours originate, which I had taken way back in 1998 with my mother when she had been on board my sailboat as I traveled up from Savannah to Charleston via the ICW.

A welcome sit down for lunch was followed by a second disappointment here (after the condition of Fort Sumter yesterday) in discovering that the Ben & Jerry’s store on North Market Street, where I always stopped for a scoop of Coffee Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz ice-cream had closed down.

With no acceptable substitute for my coffee ice-cream craving, it was back to the Visitor Center parking garage where the Jeep was retrieved for the 45-minute drive back to the Mount Pleasant campground.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023 – Mount Pleasant, SC, to KOA, Yemassee, SC

A short day’s drive of 80 miles, looping around the northern side of Charleston and onto Route 17 west.

Although a visit to Savannah was the object of this part of the trip, the nearest acceptable RV campground to the city was on the far west side so I had decided to stop 40 miles short of Savannah to both save the additional round-trip mileage in the RV and to be close to Beaufort on the coast, a small but neat town on the ICW that I had visited often in my sailing days.

Having checked into the campground in Yemassee and had a bite of lunch, I duly drove on down to Beaufort, stopping on the outskirts of town at the Beaufort National Cemetery, which I had not visited before on my many times passing through.

Then had a pleasant stroll through the quiet streets of the “Old Point” residential part of town with its many sprawling live oaks...

...before heading to the main drag to find an ice-cream, enjoyed down at the waterfront park overlooking the marina and anchorage area I had often used.

Headed back to the campground via a quick grocery stop at the Publix on the way out of Beaufort.

Thursday, October 26, 2023 – Yemassee, SC

Drove into Savannah, leaving the Jeep in the parking lot at the Visitor Center before walking down to Forsyth Park and its centerpiece fountain, zigzagging on the route there to take in a few of the less well-known historic squares.

Meandered from there along Bull Street with its more well-known squares and antebellum architecture, and on down to the historic but now overly-touristy waterfront.

Found a restaurant (B Matthew’s Eatery) right on the main road through town, Bay Street, which somehow had managed to not succumb totally to tourist demands and had retained some independent character.

Avoided the temptation to detour to Ben & Jerry’s for the ice-cream I had missed in Charleston, strolled back to the Jeep and headed back over the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, high above the Savannah River to allow large freighters to pass beneath.

Back in Yemassee, drove the 10 miles to Old Sheldon Church Ruins, a spot recommended by the two docents at St Helena’s church in Beaufort who had stayed late to give a quick tour of the church yesterday afternoon. Not quite as interesting as had been made out, and not possible to get close enough for interesting photos as the church ruins were surrounded by a railing.

Friday, October 27, 2023 – Yemassee, SC, to Fort Mill, SC

A relatively long day’s driving from Yemassee back up to Fort Mill, though all on interstates and not feeling like quite the schlepp of the drive down to Charleston, although a similar mileage and most of it on the same roads.

Back into the KOA campground at Fort Mill, though allocated a rather better site this time, with no encroaching neighbor trucks.

Took advantage of the conveniently adjacent Publix grocery store to top up on supplies.

Saturday, October 28, 2023 – Fort Mill, SC, to Kodak, TN

Out of the campground at about 10:30am, having decided to brew coffee before leaving.

A short hop onto I-77 north, looping west of Charlotte and continuing on Route 74, retracing my steps towards Asheville from a week ago.

Pulled off just short of Asheville for fuel and a bite of lunch before tackling I-40, winding and hilly but very scenic, fall foliage attractive in the day’s full sunshine.

A late overnight campground reservation had me pulling off I-40 at the end of the afternoon, getting twisted around at the confusing junction with the highway before finally on to the small road leading to the Dumplin Valley Farm RV Park, where a couple of sections in one of the farm fields had been set up as a campground.

The late booking meant no pull-through sites available, so the Jeep had to be unhooked before I could back into the assigned campsite on the top part of the campground.

Bare essentials – full hookup – but no frills. Just fine by me.

Sunday, October 29, 2023 – Kodak, TN, to Lebanon, TN

Up at sunrise and skipped outside for a panorama shot of the campground.

Hooked up the Jeep and pulled out of the campground for the 2-mile drive back to the junction with I-40, and the day’s straightforward 175-mile drive west, interrupted only by a late morning coffee at a truck stop.

