MISSISSIPPI: THE MAGNOLIA STATE
BY CLAY LARROY
Do you feel like it is time for a short
vacation? Once you decide to travel,
how good you plan the trip will help you feel comfortable and be comfortable at
your destination. Not only will you feel less anxiety before the trip, but you
can rest assured that once you arrive where you're going you will have a good
understanding of what's going on there. When you need to
plan a vacation contact me!
Natchez
The
easy-going city of Natchez is the oldest civilized settlement on the
Mississippi River, perched on the highest promontory north of the Gulf of
Mexico, 200ft (61m) above the rolling river. Across the river, which forms the
state border, Natchez looks down on Louisiana.
Natchez was
an Indian settlement for centuries before being colonized first by the French
in 1716, then the British in 1763, the Spanish in 1779 and then joining America
in 1798. The city became the first capital of the State of Mississippi in 1817
and experienced an economic boom as a center for the export of cotton by river
steamer. The cotton poured in from the vast rich plantations of Mississippi and
neighboring Louisiana.
Today
Natchez has more antebellum houses than any other place in the United States,
with nine available for daily tours and many more opening their doors during
spring and fall pilgrimages. Many hundreds of the beautiful homes are privately
owned and stand to be admired by passers-by. The city's downtown area is packed
with late19th-century buildings housing antique shops, hotels, churches and
restaurants, and more than 40 Bed and Breakfast establishments.
In addition
to all the historic fare, Natchez is a recreational center offering a
semi-tropical climate and numerous hunting, fishing, hiking and biking
opportunities. The city is also the starting point for the famous Natchez Trace
Parkway; a 450-mile (724km) national park route based on ancient Indian trails,
which connects Natchez to Jackson, the state capital, 105 miles (169km) away,
and ends in Nashville, Tennessee. All this, plus a healthy dose of southern
hospitality, cuisine and exciting riverboat casinos, makes Natchez a tourist's
delight.
Sightseeing in Natchez
Natchez is
a fascinating destination for anyone interested in the history of the American
South and Native American heritage. The city has a number of historical
churches and houses, and guided tours are a good way to learn about these
sites. Another fun way to learn about the city is on carriage tours, which
depart from the Canal Street Depot and highlight important antebellum
landmarks, along with restaurants other points of interest.
The Grand
Village of the Natchez Indians, a former ceremonial site, is today an excellent
cultural museum and nature trail. Emerald Mound is another popular American
Indian site, located about 10 miles (16km) northeast of Natchez. Natchez is
also a food-centric town, and visitors can enjoy events like the Natchez Food
& Wine Festival, tour the Old South Winery to sample their muscadine wine,
or simply try any of the excellent Southern restaurants in town.
Natchez Attractions
Natchez Historic Houses
Admission: Tour prices vary $15-60 according to package.
The most
intact antebellum estate in the United States is the magnificent Melrose, owned
and operated by the National Park Service in its grounds in the Natchez
National Historical Park.
Melrose was
built in 1849 and still features its original hand-painted canvas flooring. The
house is open daily with tours on the hour.
The
gracious Monmouth, built in 1818 at 36 Melrose Avenue, was the home of John
Quitman, twice governor of Mississippi as well as US senator and congressman.
The house and its striking formal garden is open daily. Longwood in Lower
Woodville Road was built around 1860 and is the largest and most elaborate
octagonal house in the United States. Dunleith, dating from 1856, is the only
house in Mississippi completely encircled by a colossal colonnade. It is sited at
84 Homochitto Street, on top of a rise on the edge of a 40-acre park. Numerous
other houses are open to the public, and make popular venues for weddings.
Address: Visitors Centre: 640 South Canal Street, Natchez
Telephone: Natchez Pilgrimage Tours: (800) 647-6742
Website: www.natchezpilgrimage.com
Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
Opening time: Monday to Saturday 9am-5pm; Sunday 1:30pm-5pm.
Admission: Free
The Grand
Village was the main ceremonial center of the Natchez Indians, who inhabited
southwest Mississippi between 700 and 1730. Their culture reached a peak in the
mid-1500s, when French explorers found the Grand Village and began to settle in
the area. Eventually the Natchez were forced to abandon their land.
The
128-acre site of the Grand Village is today managed by the Mississippi
Department of Archives and History, who have excavated and rebuilt two of the
ceremonial mounds at the site. Entry to the village is gained through Jefferson
Davis Boulevard within the Natchez city limits. The site features a museum, a
reconstructed Natchez Indian house, three ceremonial mounds (Great Sun's Mound,
Temple Mound and the Abandoned Mound), a nature trail and a visitor's center.
Tours are available, however advance booking is required.
Address: 400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard
Telephone: (601) 446-6502
Website: mdah.state.ms.us/hprop/gvni.html
Natchez Churches
Natchez
features a collection of architecturally valuable historic churches of various
denominations, all located in the central city area. Among them is St Mary's in
South Union Street, the oldest Catholic building in Mississippi, built in
Gothic Revival style back in 1840.
The Trinity
Episcopal Church in South Commerce Street is the oldest church in Natchez,
having been built in 1822 but remodeled in 1838. The interior of this church
features two rare stained-glass windows designed and installed by the renowned
Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Also
notable is the First Presbyterian church in South Pearl Street, built in the
Federal Style in 1828. A Romanesque chapel was added to the rear in 1901. The
chapel now houses an unusual collection of historic photographs telling the
story of Natchez.
Natchez Under-the-Hill
The city's
original waterfront area, Natchez-Under-the-Hill, reached by descending the
bluff via Silver Street, was once the notorious haunt of pirates, riverboat
gamblers and outlaws, known as the 'Barbary Coast of the Mississippi'.
As the use
of riverboats dwindled, so did its bad reputation and today the quaint river
dockside attracts tourists with restaurants, bars, gift stores and the floating
Isle of Capri riverboat casino. Three passenger paddle-wheel steamers dock at
the waterfront: the Mississippi Queen, the Delta Queen and the American Queen.
Natchez Trace Parkway
Opening time: Visitor Center: daily 8am-5pm; closed 25 December.
The parkway is open year-round, subject to bad weather conditions.
Admission: Free
The Natchez
Trace Parkway starts out in Natchez, southern Mississippi, and runs for 444
miles (715km) to Nashville, Tennessee, cutting across a corner of Alabama. The
parkway follows ancient Native American paths that connected the Mississippi
River to salt licks in central Tennessee, originally worn by the Choctaw,
Chickasaw and other tribes. Later white settlers used the ancient trails to
extend their commerce and trade.
The route
is now served by a scenic road, built and maintained by the National Park
Service, which has equipped the popular tourist drive with marked interpretive
locations, historic sites, camping and picnicking facilities. Travelers can
take time to enjoy nature trails, see portions of the original trace, relax on
scenic overlooks, explore historic monuments and bridges, and find out about it
all at visitor centers. The parkway is particularly popular with touring
cyclists.
Telephone: Visitor Centre: (800) 3057417
Website: www.nps.gov/natr
REFERENCE SITES:
I've always
tried to defend the idea that the blues doesn't have to be sung by a person who
comes from Mississippi, as I did.
B. B. King
No comments:
Post a Comment