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Jun 14, 20182 min read

Collecting National Parks - Natchez Trace Parkway Day Five

Missed the first installment of this series?



The kids were so sad to say goodbye to Tishomingo State Park. They loved the campsite with it's great view of the lake and close proximity to the bathhouse. We had a lot planned for the day, though, so we set out!

Destination: Meriwether Lewis Site (mi 385)
Planned stops: Cave Spring, Ivy Green, Glenrock Branch
Soundtrack: Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (audiobook)


Cave Spring (mi 309)


The awesome thing about the Natchez Trace Parkway is that there are literally dozens of quick pull-offs (all notated on the map and by road very clear road signage) that allow you to explore old Indian mounds, or abandoned mines or camps or camps or nature paths...or caves! It wasn't safe to go into these caves, but that didn't stop the boys from lighting up their small kerosene lantern and poking their heads in as deep as they could stretch,


Ivy Green (Helen Keller's Birthplace)


Helen Keller's childhood home is in Tuscumbia, Alabama - another attraction a little jaunt off of the Trace, but since we were so close, we couldn't turn it down.

Shiloh Military Park Battlefield at Natchez Trace Parkway Family Vacation

The house is so much smaller than we expected it would be. Not the sprawling mansion I expected. A docent gave us a tour and pointed out so many interesting things ("This is the china that the Keller family used...the ones that Helen didn't manage to break, anyway."), then we explored the grounds outside, including the cottage where Helen and Annie secluded themselves (it's just outside of the right hand side of the picture - just a few paces from the house!), and, of course, the pump. I've always loved the story of Helen Keller. I've read her autobiography and watched both versions of The Miracle Worker multiple times and the play was one of the first times I was ever exposed to live theater. It was so moving to be in the space where a teacher literally reached into a little girls' silent world and brought her into the light. The boys each bought a braille card from the gift shop and spent the rest of the day in the car trying to learn the letters with their eyes squeezed closed.


Glenrock Branch (mi 364)


This wasn't a planned stop initially, but the baby was getting antsy so we pulled off and found this refreshing creek, stripped shoes and socks off and went wading. Just perfect!


We arrived at Meriwether Lewis site (free, no shower) and picked a great site. Since it was our last night on the trail, we lit a huge bonfire and sang songs and told stories and recounted our highlights. It was probably the most memorable night.



Next up is Day Six of our Natchez Trace Parkway adventure! Did you ever chance a vacation at a spot you weren't exactly sure you'd like? How did it turn out? Sharing is caring! Leave a comment and tell me about it. :)



Check out some of my other travel posts:

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Jun 14, 20182 min read

Collecting National Parks - Natchez Trace Parkway Day Four

Missed the first installment of this series?



For the first time on our trip, we didn't have to start the morning by packing up our campsite. We decided to stay two nights at Tishomingo because of all the things there were to do in the are. Starting with the State Park itself!

Destination: Tishomingo State Park (mi 305)
Planned stops: Shiloh National Military Park
Soundtrack: 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson (audiobook)

Tishomingo State Park


Tishomingo State Part at Natchez Trace Parkway

We live below sea level. Suffice it to say that we get really excited when we hear words like "outcroppings", "drop-offs", "strenuous hike". We could've easily spent the day hiking, but we limited it to a few short-ish trails. They were so much fun that even the three-year-old managed over two miles of up and down terrain on his own two legs. We did the Outcroppings Trail and the Saddleback Ridge Trail.


Shiloh National Military Park


It was about 45 minutes off the Trace, but since it was an opportunity to collect another stamp in our National Park Passport Album, we set aside the afternoon to do it.


We should have set aside an entire day. The visitor center itself it wonderful - artifacts and an amazing 45-minute video (the boys had I had watched it on YouTube before the trip, but we were happy to watch it again, it was that good). But it's the driving tour that's really where it's at. We should have set aside about four hours if we wanted to see everything (and that's if we continued along at a fairly steady pace!) We had only about hour until the park closed.


