Page 20 - Preview

picked Bradon Hall (completed 1856) mainly because it is immediately off the NTP. Brandon Hall’s owner lives there and interacts with guests throughout the tourist season. Everything about the experience was charming, from the delightfully mixed company at the breakfast table to strolling the rolling grounds to evening drinks on the upper veranda with the owner and/or fellow guests. Many such mansions are available for guided tours, whether museums or B&Bs. Some are opulent beyond description, while others are more subdued. Our favorite one was never even finished.
Longwood Mansion is the largest octagon house in the U.S., containing six levels and 30,000 square feet of living space, topped by an onion dome. The exterior was completed during 1860-1861. Artisans from the northeast were in the early stages of interior work when word of the war reached them. The men dropped their tools and escaped north while they still could. Only the first floor (a semi-basement level) was completed. Owner Haller Nutt lost much of his fortune in the war years and died in 1864. His widow lived in the finished first floor until her death in 1897 and her children for decades more. The upper five levels were never finished and are preserved almost exactly as they were the day the workers left. Today, the living level remains much as it was in the 19th century. The unfinished upper levels offer a fascinating glimpse into the engineering and architectural genius designed into the unique mansion, with all the exposed structures (consisting of 1 million bricks) in full view. Any tour of Natchez history would be incomplete without a visit to Longwood.
The food choices in Natchez will not disappoint either. Enough options of local, non-chain restaurants exist to
allow you never to need to eat at the same place twice. From casual fare to fine dining, palate-pleasing meals are the norm in Natchez.
A tour of the Natchez Trace is a fascinating trip through history. It covers an area not normally thought of as “touristy.” However, that is part of the appeal of the Natchez Trail Parkway: no throngs of tourists, quiet and natural places and nearly constant opportunities to learn things new to you while seeing things quite old. Whichever direction you decide to tour the trace and however you decide to subdivide the trip into air versus ground movements, you will almost certainly discover things that appeal to your particular interests and curiosities. KA
Copyright 2024, Matthew McDaniel
First publication rights granted to the Village Press for King Air magazine.
All other rights reserved by copyright holder.
Matthew McDaniel is a Master & Gold Seal CFII, ATP, MEI, AGI, & IGI and Platinum CSIP. In 35 years of flying, he has logged over 22,000 hours total, over 6,000 hours of instruction-given, and over 2,500 hours in various King Airs and the BE-1900D. As owner of Progressive Aviation Services, LLC (www.progaviation.com), he has specialized in Technically Advanced Aircraft and Glass Cockpit instruction since 2001. Currently, he is also a Boeing 737-Series Captain for an international airline, holds eight turbine aircraft type ratings, and has flown over
140 aircraft types. Matt is one of less than 15 instructors in the world to have earned the Master CFI designation for 11 consecutive two-year terms. He can be reached at matt@progaviation.com or 414-339-4990.
The author’s chosen lodging for the tail end of the Natchez Trace tour was Brandon Hall (circa 1856).
18 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
AUGUST 2024