Paul and Julie on the Road: JACKSON, MS October 14-16, 2012

I used all back roads for our trip down through southern Arkansas into Mississippi and what an interesting drive. Little tiny country roads, even got us lost as we crossed into Mississippi so instead of the main road we were on little road along the Sunflower River. So narrow we took up the whole road way and must have stunned the pick up trucks we passed along our 10 mile drive. But finally I got us into Jackson, MS through a route we probably shouldn't have taken but, all in all, everything went fine. Our campground for the next 3 nights was the La Fleur Bluff State Park.

An absolutely gorgeous small park right in the center of Jackson, MS, with our discount the cost was only $13 a night. Our site was right on the river of the 305 acre urban park. The park is named for Louis LeFleur, a French-Candadian explorer who established a trading post on the banks of the Pearl River in the late 1700s. The city of Jackson was originally known as LeFleur's Bluff.

The trees were turning and the views were stunning across the water.

We were so busy while here we didn't search out much of the park and its trails. But it was a wonderful stay for us.

Once we got set up it was time for a drink to enjoy the view and we wondered why we were the only ones sitting outside at sunset. Well, after a few bites and itches we realized those nasty "no-seeums" were all around us. That was the last night we sat outside without first covering ourselves in insect spray.

We decided to spend Monday in Vicksburg about 45 miles west of us. It was a perfect day to see the city and the Vicksburg National Military Park to learn of the events that happened here during the Civil War. Before going to the Park we started with lunch at Main Street Market

followed by a tour of the Old Court House Museum. So much history in this museum!

We wanted to also see the Biedenharn Coca Cola Museum in the historic part of the city along the river bank, where coke was first bottled in 1894. The exhibit included the original bottling equipment and a variety of advertising and memorabilia

Then we had the rest of the afternoon to spend at Vicksburg Civil War grounds beginning with the entrance through this Memorial Arch. We learned why Vicksburg was the focus of such brutal and continued battles to gain control of the city and this part of the river. This quote from the park brochure:
Two Presidents, both aware of the importance of the city on the Mississippi River; President Davis knew it was vital to hold the city for the Confederacy to survive. President Lincoln wanted the key to gain control of the river and divide the South. Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates this campaign and its significance as a critical turning point of the Civil War.

The park is so large the tour is done by car with an audio tour I downloaded on my phone.

We stopped often to see the interior of the buildings and structures.

One of most interesting stops was at the covered exhibit of the USS Cairo, one of the seven ironclad gunboats upon which helped the North to regain control of the lower Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two. We could walk all around the deck of the reconstructed boat. So interesting.

We stayed until the park closed at sunset then made the drive back to our campground.

Our next day was spent seeing the sights of the city of Jackson. We started with a visit to the Mississippi Museum of Art, with a fantastic collection of work by William R. Hollingsworth Jr, one of Mississippi's most significant artists.

The Museum is beautiful with lovely gardens surrounding it.

After a tasty lunch at the museum we went to visit the Old Mississippi State Capitol with this beautiful rotunda.

Built in 1839, the Old Capitol is Mississippi's most historic building and so interesting to see.

From there we went to tour the home a the Pulitzer Prize winning author, Eudora Welty, known as the First Lady of Southern Literature. I had called ahead to make a reservation for the tour which shows the house exactly as she lived in it. It is one of the nation's most intact literary house museums reflecting Welty's life there for over seventy-six years. Since I didn't know much about this author I picked up a small autobiography and one of her novels to read.

In this same Belhaven neighborhood we tried finding a little of the history of sites featured in the novel, The Help. The author, Katheryn Stockett, was Eudora Welty's neighbor for only 2 months before the family moved to a northern neighborhood, but many of the other buildings in the movie are in this area. We found a couple of the locations but our day was running out so we headed to dinner at The Mayflower, a local cafe established in 1935 and known as Jackson's Finest Seafood. Not much to look at from the outside but good food inside.