Tag: Mississippi

Vast longleaf pine forests dominate the landscape of Hattiesburg, which sits in the heart of South Mississippi’s Pine Belt region. In the late 1800s, as rail and logging industries began developing the area’s resources, the city emerged as an economic hub. Named for Harriet “Hattie” Hardy, the founder’s wife, it went on to become home to the University of Southern Mississippi and eventually a bustling city of 50,000 people.

Today, Biloxi known for its towering casino resorts offering endless entertainment and round-the-clock gambling, but you needn’t be a high roller to enjoy this coastal community. Known as the Seafood Capital of the World in the early 1900s, the city is brimming with fresh-catch restaurants and eager to share its historic schooners and nautical instruments at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum.

In November 2023, I traveled back to the hometown I’d left when I was 19 years old. Fall in Natchez, Mississippi, is a welcome relief after the annual assault of a long, hot summer. I remembered the heat and the way the first cool breeze took its time arriving.

Chef Nick Wallace is familiar to foodies, having gained national attention as the winner of Food Network’s Chopped and as a contestant on Top Chef. Known for his fresh spin on Mississippi fare, he grew up on farmland in Edwards, 30 minutes west of Jackson.

If you’re not careful, a visit to Oxford might land you in the “Velvet Ditch.” Incorporated in 1837, the small college town with its bustling historic square earned the nickname in the 1950s after locals noticed a pattern: People came to Oxford (often for class at the University of Mississippi, aka Ole Miss), got comfortable, and never left.

Northeastern Mississippi is a crossroads and has, over centuries, been formed by that distinction. Here, the watery world of swampy wetlands and still bayous meet ridges of hickory, ash, and maple.

Make the most of the town's nooks and crannies with plenty to discover for history buffs and small-town enthusiasts alike.

Executive director Emily Havens shares details on current exhibitions and which red carpet looks are not to be missed.

The Georgia State University professor is tackling a story very close to home as writer and producer of a new documentary, The Harvest. Debuting September 12 on PBS’s The American Experience, The Harvest explores the story of first integrated public school class in Leland, Mississippi, of which Blackmon was a part of. The film is produced by prolific Oscar-nominated filmmaker and producer Sam Pollard (Citizen Ashe, Black Art: In the Absence of Light), who also worked on the documentary adaptation of Blackmon's Pulitzer-winning book, Slavery by Another Name.

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