March 28th being Sunday, Jean and I attended Mass at St. Michael Church in Biloxi. Then, after brunch at Beau Rivage Casino, we started north on the first leg of our trip home. We headed for Jackson Mississippi to hook-up with the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Trace Parkway follows the historic Indian route used to transport goods and individuals, initially by foot and later by horse drawn wagon between Nashville, Tennessee and the Mississippi River at Natchez, Mississippi. Kind of like the Blue Ridge Parkway on sedatives, the 444-mile road cuts a relatively straight-running, asphalt path largely through sparsely inhabited lowlands and marsh. With a 40-mph speed limit and abundant passing zones it made for a picturesque stress-free drive in our older vehicle.
Figure 23. A quiet moment on a walking trail along the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. (March 28, 2004)
Figure 24. A picturesque dining place along the Natchez Trace Parkway. (March 28, 2004)