Mississippi doesn't get its personality from bustling metropolises, state-of-the-art stadiums, or pristinely pruned roadways. It gets it from old-fashioned town squares and highways marked with blues and barbecue. Civil War battlefields tell tales of a peppered past, while the Blues Highway sings a nostalgic song. The quirky coast makes you want to stay awhile, the northern reaches send you on a path to the Appalachian foothills, and the Delta commands the soul of the state.
The melting pot of characters and history that makes up Mississippi is something even some of us Southerners don't understand, but we do know that the collection of charming small towns down on the coast, along the river, and up to the mountains gives us a privileged peek inside. These are the gems of Mississippi , and we've rounded up our best picks.
The Gulf Coast has come a long way since being hammered into devastation by Hurricane Katrina in , with restoration and cleanup efforts slowly giving life back to this quaint coastal town. Locally owned shops, galleries, and restaurants infuse your trip with the quirkiness and laidback attitude of the small town, while the warm ocean breeze calls for a relaxed mindset.
Pay a visit to the The Shed Barbecue and Blues Joint , a rustic rickshaw of a restaurant that started with a shed made from dumpster-diving finds and expanded as the locals' love for the hometown joint increased. It's now a full family affair, with grandma manning the beer bar.
You'll find dinner and a show with mouthwatering barbecue and live blues. Named for the Native Americans that once settled the area, this river town is steeped in character that you can see, taste, and feel around every corner. Historic antebellum homes with column-lined porches and a regal demeanor are flanked by towering live oak trees draped heavily with Spanish moss, showing the inherent historic respect this small town has for Southern culture.
