// WEEKENDER
Natchez Trace
Parkway Bridge Below : Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
DAY 2 Head over to the Broadway district and try movie producer Tate Taylor ’ s Little Easy cafe on 114 High Street , serving brunch all day from its location at the gateway to the Mississippi Blues Trail . Tate and business partner John Norris have reopened juke joint Smoot ’ s Grocery and established a new film studio as part of the regeneration of the Broadway historic district .
A visit to the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians , a short drive out of town , is fascinating . There ’ s a reconstruction of a tribal dwelling here , plus three authentic ceremonial mounds . The Paleo-Indians would have been present here from 13,000 to 8,000 B . C . but it ’ s thought these mounds ( possibly used for religious practices and / or burials ) were probably constructed in the late Mississippi Archaic between 1,500 B . C . and the arrival of the first Europeans . Visitors can learn about the Indian Removal Act of 1830 , which saw the U . S . Federal Government create an edict to evict these people from their native homes and territorial land , in an event now known as the Trail of Tears .
Back in town , have an early dinner at Fat Mama ’ s Tamales accompanied by a ‘ Knock You Naked ’ margarita . Then head over to Natchez Manor and the newly opened Franklin St . Rooftop Bar for a nightcap .
// ESSENTIALS i R i v e r
M i s s i s s i p p
200 yards
Isle of Capri
Riverside Casino
Broadway
Pearl Street
National Natchez Historic Park
CALL US
NATCHEZ
Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
2 miles
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MISSISSIPPI
Natchez
Mount Locust 20 miles
Arlington Plantation
When to go : This part of the South has a subtropical climate . Therefore , the shoulder seasons of spring and autumn , with temperatures around 70-80F , are the best times to visit as summers can be stormy and humid . Currency : USD Language : English Getting Around : Consider renting a car , particularly if planning to visit attractions outside of the city limits . There are taxis available . Renting a bike is also a good way to get around the city .
To book your trip to Natchez , contact your travel advisor
DAY 3 Venture out of town on the Natchez Trace Parkway , which is under the authority of the U . S . National Park Service . This ancient route was initially formed by mammals , such as bison , woolly mammoth and deer moving across this land tens of thousands of years ago . Soon , the native people hunting them were following this path and it developed into a type of natural highway . Once the Europeans arrived , people known as Kaintucks would assemble rafts and transport goods down river to New Orleans . After exchanging corn , cotton and even the timber from the rafts for flour , oil , and cloth , they would walk back up the Trace . It is a scenic half hour drive up the Parkway to Mount Locust , an erstwhile plantation that became a stop for travelers on the Trace . images : getty ; alamy . Map illustration : John Plumer
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