Arrived early afternoon at the KOA campground just outside Lebanon and got set up in the campsite in time to enjoy most of the day’s NFL action.

I had originally booked only one night here but the recent weather forecast had suggested a day of rain tomorrow, which would both get the RV filthy and rather spoil the scenic drive ahead down the Natchez Trace Parkway. Fortunately I was able to reserve a second night so that I could sit out the rain tomorrow, and even more conveniently it was the same campsite I had been allocated, so no need to move.

Monday, October 30, 2023 – Lebanon, TN

Sitting out the rain today, which was initially very light but was heavier in the afternoon.

A few chores accomplished - some interior RV cleaning, laundry, e-mail catch-up – before heading out mid-afternoon to check on the relatively new NIRVC dealership 5 miles away as a potential location for future service work or RV storage.

Made a brief grocery stop in Lebanon on the way back to the campground.

Monday Night Football entertainment in store for the evening.

NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY

Tuesday, October 31, 2023 – Lebanon, TN, to Florence, AL

Waited until mid-morning before making coffee and then heading out to ensure the roads were dry after yesterday’s rain.

Slightly tricky route, heading off the interstate and winding through the southern suburbs of Nashville to reach the starting point (for me, the northern terminus usually considered the end point) of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Although I had driven the parkway previously (in November 2015), that was in a small Class C RV with no vehicle in tow, and I didn’t have a clear enough recollection of the drive to feel confident that my 55’-long motorhome and Jeep combination would be entirely at home, although technically complying (just) with the official parkway restrictions.

Crossed over the Birdsong Hollow bridge only a couple of miles into the drive - quite a dramatic structure when viewed from one side of the valley that it crossed – gradually becoming comfortable that the drive would be fine with my new, longer rig.

A very pleasant day, crispy temperature and blue skies, leaves on the trees still changing – though not the dramatic fall colors of the North Carolina mountains – and the sun low enough in the sky to cast flickering shadows through the trees and across the well-maintained and groomed parkway.

60 miles along the parkway, I decided at the last minute to pull off at the Meriwether Lewis site, even though I recalled this quite well from my previous drive along the parkway.

This site is the graveyard and memorial to Meriwether Lewis who died there rather unexpectedly in 1809 at the age of 35, traveling the Natchez Trace to Washington, DC, with his expedition journals and accounts.

Some rather inconsiderate parking by other visitors required me to drag the RV under a number of overhanging branches to get around the loop around the Meriwether Lewis Monument – branches small enough to not pose a significant risk, but sufficient to add a few marks to the top of the RV awning covers and snag a bracket supporting the slide cover, tearing a small rubber bumper and marking up the cover in the process.

A little over 100 miles of the parkway driven today before pulling off to the town of Florence and a relatively new RV campground outside town, decorated with palm trees and pastel-painted furniture that would have been more appropriate in Florida.

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 – Florence, AL, to White’s Creek Lake Campground, Eupora, MS

A quiet night, slipping out of the slightly funky campground at 9:30am, across the Tennessee River and through Muscle Shoals on the way back to the parkway so that I could make a fuel stop, adding some DEF at the same time.

Another pleasant and relaxing day’s drive, the only major sight-seeing stop at the Pharr Mounds, one of a number of Indian mounds along the parkway, consisting of eight dome-shaped burial mounds across an area of 90 acres, built in the first and second centuries by nomadic Indian tribes.

Shortly after this, just south of Tupelo, a detour off the parkway was mandated as road surfacing was under way along a 17.5-mile stretch of road.

A fairly short run of 35 miles once back on the parkway before pulling off to the small town of Eupora for an overnight stop at White’s Creek Lake Campground.

This had seemed like a reasonable spot when searching and booking online, though small, but the description of the campsites was rather generous and it took considerable maneuvering to get the RV into a position where I had any chance of leveling it out, with the Jeep needing to be unhooked beforehand which rather defeated the point of booking a “pull-through” site.

And no reception on the Starlink system as I was under the pine trees...

Thursday, November 2, 2023 – Eupora, MS, to Natchez State Park Campground, Natchez, MS

Very glad to get safely out of the tight and uneven campsite, Jeep hooked up and out on the single-track road to the highway.

