I didn’t know what to first count on once I arrived in Mississippi, an entire new state within the Deep South that I used to be excited to discover.
What stunned me first was the nice and cozy hospitality, unimaginable music, scrumptious meals and the distinctive tradition that every one took centre stage on my journey, and that is what makes Mississippi a particular vacation spot.
From Coastal Mississippi, driving up the Natchez Hint Parkway to Tupelo, or canoeing down the river Delta, the huge state has a lot to supply and is an ideal vacation spot for a highway journey.
Mississippi left me wanting to return again for extra. It’s a singular place, and I left with a brand new love of music; I found Delta Blues for the primary time, and it’s now a newfound love of mine.
Mississippi presents a wide range of eating choices that cater to even probably the most adventurous palates.
The farm-fresh produce discovered within the state’s fruitful land, in addition to the contemporary seafood that may be drawn from the Gulf, present cooks with alternatives to showcase creativity and style.
Genuine southern staples reign nicely within the state of Mississippi, so make sure to take advantage of out of it when you’re there.
To correctly benefit from the distinctive type of music referred to as Delta Blues, I’d extremely advocate visiting one of many many late-night blues bars within the Delta area.
With makeship devices created in Mississippi such because the diddly bow and the washboard, Delta Blues is storytelling at its most interesting and needs to be skilled in a tin roof bar.
Don’t neglect Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley which is a spotlight amongst Mississippi’s musical historical past.
To sum it up, Mississippi has a lot to supply guests who’re fascinated by historical past, music, meals and out of doors journey actions.
Whether or not you’re exploring the Nice River Street or visiting certainly one of its many state parks, there’s one thing for everybody to get pleasure from within the nice state of Mississippi.
Embrace Mississippi in a highway journey across the Deep South
This highway journey round Mississippi is an element of a bigger highway journey across the Deep South of america that I undertook along with Scott Tisson from Intrepid Escape.
The highway journey that we did took us to the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee to cowl the entire Deep South space.
I’d advocate one week for the Mississippi part of the highway journey, which would be the focus of this weblog submit.
Making the whole highway journey together with the opposite states will take you round a month.
So you might simply do that one-week suggestion, mix two states and do two weeks, or go to all 4 states within the Deep South in a month.
When you have extra time, you may lengthen your journey to 6 weeks to offer your self extra space and time in every state, however an excellent week in every state will likely be sufficient to cowl all the things talked about on this article.
Begin your highway journey in Coastal Mississippi
You may simply attain Coastal Mississippi by driving from New Orleans, Louisiana alongside Freeway 10 to Gulfport.
To kick begin your journey in Coastal Mississippi, head straight out onto the Gulf and guide a non-public fishing journey with Ronnie from the FisherManGuide over at Shaggy’s Charter Docs, Mississippi’s Premier Constitution Vacation spot.
He has an excellent boat constructed completely for personal constitution fishing journeys in addition to a lot of fishing data from the world, and his cooler is at all times full and prepared for an excellent day of fishing on the Gulf of Coastal Mississippi.
First, rock as much as the bait boat to replenish (it’s a cool expertise to witness a bait store on a floating boat) after which head out to see what you may catch on the Gulf.
The most effective a part of the journey is which you could prepare dinner what you catch at Shaggy’s Bar and Grill.
They may fillet your catch on the dock and serve it to you on the bar, how excellent is that! Managed to catch a stunning Crimson Snapper which went alongside nicely with the home salad.
Keep on the Grand Centennial Resort at Centennial Plaza. For excellent entry to Coastal Mississippi, park up your rental automotive and benefit from the native nightlife of the casinos and bars which may be discovered within the Gulfport space.
Get up brilliant and early within the morning for a spot of Least Tern chicken watching on the Least Tern Conservation spots, simply noticed by signposted nesting areas organized by the Audubon Delta Society.
Right here you may spot nesting Least Terns, a migrating chicken that makes it right down to Coastal Mississippi.
Head on over to Ridgeland and discover the Natchez Hint Parkway
Subsequent in your highway journey, drive up from Coastal Mississippi to Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Keep in a single day on the Ridgeland, AC Resort by Marriott, after which head to Sombra Mexican Kitchen for an incredible night eating location that won’t disappoint with its hearty portion sizes, so arrive hungry and prepared for wonderful Mexican delicacies.
Within the morning, head out and discover the Natchez Hint by bicycle with Johnny Davis Bicycle Revolution Excursions. The Natchez Hint is an unimaginable biking route community that’s an effective way to benefit from the Nationwide Park.
Why not drive the scenic route as much as Tupelo from Ridgeland alongside the Natchez Trace Parkway? As a result of it is a Nationwide Park, ensure to load up on gasoline and provides earlier than you go, as there will likely be no service stations alongside the best way.
As a substitute, you’ll benefit from the scenic roads with a great deal of fantastic stops alongside the best way value trying out such because the Tupelo Baldcypress swamp, Jeff Busby Park and the Reservoir Overlook, so carry a picnic and plan a while to make some stops and lightweight walks alongside the best way.
Try Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Prestley
Should you’re travelling round Mississippi, you may cease off in Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Prestley.
