We took a scenic route via the Natchez Trace Parkway for part of our journey in Mississippi. What a lovely and peaceful drive it was! It’s always nice to get off the Interstate highway!
This historic trail was created and used by Native Americans so there are a couple of places where you can spot Native American Mounds.
The trail was later used by early European and American explorers. We took a break to view the Pearl River.
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| Pearl River |
In 1698 the French explorer, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, sailed into the mouth of this river and found pearls. He named it “River of Pearls”. One hundred years later the Natchez Trace avoided marshy lowlands by following the ridge between the Pearl River and the Big Black River.
We didn’t drive the entire 444-mile parkway – that will have to be another adventure!
Tupelo
As a huge Elvis Presley fan,
I wanted to go to Tupelo, Mississippi to see the Elvis Presley Birthplace. In addition to the house where Elvis was
born, there is also a lovely Museum, Chapel and other historic buildings on the
property.
Elvis Presley, the “King of
Rock and Roll” was born in this house in 1935.
This Statue of an 11-year-old Elvis commemorates when his mother Gladys bought him a $7.95 guitar from the Tupelo Hardware Store on January 8, 1946.
This Assembly of God Pentecostal Church is the actual church building where the Presley family attended church services. There are regular showings of a filmed reenactment of what a church service would have been like for the Presleys.
This 1939 green Plymouth sedan is a replica of the car that the Presley family drove when leaving Tupelo, heading for Memphis.
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| Memphis Bound |
Vicksburg
The McRaven House is often visited by ghost hunters; however, we opted to take a tour during the day to learn about this historic pre-Civil War home. The McRaven House was built and remodeled in three different time periods, thus earning the name "Time Capsule of the South" from National Geographic Magazine.
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| McRaven House |
The first portion of the house was built in 1797 when George Washington was President, and before Mississippi became a state. Highwayman Andrew Glass built a two-room brick structure with a bedroom above a kitchen, with a removable ladder to prevent an ambush while he slept. The blueberry and buttermilk plaster still adorn the walls.
The second portion was built in 1836 by Sheriff Stephen Howard. He enclosed a patio, creating a stairway and added a bedroom, a dining room and two-story covered porch. It was built in the Empire period style.
The third portion of the house was built in the Greek Revival style by John H. Bobb in 1849. He was a prominent brick manufacturer and sawmill owner. Mr. Bobb built an elegant parlor, master bedroom, men's changing area, flying wing staircase and a Greek Revival facade which he later replaced by the Italianate facade with "Vicksburg pillars."
In a previous trip to
Louisiana, we visited the Biedenharn home and gardens. While in Vicksburg, we
decided to visit the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, where Coca-Cola was first
bottled in 1894.
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| 1896 Ceramic Syrup Dispenser |
Our Bed and Breakfast was very close to the Old Court House Museum, which has many antebellum and Civil War artifacts.
Here are just a few of my favorite items:
Davis Swinging Churn, Mfg. by Vermont Farm Machine Co. This churn is from the Old Davis Plantation in Edwards, MS.
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| Swinging Churn |
The arithmometer was the first mechanical calculator reliable enough to be used in an office environment daily. This calculator could add and subtract two numbers directly and could perform long multiplications and divisions effectively by using a movable accumulator for the result.
The design originated in
France in 1820 by Thomas de Colmar and was manufactured until 1915. The version here is circa 1914.
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| Arithmometer |
Original Teddy Bear given to a local child by Theodore Roosevelt.
The Bonnie Blue Flag, a field of dark blue centered by a white star, was an unofficial symbol of the independence of the Southern states. A song by the same name extolled Southern rights and virtues and was second only to Dixie in popularity.
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| Bonnie Blue Flag |
This tie was worn by President Jefferson Davis at his inauguration in Montgomery in 1861. It was pre-tied, the metal bar sliding into the back of the knot.
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| President Davis Tie |
Homeward Bound – This adventure lasted 2 ½ months! We drove through 15 states, focusing on Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. We drove 7,024 miles. Time to head home and decide where our next adventure will take us.