Good weather again today, casting attractive shadows across the road as I drove through the avenue of trees on the gently rolling parkway road. Took a midday break for a stroll through the Tupelo-Bald Cypress Swamp, although the water levels were low and so the area wasn’t actually very “swampy”.

The largely flat route, slow speed (50pmh speed limit) and no stops or maneuvering through towns - wonderful to just drift by Jackson, MS, the only indication of its presence being a few more vehicles on the road - had the mpg in the RV up at record levels, reaching into the low 10mpg range.

It was late afternoon as I approached the final campground on the parkway route, the Natchez State Park Campground, where I had initially planned to check in and drop the RV off in the campsite before taking the Jeep to Emerald Mound. However, the junction for the road to Emerald Mound was immediately opposite the turnoff to the campground and indicated that it was only 1.5 miles distant, when I had it in my mind that it was 10 miles away.

So I made a slightly tricky U-turn as I crossed Route 61 and headed back to the Emerald Mound road with the full rig – not such a smart move in the end, with several low overhanging tree limbs and a tight parking spot at the mound itself.

Emerald Mound is quite an impressive sight – a natural hill transformed into an 8-acre flat-topped mound, built over the centuries between 1200 and 1500 as an Indian ceremonial center for trade, ritual sporting contests and social, political and spiritual events. The second largest mound structure in the US.

A slow drive back to the parkway (trying to avoid low tree branches) and on a couple of miles to the largely empty campground, setting up in a convenient pull-through site near a lake.

Friday, November 3, 2023 – Natchez, MS, to Martin Diez Jr State Park, Jasper, TX

Glanced out of the window first thing to see the morning sun rising above mist on the tree-stump-strewn lake, quickly dragging on some reasonably warm clothes to head down there with my camera, arriving just in time to get a few shots before the sun began to burn off the mist.

Wound my way out of the park around 10:00am, deciding to jump back onto the Natchez Trace Parkway for the final 9 miles to the southern terminus in Natchez...

...a last taste of calm and empty roads before weaving my way through downtown Natchez and then out of town and onto the "Meccano-set" girder bridge over the Mississippi River into Louisiana.

The direct route west to Jasper, TX, unexpectedly interrupted when I drove past a sign announcing a low bridge 10 miles up the road, overhead clearance 12’ 3”.

This is exactly the nominal height of the RV, but I wasn’t interested in finding out the hard way whether I was an inch or two higher or the actual clearance maybe an inch or two lower.

So I pulled over to figure out a plan, using Google maps to confirm what was ahead – the low clearance due to an older bridge over the Sabine River - eventually deciding I had no choice but to make a 20-mile detour north to cross the river where it exited the huge Toledo Bend Reservoir.

Rather smaller and rougher roads than I would have chosen to be on, but no other option.

Finally back on the main route with 30 miles remaining to Martin Dies Jr State Park on the west side of Jasper. A U-turn required after checking into the ranger station in order to head back out to the section of the park on the north side of the highway, weaving through fairly tight roads in the campground to reach my designated campsite.

As it was quiet in the short side road my campsite was on, I decided to unhook the Jeep and put it at the back of the campsite before backing in the RV, intending to hook up before leaving.

Campground increasingly busy as the afternoon wound down, with families showing up for their weekend’s camping.

Saturday, November 4, 2023 – Jasper, TX, to Washington, TX

Started the day with a 3-mile run, out to the campground entrance and back, in fairly crisp weather.

Topped up the freshwater tank to postpone as long as possible the next tank management exercise once back in my spot at Les’s place in Washington.

Having put the Jeep into the campsite behind the RV with the intention of hooking up in place and then driving the full rig out, further consideration of the rather tight exit from the campsite suggested this was perhaps not the smartest idea.

So the RV was extracted first, with a little shuffling required to get lined up for departure, Jeep then hooked up before heading onto the exit road from the campground, pulling over at a paved spot I had noticed during my run in order to brew morning coffee.

Finally out onto the highway at about 11:00am for the relatively short 160-mile run back to home base.

An uneventful run back, though with a slow grind through Saturday morning congestion in downtown Livingston.

Stopped at the QT gas station in Navasota to top up the diesel tank, driving back through the gates into Les’s place at about 3:00pm.

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