Mississippi

Since Southbound debuted in 2013, our staff and contributors have logged thousands of miles, consumed millions of calories, and taken countless notes and photos to showcase the very best destinations around the region. Although every place we’ve covered is special, some left a particularly powerful impression. Here, we give you the best of the very best, our favorite spots in the South.

Named for the Natchez tribe of Indigenous Americans, Natchez is a perfect destination for foodies, history buffs, and nature lovers alike.

Named after the university town of Oxford, England, this north-central Mississippi town was founded in 1837 by three men who wanted to establish a site for the state’s first higher-learning institution. Now, more than 175 years later, Oxford is home to the University of Mississippi (colloquially known as Ole Miss), as well as a rich cultural and literary history.

You don't think inside the box. Why sleep in one? The South is full of unexpected accommodations, from a nineteenth-century castle to a Hobbit hut to the tree house of your dreams. Let us introduce you to sixteen offerings that are anything but ordinary.

Author Anton DiSclafani’s trip to Mississippi revives her flagging spirits.

Before 2017, Laurel, Mississippi, was rarely, if ever, on the minds of people who didn’t live there. It certainly didn’t attract travelers from around the world. But thanks to Ben and Erin Napier, stars of HGTV’s Home Town, it is now a popular destination.

Forget Yelp reviews, travel guides, or tracking down that random colleague’s Instagram post. We have your notes right here—on where to go and what to order when traveling—from some of the South’s most acclaimed chefs, unlocking the secrets of their hometowns.

Award-winning potter Matt Long is a professor of art at the University of Mississippi and presents ceramics workshops internationally. His functional pieces have appeared in publications such as Ceramics Monthly.

Check in at one of these full-service establishments, among the most storied in the Gulf, from the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi to the legendary Loews Don CeSar (aka: the Pink Palace).

Dockery Farms, just east of Cleveland, Mississippi, is regarded as the birthplace of the blues. In the late 1800s, Will Dockery bought the former swampland to farm timber; later, he had it drained and...