Mississippi: Natchez Trace & the Antebellum South Bike Tour
Our Natchez Trace tour offers the best of the antebellum South traditional hospitality, early American history, and distinctive architecture. Magnolia trees and moss-draped oaks add a charming flavor to quiet country roads. Classic Adventures enjoys the distinction of being the original: the first bicycle touring company to offer the Natchez Trace tour. In its 33rd consecutive season, this tour offers incredible, unmatched value, in terms of lodging, dining, itinerary, experienced guides, and customer service. Dale Hart set out in 1985 to research this exciting new destination. Today we rank it among one of our best offerings.
We invite you to call for a detailed price comparison and description of our lodging and restaurants. If experience counts, then our guides 30 years of expertise and historical knowledge cannot be surpassed.
Not only will we visit many classic mansions, we'll lodge in several. Our lodging accents Southern splendors at Old Capitol Inn (Jackson), Anchuca Mansion or Baer House Mansion (Vicksburg), and the acclaimed Natchez Grand Hotel situated on the banks of the Mississippi (Natchez), truly a showpiece of the South.
Gourmet specialties such as sweet potato pie, Cajun catfish, and mint juleps offer sweet rewards at day's end. A tour of Longwood Mansion and poignant accounts of the Civil War give pause to appreciate our nation's heritage.
Much of our cycling winds along the Natchez Trace Parkway, a gentle, park-like route which abounds in cultural and scenic delights. Enjoy a short walk on the old sunken trace, the footpath where travelers journeyed north toward home. Visit Mount Locust, an old tavern/inn that provided simple lodging for weary Trace travelers in the 1800's. Off the parkway, gentle country roads include stops at Windsor Ruins, Rocky Springs, and the mysterious Emerald Mound (Indian burial ground).
Daily Itinerary
(Includes all breakfasts, 3 picnic lunches, 4 dinners, airport transfers, full van support, fully equipped bicycles both hybrid and road bikes)
Day 1
Afternoon transfer from Evers International Airport (Jackson, MS) airport to our hotel in downtown Jackson. Bike fitting, orientation, wine reception, followed by an exquisite welcome dinner. Lodging: Old Capitol Inn Jackson.
Day 2
Along the Trace, visit Rocky Springs, a once thriving but now abandoned village, and hear its intriguing story. In Port Gibson, the town General Grant said was too beautiful to burn visit the historic city hall, churches, and one of Mississippi's oldest synagogues. Enjoy the stark beauty of Windsor Ruins, one of the state's largest antebellum Greek mansions. Lodging: Anchuca Mansion or Baer House in Vicksburg. (18, 36 or 47 miles)
Day 3
Cycle Vicksburg National Military Park, after your guide reviews the siege of Vicksburg, perhaps one of the most important battles to take place during the Civil War. Picnic at U.S.S. Cairo Museum and see the old iron-clad battleship. Visit the Old Courthouse Museum to relive history close up. (14 or 22 miles + 2 hours of sightseeing)
Day 4
En route to Natchez, stop at Mount Locust, a restored historic inn/hotel. Stop at Coles Creek, which adds a scenic backdrop for a leisurely picnic lunch on the Trace. In Natchez, lodge at Natchez Grand Hotel. (31 or 44 miles) Take an evening horse-drawn carriage ride or saunter down to Natchez Under The Hill. Dinner on your own tonight.
Day 5
Morning visit to Longwood Mansion, followed by a ride around historic Natchez through Spanish moss-draped magnolia and dogwood trees, and past plantation homes. Investigate Emerald Mound, built by ancestors of the Natchez Indians. (AD 1400) Lodging: Natchez Grand Hotel. Dinner at the renowned Sunnyside Mansion. (18, 28, or 42 miles)
Day 6
Morning transfer to Jackson airport or first inn for your return home. (arrival to Jackson by 11:30 AM) If you are flying out immediately after the tour, book your flight for after 12:15 PM.