The Natchez Trace Parkway finally ends inside the city limits of its namesake &045; but what a great beginning for our community.

The celebration on Saturday &045; with state and federal dignitaries on hand and hundreds of people watching the festivities &045; should be just the beginning of what can happen for Natchez now that the parkway brings visitors straight into the city.

As Mississippi Department of Transportation Director Larry L. &uot;Butch&uot; Brown said Saturday, &uot;Now we have the Trace and the name.&uot;

And who better to welcome weary travelers when they arrive off the parkway than Natchez residents?

Our famous hospitality coupled with the beauty of the Trace itself &045; the seventh most visited National Park Service attraction &045; will be a great asset to Mississippi tourism, and of course for tourism in our own community.

We can truly say the Trace begins and ends

in Natchez &045; and we have many people to thank for their long efforts over so many decades. The Daughters of the American Revolution were behind the idea from the beginning, and Natchez’s own Roane Fleming Byrnes was such a tireless supporter she became known as the &uot;Queen of the Trace.&uot;

Along with the legacy of their hard work, we also have to compliment the many local volunteers who worked alongside state and federal officials to plan the ceremony and public reception for the Trace on Saturday.

Their hard work made for a memorable and fitting welcome to an event