Keep on the newly opened Hotel Tupelo, with its trendy rooms and inside simple strolling distance to city.
Additionally value trying out is the lodge bar and restaurant, Jobos, which serves some unimaginable native flavours impressed by Mississippi dishes with a Latin twist.
I occurred to be visiting Tupelo throughout the Gumtree Artwork and Wine Competition.
Count on a great deal of reside music performances by native music legends throughout a number of totally different levels, in addition to meals and wine being served in varied marquees. Nice technique to benefit from the native life in Tupelo.
Make sure you go to the Tupelo Hardware Co. retailer and study the story of Elvis Presley’s first guitar.
Strolling round Tupelo you may benefit from the giant number of totally different road artwork instalments scattered across the city, memorials created by native artists in tribute to Elvis.
As well as, there may be an Elvis Prestley statue outdoors the city corridor the place he carried out his Tupelo homecoming present.
Go to the Elvis Presley Birth Place and Museum in Tupelo. You may take a tour on the home he grew up in in addition to the chapel he used to go to and sing in along with his household. The museum is small however value trying out to study his life in Tupelo.
Personally, given the choice, I’d go to Tupelo first to study Elvis’s youth earlier than shifting on to Graceland, which is a pleasant technique to do it.
Lastly, shut by is Johnnie’s Drive Inn, a preferred hangout spot for Elvis in his youth. You may even dine in his favorite sales space. Make sure you cease by for lunch and luxuriate in this basic diner expertise.
Cease by at Clarksdale to study concerning the Delta Blues
Clarksdale is most famously identified for being the situation of the crossroads (also referred to as the ‘Satan’s Crossroads’). That is the place Robert Johnson supposedly bought his soul to the satan, resulting in the delivery of blues and rock’n’roll.
You may go to the precise spot, which is marked by an enormous guitar signal alongside the freeway; the situation itself nonetheless is disputed however nonetheless value a go to.
Clarksdale is stuffed with Delta Blues historical past and is the beat of the town.
Keep on the Travelers Hotel, a former visitor home for the railway employees again within the day that has been remodeled right into a self-service boutique lodge.
I cherished staying there and loved its self-service bar that had a cool rustic inside design to it.
(Deak’s Mississippi Saxophones & Blues Emporium is a superb place to checkout!)
Drop by Deak’s Mississippi Saxophones & Blues Emporium to take a look at his superior music store. Should you’re fortunate he may placed on a harmonica efficiency so that you can get your groove shifting while you try his superior retailer.
In search of a spot to eat in Clarksdale? Make sure you try The Dutch Oven, serving up native favourites and nice cocktails. Extremely advocate the Shrimps and Grits right here, a neighborhood basic!
(Tremendous Chikan doing his factor reside on the Floor Zero Blues Membership Clarksdale)
Should you’re in Clarksdale, make sure to head to The Ground Zero Blues Club for a rye whisky on the rocks. Should you’re fortunate, you may even see a reside efficiency from a neighborhood Delta Blues performer.
I managed to catch native legend Tremendous Chikan who did his factor on the diddley bow. It was unimaginable and the environment on this bar was electrical.
Be certain to not miss it; it’s a type of uncommon hole-in-the-walls you may’t stroll previous with out visiting.
Clarksdale is doing a little wonderful neighborhood work to carry the place again to life. Make sure you cease off for a espresso on the Meraki Roasting Co. which is a superb neighborhood hub for the locals with fantastic espresso too. Cat Head Delta Blues & People Artwork is equally an excellent neighborhood spot to move by and see what’s occurring on the town.
Bluesberry Cafe can also be value mentioning, particularly in the event that they’re doing a cookout on the porch with reside music enjoying. Test to see if that spot is buzzing; it’s a preferred native hangout.
Don’t finish your highway journey round Mississippi simply but!
Earlier than you head North to Tennessee, in the event you can add a number of extra days from Clarksdale, why not go rafting across the River Delta with the Quapaw Canoe Company, they’ll regulate the journey to match your journey preferences all of the from the consolation of Clarksdale the place they’re primarily based.
Should you’re searching for an incredible spot to eat BBQ and native Mississippi basic Dishes akin to deep fried dill pickles, Delta Tamales and fried okra then head to the Airport Grocery in Cleveland, MS.
Two different notable websites value visiting inside proximity to Clarksdale are the Gateway to the Blues museum, which is situated close to Tunica, and the BB King Museum, which can also be value a go to to grasp extra about blues music and the way it originated in Mississippi.
Thanks for studying my weblog submit about my highway journey to Mississippi
Thanks for visiting my weblog submit and studying about my highway journey across the state of Mississippi.
I hope you discovered all the data tremendous helpful in the direction of your journey planning, and I want you an incredible journey to Mississippi.
This journey was a part of a much bigger highway journey across the Deep South. Make sure you go to the opposite weblog posts masking Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. Try my information to Tennessee to proceed the journey after Mississippi.
Wishing you an exquisite journey to Mississippi and the Deep South of america.
When you have any additional questions, please be happy to contact me, and I will likely be more than pleased to assist.
This text was performed in collaboration with TTM and the State of Mississippi to advertise highway journeys within the Deep South.
