Natchez, MS -- Rest Day

Monday, October 13, 2003
Distance Cycled: 11 miles
Total elevation gain: 340 feet
Our Total Flat Tires on trip to date: 1

We slept in this morning. We got out of bed at 7:30 AM instead of 6:00 AM. After eating breakfast at the motel, we got our bicycles out of our rooms and headed to downtown Natchez. We stopped at the Natchez welcome center where we watched a video about Natchez. We then headed on a tour of the historic homes in Natchez. Most of these homes were built in the period from 1830 to 1860 when the civil war started. Most of the homes are built of wood, and a few are built of brick. We probably want by 15 or 20 of these homes before the day ended. We ate a light lunch downtown and then headed back to the motel. On the way we stopped and toured Longwood House. In 1860 Haller Nutt, a millionaire cotton planter started the 6 stories house. However, all the workmen came from Philadelphia and when the civil war started, they dropped their tools and fled north. The basement was finished so the family moved into it, thinking that the workmen would be back shortly when the war ended. The war was long and it bankrupt Mr. Nutt. Therefore, the house was never finished but the family or descendants lived in the basement until 1968. The house is now a museum where people can observe this unfinished but beautiful house.

After dinner we returned to the hotel room to complete our chores, such as doing laundry, and writing this.