I didn’t know what to first count on once I arrived in Mississippi, a complete new state within the Deep South that I used to be excited to discover.
What shocked me first was the nice and cozy hospitality, unbelievable 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 street journey.
Mississippi left me wanting to come back 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 provides 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 recent seafood that may be drawn from the Gulf, present cooks with alternatives to showcase creativity and style.
Genuine southern staples reign properly 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 fashion of music often called Delta Blues, I might 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 best and needs to be skilled in a tin roof bar.
Don’t overlook 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 concerned with historical past, music, meals and outside journey actions.
Whether or not you’re exploring the Nice River Highway or visiting one in all its many state parks, there’s one thing for everybody to get pleasure from within the nice state of Mississippi.
Embrace Mississippi in a street journey across the Deep South
This street journey round Mississippi is a component of a bigger street journey across the Deep South of the USA that I undertook along with Scott Tisson from Intrepid Escape.
The street journey that we did took us to the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee to cowl the entire Deep South space.
I might advocate one week for the Mississippi part of the street journey, which would be the focus of this weblog submit.
Making the entire street journey together with the opposite states will take you round a month.
So you can 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’ve got extra time, you possibly can lengthen your journey to 6 weeks to provide your self more room and time in every state, however an excellent week in every state will probably be sufficient to cowl every little thing talked about on this article.
Begin your street journey in Coastal Mississippi
You possibly can 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 e-book a non-public fishing journey with Ronnie from the FisherManGuide over at Shaggy’s Constitution Docs, Mississippi’s Premier Constitution Vacation spot.
He has an amazing boat constructed completely for personal constitution fishing journeys in addition to a number of fishing data from the world, and his cooler is all the time full and prepared for an amazing day of fishing on the Gulf of Coastal Mississippi.
First, rock as much as the bait boat to refill (it’s a cool expertise to witness a bait store on a floating boat) after which head out to see what you possibly can catch on the Gulf.
One of the best a part of the journey is which you could cook 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 beautiful Purple Snapper which went alongside properly with the home salad.
Keep on the Grand Centennial Lodge 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 fowl watching on the Least Tern Conservation spots, simply noticed by signposted nesting areas organized by the Audubon Delta Society.
Right here you possibly can spot nesting Least Terns, a migrating fowl that makes it all the way down to Coastal Mississippi.
Head on over to Ridgeland and discover the Natchez Hint Parkway
Subsequent in your street journey, drive up from Coastal Mississippi to Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Keep in a single day on the Ridgeland, AC Lodge by Marriott, after which head to Sombra Mexican Kitchen for a tremendous 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 unbelievable biking route community that’s a good way to benefit from the Nationwide Park.
Why not drive the scenic route as much as Tupelo from Ridgeland alongside the Natchez Hint Parkway? As a result of this can be a Nationwide Park, be sure that to load up on gasoline and provides earlier than you go, as there will probably be no service stations alongside the way in which.
As a substitute, you’ll benefit from the scenic roads with a great deal of fantastic stops alongside the way in which value testing such because the Tupelo Baldcypress swamp, Jeff Busby Park and the Reservoir Overlook, so convey a picnic and plan a while to make some stops and light-weight walks alongside the way in which.
Take a look at Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Prestley
Should you’re travelling round Mississippi, you possibly can cease off in Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Prestley.
Keep on the newly opened Lodge Tupelo, with its trendy rooms and inside straightforward strolling distance to city.
Additionally value testing is the lodge bar and restaurant, Jobos, which serves some unbelievable native flavours impressed by Mississippi dishes with a Latin twist.
I occurred to be visiting Tupelo through the Gumtree Artwork and Wine Pageant.
Anticipate a great deal of dwell music performances by native music legends throughout a choice of completely different levels, in addition to meals and wine being served in numerous marquees. Nice solution to benefit from the native life in Tupelo.
You should definitely go to the Tupelo {Hardware} Co. retailer and be taught the story of Elvis Presley’s first guitar.
Strolling round Tupelo you possibly can benefit from the giant choice of completely 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 Beginning Place and Museum in Tupelo. You possibly can 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 testing to study his life in Tupelo.
Personally, given the choice, I might go to Tupelo first to study Elvis’s adolescence earlier than transferring on to Graceland, which is a pleasant solution to do it.
Lastly, shut by is Johnnie’s Drive Inn, a well-liked hangout spot for Elvis in his youth. You possibly can even dine in his favorite sales space. You should definitely cease by for lunch and luxuriate in this traditional diner expertise.
Cease by at Clarksdale to be taught 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 start of blues and rock’n’roll.
You possibly can 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 Vacationers Lodge, a former visitor home for the railway staff 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 good 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 would possibly placed on a harmonica efficiency so that you can get your groove transferring while you try his superior retailer.
Searching for a spot to eat in Clarksdale? You should definitely try The Dutch Oven, serving up native favourites and nice cocktails. Extremely advocate the Shrimps and Grits right here, a neighborhood traditional!
(Tremendous Chikan doing his factor dwell on the Floor Zero Blues Membership Clarksdale)
Should you’re in Clarksdale, make sure to head to The Floor Zero Blues Membership for a rye whisky on the rocks. Should you’re fortunate, you may even see a dwell 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 unbelievable and the ambiance on this bar was electrical.
Make sure to not miss it; it’s a type of uncommon hole-in-the-walls you possibly can’t stroll previous with out visiting.
Clarksdale is performing some wonderful group work to convey the place again to life. You should definitely cease off for a espresso on the Meraki Roasting Co. which is a good group hub for the locals with fantastic espresso too. Cat Head Delta Blues & People Artwork is equally an excellent group spot to cross by and see what’s occurring on the town.
Bluesberry Cafe can be value mentioning, particularly in the event that they’re doing a cookout on the porch with dwell music enjoying. Examine to see if that spot is buzzing; it’s a well-liked native hangout.
Don’t finish your street journey round Mississippi simply but!
Earlier than you head North to Tennessee, in case you can add a number of extra days from Clarksdale, why not go rafting across the River Delta with the Quapaw Canoe Firm, 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 a tremendous spot to eat BBQ and native Mississippi traditional Dishes corresponding 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 be value a go to to know extra about blues music and the way it originated in Mississippi.
Thanks for studying my weblog submit about my street journey to Mississippi
Thanks for visiting my weblog submit and studying about my street journey across the state of Mississippi.
I hope you discovered all the knowledge tremendous helpful in direction of your journey planning, and I want you a tremendous journey to Mississippi.
This journey was a part of a much bigger street journey across the Deep South. You should definitely go to the opposite weblog posts protecting Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. Take a look at my information to Tennessee to proceed the journey after Mississippi.
Wishing you an exquisite journey to Mississippi and the Deep South of the USA.
When you’ve got any additional questions, please be happy to contact me, and I will probably be more than pleased to assist.
This text was finished in collaboration with TTM and the State of Mississippi to advertise street journeys within the Deep South.
