Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick - Mississippi Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places

Off the Beaten Path Series

eighth edition

Off the Beaten Path

Mississippi

A Guide to Unique Places

Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick

Guilford, Connecticut

An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Copyright 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield

Text design: Linda R. Loiewski

Maps: Equator Graphics Rowman & Littlefield

Off the Beaten Path is a registered trademark of Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kirkpatrick, Marlo Carter.

Mississippi, off the beaten path : a guide to unique places / Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick. Eighth edition.

pages cm. (Off the beaten path series)

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-4930-1281-7 (paperback : alkaline paper) ISBN 978-1-4930-1786-7 (electronic) 1. MississippiGuidebooks. I. Title.

F339.3.K57 2015

917.6204dc23

2015016176

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

All the information in this guidebook is subject to change. We recommend that you call ahead to obtain current information before traveling.

About the Author

Marlo Carter Kirkpatrick grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, but has called Mississippi home for more than twenty years. She lives in Madison, Mississippi, with her husband, wildlife photographer Stephen Kirkpatrick, and their growing collection of pets.

Marlo and her husband collaborated on the books Among the Animals: Mississippi; Images of Madison County; Mississippi Impressions; Lost in the Amazon; Romancing the Rain; Wilder Mississippi; and To Catch the Wind. The Kirkpatricks books have captured several awards, including the National Outdoor Book Award, a Benjamin Franklin Award, and three Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Book of the Year Awards.

Marlo Kirkpatricks work has taken her to destinations throughout North, Central, and South America, Africa, and the Middle East, but she is proud to call Mississippi home.

Marlo and Stephen Kirkpatrick lead writing and photography workshops and trips. For more information visit kirkpatrickwildlife.com.

Acknowledgments

Mississippi Off the Beaten Path couldnt have been written without the insights, contributions, and cooperation of friends and colleagues statewide.

As usual, I owe the knowledgeable staff at the Mississippi Division of Tourism Development a huge and heartfelt thank you. Im also deeply grateful to the many chamber of commerce and convention and visitors bureau directors and their personnel, who responded to my inquiries and, in many cases, personally guided me around their cities and towns. Thanks are also due to scores of bed-and-breakfast and restaurant proprietors who were so accommodating, to countless local residents who petted my dogs and pointed me in the right direction, and to my hardworking research assistant, Cheryl Caldwell May.

And finally, my heartfelt thanksand my heart itselfgo to Stephen Kirkpatrick, my favorite traveling companion.

Contents

Introduction

The geography that makes up the state of Mississippi is easily defined. Rolling northern hills and sweeping eastern plains. A pastoral heartland hugged by the Father of Waters. The fertile river delta and sun-drenched southern beaches.

But the real essence of the state is harder to put into words, for Mississippi is not merely a landscape but a state of mind.

Mississippi is nicknamed the Hospitality State, and its true that most of the people youll meet here dont have to know your name to lend you a hand or stop and chat for a while. In fact, Mississippians seem to feel compelled to explain themselves, to make sure you leave with an enlightened view of this place they call home. After all, perceptions of Mississippi are often based on outdated stereotypes. Native Mississippians tend to view every out-of-state visitor as a personal crusadethey may not be able to change the whole worlds opinion, but give them half a chance and by golly, theyll change yours.

Even left to your own devices, youll soon discover the stereotypes are just that. The real Mississippi is made up of bustling cities and quaint town squares, breathtaking natural wonders, and a rich heritage and distinctive culture like no other.

Sacred Indian mounds and a thriving reservation showcase the past, present, and future of the Choctaw Indians, the first Mississippians. The state is home to graceful antebellum mansions that whisper of a bygone era, Civil War battlefields where the fate of the nation was determined, and civil rights memorials that commemorate a turning point in American history.

For More Information

For more information on Mississippi attractions and events statewide, contact the Mississippi Division of Tourism Development at (800) 927-6378 or visit the Web site at visitmississippi.org. Also, conveniently located on major interstates and highways entering the state, Mississippis welcome centers offer free maps, reservations for in-state accommodations, brochures, and other travel information.

Many cities, towns, and convention and visitors bureaus also maintain Web sites, with more being added every day. In the every changing world of the Web, sites come and go and site names change frequently. If the community youre interested in does not have a Web site listed here or if the Web site listed is no longer operational, try entering the name of the community in any search engine.

Mississippi at a Glance

TRANSPORTATION

Major Interstates in Mississippi

I-20 (east/west)

I-55 (north/south)

I-59 (southwest/northwest)

I-10 (east/west)

Primary Highways in Mississippi

US 80 US 78

US 49 US 82

US 45 US 61

US 98 US 90

Rules of the Road

Speed Limit: The speed limit on Mississippi interstate highways is 70 miles per hour. The state highway speed limit is 65 miles per hour on four-lane highways and 55 miles per hour on two-lane highways unless otherwise posted.

Mandatory Seat Belt Law: Operators and front-seat passengers in any motor vehicle designed to carry ten or fewer passengers are required to wear seat belts. People traveling with children under the age of two are required to restrain the child in an approved child-passenger restraint device or system. Violation of this law will result in a fine of not more than $25.

Emergency Assistance: Contact the Mississippi Highway Patrol at (601) 987-1212, (800) 843-5352, or dial *47 (*HP) on your mobile phone.

Natchez Trace Parkway: The speed limit on the Natchez Trace Parkway is 50 miles per hour and is strictly enforced. Hauling and commercial trucking are not allowed. Charter buses may receive special permits by contacting the Natchez Trace Parkway headquarters at (662) 680-4025 or (800) 305-7417.