On the Natchez Trace with STALKERV6 #29

Since getting #29 roadworthy, I have looked forward to spending idyllic hours touring the many interesting roads and sites in our area of the southeastern US. The region of north Alabama and south Tennessee is rich with historical locations, many of them connected by scenic roads that are best enjoyed with a responsive vehicle. And when the journey can be savored with a good companion, the experience is further enhanced.

My brother, Tim, has been following the Stalker saga with interest, so when our schedules merged with a few hours of downtime, it didn't take much urging to get him to agree to me picking him up for an afternoon of Stalking through the countryside around northwest Alabama. The trip began with a 45 mile drive from my home in Athens, Alabama to Tim's home in Florence. This traverse was handled easily by the Stalker as I blended with 65-70 mph traffic on heavily traveled US72. I have found the Stalker to be a sedate cruiser up to about 65 mph, then the wind buffeting behind the windshield becomes a bit fatiguing during an extended drive. A set of foam earplugs eliminates most of the wind popping in the ears and reduces the exhaust bark to a distant and pleasant rumble. The car tracks very nicely at 65-70 mph and the supple suspension soaks up all but the harshest interruptions in the pavement.

The geography of our area is defined by the Tennessee River which was greatly enhanced by a series of dams constructed by TVA. The dams have created several very large lakes such as Wheeler and Pickwick which see tremendous use by recreational boaters as well as huge tugs pushing long trains of barges. After loading Tim into the Stalker, we set out for a scenic drive via Lauderdale county road 14 which passed through rolling farm land before transitioning into a very nice drive along the banks of the mighty Tennessee. Our destination for this leg was the quaint little burg of Waterloo which nestles on the banks of Pickwick Lake. Our plans to stop in Waterloo for a soft drink were thwarted when we discovered the only store in town had recently burned! But a stop at a small park near a boat ramp gave us a chance to stretch and plan the next leg of the trip.

Ah yes, planning. The very detailed Delorme Alabama and Tennessee Gazetteers proved useful as we "threw a dart" at the maps and decided which way to strike out to intercept the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Trace is part of the National Park System and follows the route of an old trading roadway that connected middle Tennessee with the Mississippi River in southern Mississippi. Similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachians, this road is closed to commercial traffic and is designed to maximize the scenic and cultural value of the area. This map shows the small portion of the Parkway that Tim and I drove during our afternoon excursion. We joined the Trace at Alabama 20 (milepost 336) after ripping through backroads via Murphy Crossroads. Before entering the parkway, we topped the fuel tank; the trip to Florence and our backroad meanderings had resulted in an impressive 22 mpg in the Stalker. At relaxed speeds, the 3.4L engine is content to burble along at small throttle openings as the flat torque curve powers the car effortlessly over hill and dale in fifth gear.

Shortly after resetting our clocks to the leisure pace of the Trace, we crossed the state line into Tennessee. We encountered our first of many Stalker inquires which seem to occur every time the car is stopped. A rather tired-looking Blazer pulled up, the driver hopped out and said, "Is that a Caterham?". This was the first time I had heard Caterham uttered in our NASCAR world of the southeastern US! Seems the Blazer driver is planning a replica Morgan project and was confident that the Stalker had to be some sort of little British sports car. After hearing the Stalker was carrying a 3.4L Camaro under the bonnet, he said, "Check this out". As the Blazer hood creaked open, a '94 Camaro 3.4L came to light complete with all kinds of shadetree computer wiring! But the Blazer was a daily driver and favorite project for it's electrical engineer owner and the 3.4 no doubt provided considerable additional grunt over the old 2.8 that had broken its crank at 200K miles.

After exchanging pleasantries with the Blazer driver, and presenting him with a full throttle blast of the Stalker while leaving the pullover, we settled into a relaxed drive up the Trace. There are numerous historical markers along the roadway that explain how native Americans, merchants and settlers used the old road as they made their way through the woodlands. We saw some wild turkey along the roadside, and no doubt the woods were teeming with the whitetail deer that populate this area.

At milepost 375, we came to Old Trace Drive which is a 2.5 mile, one-way gravel road atop the original Trace roadway. The gravel was well-groomed and very suitable for stalking as we rumbled at low throttle through the quiet woods. It is hard to imagine the effort required by travelers of the Old Trace as they made their way from Tennessee to the Mississippi Delta.

By now Tim had "claimed" the driver's seat which was ok by me since the passenger side is a very comfortable place from which to observe the passing scenery. The deep footwell on the right side allowed me to stretch me legs completely which alleviated the tail-burn that sets in on the driver's side due to the limited leg position and thin seat padding. My next Stalker trip will include the nice Thermorest inflatable cushion that I use in the kayak!

The posted limit on the Trace is 50 mph; we found 55 to be a perfect pace for the gentle contours of the road and one that would not attract the wrong kind of attention from the infrequent constable. We had considered running up the Trace to the terminus near Nashville, but while stopped near Napier we could hear and see a thunderstorm a few miles north of us. We decided to leave the upper end of the Trace, which creates a nice squiggle on the map, to a later trip, so we turned southward and headed back to the Tennessee river.

From the Natchez Trace website:

"The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway commemorates an ancient trail that connected southern portions of the Mississippi River to salt licks in today’s central Tennessee. Over the centuries, the Choctaw, Chickasaw and other American Indians left their marks on the Trace. The Natchez Trace experienced its heaviest use from 1785 to 1820 by the “Kaintuck” boatmen that floated the Ohio and Miss. Rivers to markets in Natchez and New Orleans. They sold their cargo and boats and began the trek back north on foot to Nashville and points beyond."

At mile post 327 the Trace crosses the Tennessee River at Colbert Ferry. Since I was still 75 miles from home and wanted to arrive before dark to avoid the onslaught of insects, we turned eastward toward Florence and Tim's house. The 60 miles of Natchez Trace that we sample in #29 has only whetted our appetite for more trips in the little car; considerable discussion was undertaken about how incredible it would be to enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway from the cabin of the Stalker. I suspect at some point this summer the Blue Ridge will be exposed to the enthusiastic bark of #29 as it climbs and descends the sweeping vistas of the Appalachians.

Just as the sun was setting, I eased #29 back into its berth in my shop with 255 very enjoyable miles having been added to the clock. Even though the driver sported a bit of sunburn and a fresh determination to add some seat padding (to the car, not the driver), as the bugs and grit on the car yielded to a squirt of Simple Green, I contemplated the pleasure of touring in an open car, especially one birthed in my own shop.

The road atlases have been moved to a prominent spot on my desk. See you down the road!

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