On a recent trip to Columbus, Mississippi, I was both pleased and surprised to discover that…read moreColumbus, Mississippi was the birthplace of Tennessee Williams, one of the most celebrated playwrights in the twentieth century. Probably his most venerated and best-known work would be "A Streetcar Named Desire." It looks like they are doing some construction, but I think that it so very cool that such a respected name as Tennessee Williams has a connection to the community of Columbus, Mississippi. If you find yourself in Columbus, Mississippi, I woukd definitely recommend checking this out.

There are really nice docents that tell you the story of why it's a Tennessee Williams home. Then…read moreyou can explore on your own. One room has timelines and pictures displayed around the room.

This was a fun visit. You can learn so much about Elvis and his family during this tour. It's…read moreamazing that his father built that little house with money he borrowed ($180 I think). The family church was interesting to see too. They moved it to the property after the family moved. The museum was interesting too! Definitely make a stop if you're near Tupelo!

It is a moving experience to visit the birthplace of Elvis. This is a well kept memorial to the…read moreKing that shows the humble beginnings of a talented man A few years ago we had a chance to visit the house in Memphis which for today's standards is also a humble place. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Exceeded my expectations for

This welcome center is a great introduction to the state of Mississippi. Overall, it is a clean…read morerest area and a nice stop. I find this to be a regular stop on my trips to northern Mississippi. I would definitely recommend here.

This is a really clean rest stop and welcome center. The bathrooms are spacious with plenty of…read morespaces for use. There are very nice picnic tables as well as porch swings located throughout the property. There are two historic markers on the site one for the blue star memorial and the other forthe Chickasaw nation. There is a plaque, noting Tremont, Mississippi the birthplace of Tammy Wynette. The plaque says she is the First Lady of country music. The flag that flies at the site is a new state flag compared to the previous one. The new flag was approved and began flying in 2021 and removes the previous nod to the Confederate States of America.

Many years ago (when it was drivable) I used to drive across this bridge whenever I had a car load…read moreof kids or out of town visitors and pretend my car stalled mid-way.... all after telling them rumored stories of this Bridge's past. Boy oh boy was it fun to watch them all panic just a little. Or a lot ... sometimes screaming was involved. I still tell everyone the 'stories' associated with this bridge (who knows if they are true or how true) ... if you Google it some of the tales come up and even a 'Mississippi backroads' episode I think it was that included the bridge. One time after I drove across the bridge ... a few days later it apparently had some of its wooden slats collapse and it has been blocked and 'undrivable' ever since. This should not prevent you from visiting. It is a beautiful old iron bridge. Even the marrieds of graffitied names and vulgarities that visitors have littered on its bones does not distract from is lovely form and location. Somehow it may even add to its appeal. I would definitely recommend watching your feet as you cross (there are warning signs to try and prevent you from venturing over - for which I ignore) there are missing and rotting boards the entire length. The beautifully tree lined river rushes beneath and just the sheer quiet (other than the sound of the rushing water) is worth the cautious walk into the middle of the bridge. I still take any visitor I can drag back to Meridian, Mississippi to see this spot. I tell them the stories I had heard about the bridge from 'old timers' as we drive to its remote local. I make them walk the entire length and admire the bridge's bones and the view it affords. No one is ever disappointed. You should go check it out ... you will not be either.

This mansion is beautiful! There's like 4 living rooms! Very spacious and lots of decor. I was just…read morevisiting and taking a look inside because it was open. Looks very fancy and weddings would look great here.

I've planned a number of breakfasts and receptions here. The Jemison is a great deal considering…read moreits size, scope and location. The staff is easy to work with, and the contracts are very straightforward. It has it's own on-site parking lot, which is a big plus. The backyard seems just a little too small for an outdoor wedding, however.

I love Bankhead! Who knew it is named for William B. Bankhead, a longtime former Alabama…read moreRepresentative and it is one of Alabama's four National Forests, covering a massive 181,230 acres. It is home to Alabama's only National Wild and Scenic River, the Sipsey Fork. It is located in northwestern Alabama, around the town of Double Springs. Driving to Navoo Alabama, the sign designating Bankhead is a "heads up" you are rapidly approaching wonderful, wonderful Camp McDowell, situated in Bankhead! Camp McDowell is the beautiful queen of Clear Creek, which is not really clear at all, and growing up, had plenty of leeches. Still, it's a beautiful creek and a lovely place in this national forest! Hiking ranges from long and tenuous, to short and easy peasy! Water features are abundant with plenty of little and large water falls to enjoy! Do visit Bankhead. Bring some hiking boots, a walking stick, and a backpack with waters and snacks. There is not a lot of commercialization in the region. Just a corner grocery store and a Jacks that are both ~10-15 miles of curvy roads away.

