All too often we forget that we live in an incredibly diverse and beautiful nation. With the craziness that is going on around the world, I am thankful that I visited different nations that would require a second thought today. In discussing potential travel with my favorite wife (who is from Canada), expressed an interest in seeing more of the U.S. The little she has seen has impressed her and so we decided to do a small driving tour to visit some of the Old South. I had fond memories of visiting the South with my parents when I was in my early teens and so I planned a short driving tour of a section of the South.
I hope the following description of our trip will encourage you to explore our beautiful land, especially in a time when so much of the world is in turmoil.
Day 1: Fly to Memphis
I picked our starting point as an easy flight (complicated only by the ineptitude of United airlines). Why? Memphis’s Beall Street is known as a wonderful place to hear southern blues; it is a cleaner, safer version of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and as we were only going to be in Memphis for one night, it seemed like a wonderful way to start our tour.
Unfortunately, that evening many of the locations were only using recorded music, which was not what we sought, but to make the best of what we had, we had an excellent meal at Itta Bena which is located above B.B. King’s House of Blues. The restaurant specialized in “low country) cuisine and there is no better start to such a meal than the she-crab soup. It has a unique taste (sherry, cream, chives, and red pepper flakes) which makes clam chowder boring while the shrimp with grits (a hint of bacon) is more sophisticated than you would expect.
Driving through Memphis is interesting as the city’s population is in decline and there are many vacant buildings. It is an introduction to the South as having lived in Chicago, New York and now in L.A. I am used to a mass of traffic. Throttling down to driving at the speed limit is an indication that you are in the South.
Day 2-3: Vicksburg
During a three ½ hour drive to Vicksburg, we drove through Greenwood Mississippi. It is a town like so many in the South, a once lovely town that is slowly dying as the youth leave for better opportunities. Industries which once supported these towns have left as markets have changed and their individual products are no longer in demand. Empty stores attest to the problem, yet such towns managed to avoid the graffiti which only makes a tough situation worse, and the old municipal buildings point to better times. Yet the population is over 15,000 and like so many other small towns, they do their best to present a positive face to the traveler. Greenwood is known for two things to this day.
- The burial place of Robert Johnson, the legendary blues artist who, legend says, sold his soul to the devil to become a great blues performer only to die at the age of twenty-seven.
- The town has the largest number of traffic lights which are hung across traffic intersections. Long out of production, they are lovingly cared for and refurbished and they give a distinctive look to the town.
Driving along well maintained and smooth roads (including the lesser travelled roads which help one get a feel for the South, we arrived in Vicksburg, a town of about 20,000. The city is on a high bluff, and it attempted to withstand a siege by General U.S. Grant. Grant was not to be denied however, and eventually the town fell.
There are a number of key points to visit in the town such as:
- National Cemetery: We tend to think of Arlington as “the” national cemetery, but the 70,000 men who fought at Vicksburg have their own. The cemetery is in the Vicksburg Military Park, a beautiful sprawling area that is best view via a driving tour which can take 2-3 hours. Monuments remembering the various state’s regiments and the northern states themselves are numerous and impressive. An example is the Illinois monument which on bronze plaques has the names of every Illinois soldier who fought at the battle listed by their regiment, etc. Many beautiful panoramas hide the fact that thousands of men fought and died along those hills and vales.
- Vicksburg Civil War Museum: An excellent museum, it is the work of Charles Pendleton, an individual who spent seven years and a fortune to create the best private museum I have ever visited. An amazing collection of weapons, personal artifacts, pictures, etc. will bring you into the mindset of the times. The cruelty of slavery can be measured in an exhibit of a “breeding cell” where slaves were forced to have sex (with bags over their heads to eliminate any sense of intimacy). These cells were in response to the law implemented in 1808 which outlawed the importation of slave. This is worth a tour and as Mr. Pendleton (who will greet you with a fun quiz) says, his goal “is not to educate you, our aim is to inspire you to want to become more educated.” If you are ever in Vicksburg, do not miss this museum!
