[29er]

You're in for an adventure! I bicycled it a few years ago, starting in Natchez. It was late September and the farther north I rode, the more colorful were the fall colors. There's lots to see along the way, especially if you have time for some side trips. Natchez itself is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. One could easily spend time there to tour the interesting antebellum homes and other historical sites. It was one of the largest slave markets prior to the Civil War. Other near-the-trail Civil War sites include places strategic to US Grant's campaign including Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Jackson, Champion Hill, Raymond, Vicksburg and Shiloh. The Ruins of Windsor, remnants of an antebellum plantation, are worth the side trip. Corinth, site of another Civil War battle, is not far off the Trace in NE Mississippi. Then, nearby in Alabama, you can stop in at the Key Underwood Coon Dog Cemetery before touring "Tom's Wall" in Florence. It was built, stone-by-stone as a tribute to his great great grandmother who was forced to walk "The Trail of Tears" to Oklahoma. Muscle Shoals is not too far from "Tom's Wall", and you can visit Sheffield, AL where Muscle Shoals Sound Studio produced so much iconic music. The Trace will also take you right by Grinder Station, the site of Meriwether Lewis' death and burial. Once you get to Nashville, you could easily spend a couple of days to visit The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home and burial site), the Grand Ol' Opry, the County Music Hall of Fame, and other places. Enjoy! And send photos of your trip!