"A Few Days in the Magnolia State" - Time Out #73

How about a short visit to the Magnolia State---Mississippi?

My bride and I decided this was in order a few years back for several reasons, 1) to soak up some on-site civil war memories, 2) to take in that beautiful Southern architecture of their old homes and buildings,

3) to absorb all the natural greenery in the many vast rural settings, and 4) to once again, enjoy Southern hospitality and delicious, unique Southern food.

All of these missions were accomplished in on a relatively short, summer adventure there a few years ago.

The outing began with a Southwest Airlines flight from Oklahoma City to their state capital city, Jackson. Jackson is the state's largest city with a population of around 200,000, and is centrally-located geographically. Our nighttime hotel was actually located in Pearl, a southeast suburb of about 25,000 and adjacent to Jackson-Evers International Airport.

We didn't spend much time in Jackson, possibly saving it for another future visit?. Instead, we headed straight west on heavily-traveled I-20, less than an driving hour from the famous civil war city of Vicksburg. It is strategically located high on the east bank of the mighty Mississippi River. Being a civil war buff my entire life, I had been wanting to see Vicksburg National Military Park and National Cemetery for decades.

My desire was fulfilled as I actually toured the huge facilities twice while we were there, as we stayed in a hotel very near the tourist site. Vicksburg has only about 24,000 people, so it was relatively easy for us to navigate our Jackson airport rental car around the historic town.

During my first 16-mile long site drive thru the vast 1,700 acre complex, I enjoyed it with Ms. Debbie as my auto companion.. We obtained an audio tour at their beautiful visitor center prior to the drive thru, and also enjoyed the center's 20-minute film, introducing visitors to the 1863 Vicksburg siege. We then took to the road thru the park in the summer heat, frequently stopping our car to view and photograph many of the unusual, among the more than 1,300 monuments and displays of this long military campaign.

My next comments explain just how much I enjoy civil war history.

After completing the park visit once with my wife, and taking a break for lunch then returning her to our comfortable, air conditioned hotel, I revisited the national park unit for a second visit the same day! This particular military park provides an usual service that a few other military parks do, too, and that is, it allows visitors (i.e., me) to hire for $40, an extremely knowledgeable licensed guide to drive my vehicle thru the park with me, giving me a private 2-hour tour. This extra service supplemented my Vicksburg Park visits like placing a cherry on top of my sundae, metaphorically.

For eats and classic Southern surroundings, we chose having lunch near the river at Walnut Hills, and dinner inside the historic Cedar Grove Mansion Restaurant, another river location structure. Both establishments were excellent , the former offering round communal tables with center turntables for their Southern comfort food. At Cedar Grove, before sitting down to our delicious food, we walked the beautiful landscaped grounds surrounding the structure, constructed between 1840 and 1852. We next toured the mansion house, very memorable in that a cannon ball remains lodged in a parlor wall as a result of the historic battle, long ago.

After thoroughly enjoying Vicksburg, we headed our rental vehicle about 70 miles south on US Hwy. 61, to lovely Natchez, also on the banks of the Mississippi River. After checking in to a centrally-located hotel, we began our sight-seeing in this historic city of today's 16,000 residents, and, thus, also easy to navigate. It is well-known for the spring and autumn Natchez Pilgrimage when many of its incredible Southern homes and plantations are open for public viewing. Several of the city's almost 500 historical residences are open year-round. Thus, we we visited Longwood, Magnolia Hall and Stanton Hall. In each of these homes, knowledgeable guides provide excellent tours, giving the visitor the feeling they are actually reliving the antebellum period.. Stanton Hall was built around 1857, and the house and grounds cover an entire city block, making it one of America's largest antebellum mansions. We also visited the Natchez National Historical Park, viewing 2 of its 3 parts. The first was the William Johnson House, located downtown. He was a freed slave who became a prosperous antebellum businessman.. The second site was the Melrose Estate, constructed in 1845, and located in a rural setting. It is composed of a mansion, out buildings, slave quarters and gardens.

For our return trip to Jackson to catch the jet plane for our rides back to Oklahoma City and eventually Our Town, I chose to drive the rental northeast along the beautiful, totally uncrowded traffic-wise, wildlife-filled, historic Natchez Trace Parkway.

Boy was the choice to take this isolated roadway, a jewel of Americana, an excellent decision!

The original route began as a Native American footpath leading between the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations, and now is 444 miles long, from Natchez, MS, to just south of Nashville, TN. The speed limit is only 50 mph, and it has very limited access. There are literally no usual highway distractions such as billboards, business signs, crossing streets or highways, homes or businesses; it's like it's your own private highway through a beautiful part of the United States with only Mother Nature to enjoy as you travel. What an experience we had on that historical road on that memorable summer day!

Soon, we were back in Jackson, on our planes, in our own car and back in Our Town.

We did have one BIG thing we didn't have before we left on this little adventure. What thing, you ask? That is, our mind's eye memories of our brief, few days of total immersion into the Magnolia State, experiencing a few of its absolute treasurers.