If you are driving to Natchez, you have a difficult decision; you can go down the Natchez Trace Road which is a beautiful two lane highway originally used by traders, natives and frontiersmen moving between the two cities, or, you can go down Highway 61, the fastest route. What is the problem? If you go down the Trace, you will miss the Old Country Store in Lorman Mississippi. This treasure offers a nice and well-known chicken buffet, which includes BBQ ribs, pigs’ knuckles, meatballs, and all the fixings plus an excellent choice of cobblers. Mr. D lives for his store and feeding people, plus, if you are lucky, he will sing a song especially for you! The store is loaded with all manner of goods, I really do not know if any of them are for sale as everyone goes there for the food. Remember, if you use the Trace, this treat is only a 40-minute drive from Natchez and worth the effort.
Day 4-5: Natchez
About one ½ hour drive from Vicksburg, and with a population of only about 13,000, Natchez is a more prosperous town than Vicksburg. Prior to the civil war, Natchez had more millionaires than New York City and was a popular destination for Americans and Europeans. A center for the lumber, cattle and grain trade, Natchez had large and impressive ante-bellum homes high above the Mississippi. Having a late evening libation along Silver Street which runs at the foot of the bluffs, the Mississippi is at its best: wide, strong, and irresistible.
It can get a bit of taking use to when you begin to realize that you can drive from one end of the town to the other in 6-10 minutes, but one realizes that because of that, the pace of life is much different, especially when we often spend five minutes just trying to get past two sets of stop lights within five hundred feet of each other. Throttling back becomes enjoyable.
Our first tour in Natchez was of Stanton Hall, built in 1857 and remarkably, a survivor of the Civil War. Taken over in 1938 by the Pilgrimage Garden Club (a group of fifteen women), it is a showcase of the glory that the house would have been as built. Gold leaf mirrors, Italian marble mantle pieces and furniture shipped from Europe have been reassembled to present a wonderful opportunity to step back in time. And, it even had an indoor, flush toilet! Of particular interest are the bronze gasoliers, each of which represents a unique motif. Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1974, it is a must see in Natchez.
One thing that is fascinating about the state of Mississippi is that so much of the land near the Mississippi is basically swamp. The water table is so high that you can be driving down a road and see a cemetery where caskets are on top of the soil, encased in concrete holders. We are so used to the custom of placing the dead in the ground, that seeing rows of those concrete casket holders above ground can give quite a start. In the ground, forgotten, buried above ground and one must feel that the dead never really left.
Day 6: New Iberia
Unfortunately, the interesting attractions were closed (they seem to only be open Thursday-Sunday). This was the first time we have run across this, so we visited the sleepy old downtown section which is trying to make a comeback. The locals seem a bit more standoffish but friendly, so we used the day for catching up on long distance business.
7-11: New Orleans
What can I write about New Orleans that I have not previously written? The 11AM sazeracs at the carousel bar at the Monteleone hotel, the excellent Po’boy sandwiches at Johnnies, the excellent lunches at Mr. B’s, etc., etc. Everything is still in place although during our stay the Rolling Stones were in concert. Tickets were $1100 and up (the first time I saw the Stones the tickets were $3.50-6.50 in Chicago), so needless to say, we did not attend the concert, but folks came from surrounding states to see the act.
The one big change was our favorite bar tender (he is so much more than that), has moved from Mr. B’s to the Eliza Jane Hotel on Magazine St. Very classy! You get the feeling of NO without craziness and as usual, Brian is the master of his domain. He is still the best of the best!
As usual, we spent hours in a couple of old-time bookstores (no Barnes and Noble), complete with elderly gentlemen who knew where every book was shelved and who could compare various authors no matter what the subject, plus of course, the store cat who one must pet. The biggest problem with such explorations is the load of books one must lug back when you leave the Big Easy.
The pace of the French Quarter can be quite hectic during the late afternoon and evening and quite different from the old warehouse quarter just across Canal Street. The warehouse quarter has many new hotels, and some excellent restaurants so do not hesitate to extend your visit to NO by making a visit to that section.
Overall, it was a great trip. The old Southern traditions of a slower life, kindness and courtesy are still alive and doing well. Yes, you must put up with the humidity, but the people make up for the discomfort and you will leave with many wonderful memories.
Thank you.
