Tennessee Mid-Winter Redux

 You may remember a post - https://fultonco.blogspot.com/2021/01/stranded-in-tennessee.html - from last Winter (January 26, 2021), when my wife and I were unexpectedly "stranded" in Middle Tennessee.  Our truck decided to have engine problems, on a Friday evening.  We suddenly found ourselves with time on our hands, over a weekend, while waiting around to have the rough running motor evaluated by a professional.  We soon realized we had landed in a very pretty and historic area that also happened to be within striking distance of Nashville.  We ended up having a great time exploring and bumming around the area.  Since I had my bike along, a few rides on some tremendous backroads in Dickson and Hickman Counties added to the allure of the area. 

Nice backroads for cycling near Burns, Tennessee (Dickson County), in January 2021.

Fast forward to 2022, as the snow, ice, and gloom of a Pittsburgh Winter wore on, we decided to make a return visit to Middle Tennessee over the long Presidents Day weekend.  This time, we grabbed a VRBO offering in Thompson's Station, a rural but growing area to the South of Nashville and adjacent to the historic town of Franklin, Tennessee.  It turned out to be a good decision.

Tennessee (~42,000 square miles) is nearly the same size as Pennsylvania  (~46,000 square miles) but has roughly half as many people.  The population of the Keystone State has increased by approximately 15% since 1980, from 11 million to 13 million people.  However, to the cyclist, the Pennsylvania roadways seem to be a lot more crowded than they used to be.  I'm not totally sure, to what this phenomenon can be attributed but it is reality.

The Volunteer State has seen an increase of more than 33% (from 4 million to 6.5 million) in the past 40 years.  However, it is quite evident that many roads are generally less traveled than they are back home.  The drivers are more courteous, as well.  When they come up behind you, they slow down and wait patiently until it is safe to pass.  The pace of life here seems slower.

I did encounter a few busy roads one afternoon when I headed toward the historic town of Franklin.  The area had some numbered US and State Highways.  There were a couple of local main roads that seemed to lead to some rather extensive and newer housing developments.  I suppose such areas are similar, no matter what part of the country they happen to be located in.

A good example of road conditions between Thompson's Station and Franklin, Tennessee.  Here, the shoulder ends, so there is nowhere for the cyclist to go whenever a line of commuters is either trying to get to work or get home after a long day. 

Thompson's Station is a little further out and more rural but it seems that development is headed there too. A lot of agricultural land exists there.  Some is being sold off and turned into big luxury houses... "Starting from the low $800 thousands" as one sign read.  It's still nice there but you can see the end of an era coming as a seemingly endless supply or people are buying such sprawling and pricey homes in this supposedly tough economy.  Things can't be all that bad if someone is able to make that kind of purchase... or maybe that's why things seem so bad to some folks.  Between the monthly mortgage, the utilities costs for such large homes, and the commuting costs into the big city, stress levels have to be high and that usually translates into more aggressive driving.  Better to go a little further South and West, where the developers and the upwardly mobile have not yet come.

Roads to the West of Thompson's Station are a lot less crowded. 

Tennessee has Winter but it is generally a lot milder that it is in Pennsylvania.  There is no road salt, more sunshine, and the climate is drier.  February here seems a lot more conducive to cycling that it does in Pittsburgh.

Large fenced-in tracts of land with horses, cattle, and large homes may be off limits to most of us but make for scenic and low traffic byways that are wonderful for cycling.

The lay of the land here alternates between rolling and flat farmland.  There are hills but there is not that closed in feeling that exists in the Appalachians where big hills and deep narrow valleys are the norm.  There are open spaces between the hills and some nice long vistas. Bicycle riding in Middle Tennessee is a pleasant workout, without the constant climbing of big hills that is the norm in Western Pennsylvania.  

The view on Gray Lane, Thompson's Station, Tennessee

Another plus to this area is the proximity of the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Due to its national park status, "the Trace" is well-maintained.  Since the road is regulated for recreational use, traffic is often light and devoid of large trucks.  The only trailers that are allowed are those of the recreational variety.  This time of year, I didn't see very many RVs.  On a warm weekend afternoon, it seemed the automobile traffic was largely comprised of sports cars and motorcycles.  Although the working class was out there, blowing off steam, nobody was going very fast.  The speed limit does not seem to exceed 45 mph in most areas that I observed.  All of the recreational motorists were very courteous when approaching from behind and passing. 

On any given day, occasional cyclists can be seen getting a good workout in along the Trace.  The road is quiet, peaceful, has frequent rest areas, and historical attractions as well.  When riding along the Trace, there are significant periods of time when one is alone and unaccompanied  by the usual noise of civilization.  When stopping, often the only sounds are those of the breeze, the birds, and the rustling of the dried leaves on the adjacent forest floor.

Cycling along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

There is a lot of this kind of thing along the Trace.

The gentle flow of the Trace kind of pulls you along so that you want to keep on going to see what lies around the next bend or over the next hill.  One day, I hope to travel all the way to Natchez, Mississippi.  On this ride, I went to the Northern end of the Trace.  Guidebooks say it is 444 miles long.  The last milepost I saw said 442.  Shortly afterwards, there were two ramps, one leading down to and the other up from SR-100.  I went down and was immediately taken away from the serenity and safety of the Trace.  Although Highway 100 has bike lanes, it is noisy and has fast moving traffic.  I turned around and went back up onto the Trace.  Suddenly, all was right with the world again.

This old barn, near Thompson's Station, is perhaps an indicator of days gone by.  It is still peaceful here but maybe not for all that much longer.

Franklin, Tennessee is famous for a civil war battle that occurred there in November 1864.  We toured a place called the Carter House where a guide took us through the sequence of events up to and during the battle.  The US (Union) Army was led by General Schofield and the Confederates were commanded by General John Bell Hood.  In the brutal battle, 10,000 casualties occurred within a one day period.   Schofield's forces were victorious and this battle is seen as the beginning of the end of the Civil War for the South.  

Both armies traveled Columbia Pike, from Spring Hill to Franklin, where the battle occurred.  Today, the trip is lot less arduous.

There are more glamorous places to go in the Winter, to be sure.  But, if you're looking for a Winter getaway, accessible by car and with some good cycling, Middle Tennessee may be the ticket.  We certainly enjoyed the trip, both times.