If you subscribe to thisisalabama on Instagram it's filled with amazing shots from Banhead National…read moreForest, literally, all the time. We had been meaning to take a day and explore and just never made it happen .... until now! It's not exceptionally clear when you have arrived, at least on the side we were on. No flashy signs or anything indicating 'ENTERING BANHEAD....'. We actually ended up using All Trails app to get the coordinates of where we wanted to go. We were directed through a neighborhood that had paved roads that shortly turned into gravel roads .... then we eventually go to our destination. This particular hike was about 4 miles round trip. Relatively flat except for a middle section that was pretty steep. But, at no point was the trail itself hazardous in any ways. This place was absolutely stunning! Small waterfalls could be found close to the path all the way to the end, which was the largest waterfall on the hike (Kind of small since it hasn't rained in awhile). All in all we really liked our day out here. The trail was well shaded which kept the overall temp down as much as it could. One precaution, if you have a truck or an SUV I would recommend taking that instead of a car. The road itself is quite bumpy (potholes) and if you have a car that is too low to the ground you may do some scraping (at least getting to the trail we went to).

When I lived east of the Mississippi River, one of my holiday traditions was to visit the…read moregravesites of American pioneers, trailblazers, and unsung heroes to be inspired by the history and stories that are occasionally lost to time. North Mississippi is home to two national heritage areas--the Mississippi Hills NHA & the Mississippi Delta NHA--and it's a great place to dive deeper into these stories even if the old guard would prefer to bury them. In fact, my alma mater has been extensively covered in national media for doing this exact type of research to performance project, Tales from the Crypt, in Columbus, Mississippi. I visited William Faulkner's gravesite for the July 4th holiday in 2020, where I reflected on the following line from Requiem for a Nun: "The past is never dead. It's not even past. All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born, webs of heredity and environment, of desire and consequence, of history and eternity."

The grave of noted author William Faulkner is an often visited site in Oxford and fans will often…read moreleave a bottle of whiskey on the grave site. Most of the Faulkner/Falkner family is buried here and there is the variation on the name with some having the "u" and others not. In my Faulkner literature class at Ole Miss I was taught that William Faulkner added the "u" to the family name as he thought it seemed more distinguished. I used to live right next to St. Peter's Cemetery and I would jog and drive by William's grave daily and I would often stop by to see what new bottle of whiskey had been left and I would occasionally drink a toast to him and pour out a sip for him to share. This cemetery has many other interesting and old grave sites situated on rolling hills and makes for a pleasant place to walk through.

This place is definitely nice to walk around. If you like nature you'll enjoy it. The house changes…read more$5 to do the tour inside but you're able to walk around the property at no cost. They also have trails you can hop on and just explore and enjoy the weather (spring-fall) winter not sure. It's nice to keep history alive regardless of what subject matter it is. It shapes all of us in a way or another. The people in the house were nice and informative. Definitely check it out, enjoy and learn a bit.

The last time I visited Rowan Oak was in the 80's. Time does stand still (sometimes)…read more A visit to Oxford Ms. and a visit to William Faulkner home is a must. We missed the last tour but got to roam the beautiful grounds. If you are in Oxford stop in and check it out!

my kids love the museum. especially the hands on Morse code messaging and train. The Dudie Burger…read moreFestival was great! music was good and so was the food! I would have liked to have seen more hands on things for the kids to do such as outdoor jenga, blacksmith, crafts, etc... but overall it was enjoyable. Thanks to all those whose time and talents were used to create such a fun family experience.

This is one of the best parts of our beautiful city, a museum of all things Tupelo or relevant to…read moreTupelo! it's so educational on many levels and so very relaxing and inviting. The building inside and out is so nicely laid out and makes you excited about what's around the corner next. Take a picnic and sit outside! it's beautiful!