Mississippi

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.

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.

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.

It may seem odd to call a town of 23,000 a cultural destination. But Oxford, Mississippi, is indeed a place of deep and enduring culture. Square Books, which opened on the historic courthouse square in 1979, is one of the nation’s top booksellers. Vishwesh Bhatt, an Indian immigrant at the helm of Oxford’s Snackbar, was a 2018 James Beard finalist for Best Chef in the South.

“I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.” Among the most memorable lines penned by Southern playwright Tennessee Williams, it also expresses the reception visitors may expect when touring his birthplace of Columbus, Mississippi.

The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist shares why the king is still magic.

I’m not a big crier, but I feel two fat tears threatening to spill down my cheeks as an eight-piece band performs “What a Wonderful World.” I’m sitting in a darkened theater aboard the inaugural voyage of the American Countess, a luxurious new paddle wheeler cruising the Mississippi.

Drive north on Money Road out of Greenwood, Mississippi, and the town gives way in a hurry to cotton and corn, an occasional house set back from the road.

When people speak of Jackson, Mississippi, the conversation often turns to the past—the complicated civil rights history that has both shamed and shaped the city. But increasingly, they also talk about momentum.