One of the things I absolutely appreciate about working for SFA is the handsome amounts of holiday time off given to full-time employees. We get almost two weeks off at Christmas and a week off for spring break, and of course we get time off for Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, etc.
Last Christmas, I knew my holiday vacation days were coming, so Mark and I decided to take advantage of it and made plans to hit the road and go somewhere where we’d never been before. We didn’t really want to fly, and neither of us wanted to go someplace cold, and I only wanted to be gone from home about 4 days total, so Mark and I decided to visit Mississippi. I’ve seen articles in Southern Living magazine about how pretty Natchez is — it’s an historic city, good shopping, great food, and there are numerous, gorgeous bed and breakfasts there. Also, Mark has read a lot about the Civil War — he was raised in Charleston, South Carolina after all — so we made plans to explore Vicksburg as well.
I’m planning to share the many photos we shot during our trip in more than one blog post because I don’t want to overwhelm you.
This, of course, is the first installment.
Basically, all we did on the first day is drive. We decided to head to Vicksburg first, spend the night, then travel to Natchez the next day. It’s about a 5-hour drive from our home to Vicksburg if you drive straight through the rest of Texas and the width of Louisiana without stopping, so we spent most of the day in the car.
Most of the day, I ogled the change in landscape. We live in an area where there are tons of pine tree forests, but the landscape is very marshy throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. It’s just a different world altogether. A blog post about these two states would not be complete without photos of marshy water and cypress trees, so here you go.
Wondering what the cross in the picture is? Is it marking something?
I was wondering if anyone would notice the white cross. As far as I know it’s not marking anything. There were several up and down that particular stretch of road.
I noticed that cross right away too! It leaves a very eery look about the place.
Yeah, it sure does.
Can’t wait to see more of this series. I am born & raised Vicksburg’er. We love our “Burg”. Hope y’all enjoyed your visit while you were here. We also love the area between here & Natchez since our families come from that neck of the woods. 🙂
It’s definitely beautiful country! Definitely different, but beautiful.
Back in 2000 I was fortunate enough to spend many weeks in coastal Mississippi on a work trip. Mississippi is such an incredible place. The people amazed me with their hard work ethic and relaxed “Southern” hospitality. The Food tastes better – like there is more flavor or care in preparation. It is common to see men lining the shores of curly rivers and streams catching the evening dinner. Charming towns, unique architecture, and tons of history! I took a walk one afternoon from Gulfport to Biloxi. 12 miles each way. I walked past some of the most beautiful homes I had ever seen. Of course we lost them forever when Katrina hit. The area still hasn’t recovered and will never again be as spectacular. All the beautiful homes along the gulf have been erased forever.
I have always loved the south. I will even put Virginia into that category although that is getting pretty close to east coast/New England. My first experience was Macon Ga. Fell in love with the color green. After living in Phoenix for so many years, I forgot what trees and grass and forest looked like. It was also when I realized that Hardee’s had been right in front of me the whole time under the guise of Carl’s Jr. I had no idea they were the same and I loved Hardee’s as a kid (when we lived in CT). I look forward to our opportunities to explore. So far we haven’t made it anywhere really as our trips to Palestine are fairly short and our adventures are usually required trips to Tyler and Athens. We did take a driving tour of Nacogdoches. Also went to Waco twice and did visit the Magnolia Market. Fortunately it wasn’t crowded or chaotic. We didn’t buy anything but we did get tons of ideas.
Look forward to seeing your other pictures! Enjoy the break!
Bill Cromack
Railroad House, Tx
It has long been a regret of mine not to travel to Mississippi prior to Katrina, because I never was able to see with my own eyes some of the majestic homes close to the coast.
I smiled when I read your comment about “green”. I am a native Texan, so you would think I’ve been around green my entire life, but I was raised in the Texas Panhandle, and I although, yeah, is kinda green, it’s more yellow plains and brown dirt. I still get a little depressed driving through it, although I must admit it’s a “stark” kind of beauty. Mark compared it to the moon — so flat and desolate — the first time he saw it.
I love the food of the South, too. It’s usually not very healthy, but it sure is tasty.
More pics of Mississippi coming soon (probably tomorrow)!