Shiloh Military Park Battlefield at Natchez Trace Parkway Family Vacation

At the visitor's center, we downloaded an app that provided Park Ranger videos at points along the way and we prioritized the things each of us most wanted to see: Shiloh church, the Hornet's Nest, the spot were Albert Sidney Johnston died. There are dozens and dozens of monuments - where high-high ranking officers fell, where battalions were encamped, monuments for each state's soldiers. We took along the Junior Ranger booklets which had the kids keep an eye out for certain monuments that had key information that they needed to fill in their booklets in order to earn their badges. I can't recommend this stop highly enough. And watching the video (maybe several times) was really the key to having the driving tour be more than just driving through fields and woods.


Stay tuned for Day 5 of our Natchez Trace Parkway adventure! Did you ever chance a vacation at a spot you weren't exactly sure you'd like? How did it turn out? Sharing is caring! Leave a comment and tell me about it. :)



Check out some of my other travel posts:

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Jun 14, 20183 min read

Collecting National Parks - Natchez Trace Parkway Day Three

Missed the first installment of this series?


Natchez Trace Parkway Family Vacation day 3

Started our day at Jeff Busby site and drove quickly to the top of the "mountain" to see the view from one of the highest points in Mississippi. Sorry...but it's underwhelming.


Destination: Tishomingo State Park (mi 305)
Planned stops: Tupelo National Battlefield, Parkway Visitor Center, Brices Crossroads National Battlefield
Soundtrack: 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson (audiobook)

Tupelo National Battlefield (off the Trace)

I am married to a Civil War fanatic. He is always in the middle of at least one book about the Civil War, he has read the biographies / autobiographies of every major (and lots of not-so-major) generals on both sides of the conflict, and he makes a point to stop and tour even the most obscure battle sites whenever possible. As a concession to him, I allowed for three battlefield stops this trip. Tupelo was the first and we were disappointed to find that it was nothing more than a small grassy spot in the middle of the town on Tupelo. There's a monument. That's it. Not the treasure-trove of play-by-play signs that he hoped to find. Not worth the time to stop, even for a die-hard like The Engineer.


Parkway Visitor Center (mi 266)

Because the boys are collecting their Junior Ranger Badges, we were bound to stop at the visitor center. They enjoyed filling out the little booklet that enables them to earn their badge while we ate a picnic lunch. After they were sworn in as Junior Rangers, we headed off the Parkway for another nearby Battlefield.


Brices Crossroads National Battlefield (off the Trace)


We spent some time in an earlier homeschool lesson preparing for the visit to this site. (check out this video for a quick run-down on the battle). From everything I read about Brices Crossroads, I planned for a thirty-minute stop. Read the few signs, ooh and ahh at the cannons, get back into the car and go.


Nope.


You can't do that to an enthusiast. Nearly two hours later, after reading every sign, walking the battlefield and watching The Engineer point this way and that way ("General Forrest is coming with his Cavalry from that direction and - look over here - the Federals are exhausted after that double quick march..."), stopping in at the cemetery to read the names on the headstones, we finally loaded up and left. It was about an hour-and-a-half too long for the mommy and two littlest. But for the grinning Engineer, I guess it was worth it.


Tishomingo State Park (mi 305)


Tishmoningo State Park off the Natchez Trace Parkway

We set up camp for two days here since there was so much we planned to see splintering off from this section of the Trace. It is a beautiful spot! We easily could have vacationed here for an entire week, considering all there is to see in the area and the amazing hiking trails in the park itself. And there was a shower in the bathhouse. With the nights so cold, getting in a warm shower was heaven itself.



Next up is Day 4 of our Natchez Trace Parkway adventure! Did you ever chance a vacation at a spot you weren't exactly sure you'd like? How did it turn out? Sharing is caring! Leave a comment and tell me about it. :)



Check out some of my other travel posts:

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