NATCHEZ &045; It has been said that most of the people who live on the beach never go to the beach.

The same might be said of Natchez residents and their relationship with the Trace.

And to Al Bertics, that’s a shame.

For Bertics, the Natchez Trace is his first choice when driving north toward Vicksburg and Jackson.

&uot;Not that it’s easier,&uot; Bertics said while sitting on the porch of Mount Locust Thursday afternoon.

In fact it usually takes Bertics longer to get to those towns using the parkway than it does driving on U.S. 61.

&uot;But that extra twenty minutes is such a pleasure,&uot; he said. &uot;My wife and I enjoy watching the turkeys, the wildlife. There’s always a different vista.&uot;

Bertics knows the invaluable resource the Trace can be. From family picnics near some of the parkways beautiful creeks to chatting with tourists at places like Mount Locust and Rocky Spring, Bertics tries to take advantage of what the Natchez Trace has to offer.

&uot;Being out here, your pulse comes down. Your blood pressure comes down,&uot; Bertic said.

Natchez Trace park ranger Eric Chamberlain stationed at Mount Locust would probably agree.

Stationed at the one of two remaining structures on the Trace, Chamberlain returned to Mississippi 1984 after having worked in the oil industry in Houston.

In fact Chamberlain returned his family home not but a several hundred paces from his birthplace, Mount Locust.

Born in the master bedroom of the 18th century house in 1940, Chamberlain is now fortunate to give tours of his old family home.

Walking to work everyday, talking to tourists and building a period kitchen garden, Chamberlain would have it no other way.

&uot;Living out here I’ll live to 100,&uot; he said looking out across the field.

Like Bertics and Chamberlain, some residents have begun to discover the rich opportunities of the Trace.

On any given weekend in the warm seasons, bicyclists can be seen pedaling along the Trace while others enjoy a beautiful walk through some of the parks historic areas, like Mount Locust.

One such area is Rocky Springs. Once a thriving Mississippi town in thriving town of the early 1800s, Rocky Springs is little more than a ghost town with a few rusting safes and a beautiful brick church looming high on the eroded hills.

For history buffs, walking through this barren landscape is a lesson in the trials of many Mississippi towns of the nineteenth century.

According to the National Park Service, Rocky Springs was a prosperous community of over 2000 people.

By 1920, town had been devastated by the Civil War, the boll weevil, yellow fever and land erosion.

Today only the church remains, itself becoming a victim of neglect. Recently the church and old cemetery were closed after tree limbs fell on the church during a storm.

Rocky Spring has a 22-site campground, horseback riding trails, a hiking trail along the old trace and plenty of picnic tables.

Along with Rocky Springs and Mount Locust there are many other area to explore along the southern end of the Trace.

In fact, the most publicized section of the Old Trace lies just outside the Port Gibson city limits. This sunken path border by tall trees on high bluffs may be the most compelling portion of the old passage.

&uot;The Trace is road between the present and the past,&uot; Bertics said. &uot;It is what America is all about.&uot;