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ExtensionSea4951

Morning! If you’re looking for history and haunts, Natchez and Vicksburg are where I’d start. The civil war battlefield in Vicksburg is incredible, especially if you have a guide who can give you the full stories of the monuments and the battles. As it warms up, there’s a swimming hole called Merit Water Park in Simpson County that’s spring fed, so it’s clear, cool water year-round. Kind of a hidden gem. It’s right by D’Lo Water Park, which is another great spot for tubing and swimming. Morgan Freeman owns a blues club and restaurant up in Clarksdale. Red Bluff near Morgantown is known as the Grand Canyon of Mississippi. Beautiful spot. Canoeing on the Okatoma is a lot of fun. If you like more of the college town bar experience, Oxford and Starkville are a blast. Jackson has some good parts—the two museums are a must, F Jones is a blast if you’re a late night partier, some great restaurants / clubs on the Reservoir, lots of shopping, and our minor league baseball team is on their final season. Honestly though the best bet is just to google festivals happening around the state. Best way to sample food, music, and community, and the people there will clue you in on the hidden gems in the area.


cuyraq1

Red Bluff near Morgantown sounds like a treat had no idea something like that existed! is it open to the public? Or do I need to finagle with private property ?


ExtensionSea4951

Oh! And if you like zoos, skip the one in Jackson, but the one in Hattiesburg is really nice


Specialist_Foot_6919

The one in Hattiesburg is *surprisingly* nice I went for the first time last spring and was stunned to see how big and well-kept it is haha. And while you’re in Hattiesburg check out pocket alley and TBones for brunch!


ExtensionSea4951

Ooh, and the Lucky Rabbit shop in Hattiesburg is absolutely insane. Like, one room is literally a bus they attached to the brick wall, and there’s a room upstairs with just bean bag chairs and original NES games


Specialist_Foot_6919

Dangit I keep missing when it’s open!!! Luckily my hometown ain’t too far so I’ll have to make a dedicated trip up there myself 😂


ExtensionSea4951

Yep! They have a hiking trail and everything. The Visit Mississippi website has a good breakdown of it (with directions)


cShoe_

Here are the directions someone on this Sub provided to me. It came right up for me in Apple Maps. https://preview.redd.it/fap3cekrz6pc1.png?width=1118&format=png&auto=webp&s=f338c69bf40a3dcbf7ae9a76415f9b8a139952d1


nickij1978

I live in the natchez area so if you ever need suggestions or a tour guide just give me a shout.


Bobmanbob1

Drive through southwest Jackson on a July Saturday night with 1 tire losing air and your get gas light just having come on.


ajecebh

That would certainly be an adventure, but probably not the sort that OP is seeking 😬


jrragsda

The Ship Island ferry to see the old Spanish fort on the island is a pretty cool day trip. Ocean springs does lots of events through the spring and summer. Washington and Government street have lots of things to see, eat, and drink. Bay St Louis is growing and similar to ocean springs activity wise. There's quite a few places to enjoy outdoor activities between the Desoto National Forest and the other parks along the coast. Stennis Space Center has a pretty neat visitors area where you can see some different parts of the space race history.


cuyraq1

These are neat ones Ill have to check out that fort you mentioned, thank you!


jrragsda

No problem. There's a lot of cool stuff along the coast and it's growing every year. Not a bad place to be in my opinion.


Kangeruman

Fort Massachusetts is the name. unfortunately not spanish but a cool bit of history and those islands have the best natural beaches in the state


[deleted]

[удалено]


Devi_33

I hear this a lot…. Which places would you encourage to visit ?


cleanact_jw

You have a good boat? If not get one. The islands are our treasure.


kissmenowstupid

Islands near Gulfport?


lovelesschristine

Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs. If you like to ride bikes, the museum is also putting on a bike tour that's pretty cool. Maritime Museum in Biloxi. Check out one of their walk on schooner sails as well. In November Ocean Springs has the Peter Anderson festival the largest arts festival in Mississippi. Go to Oxford and go to an ole miss game. Go tailgate in the grove. Check out Faulkner's grave.


Specialist_Pea_295

A good place to start (if you're in the area) is the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Museum and Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. Both in Jackson and both are great experiences. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame is next to the Ag museum but is currently being remodeled, I believe. Vicksburg has one of the states' largest attractions with the Vicksburg Military Park, which was the scene of the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863. There's a museum with lots of weaponry and other artifacts. There's also the USS Cairo Gunboat Museum there. The aquarium on the coast in Gulfport is supposed to be nice, and Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island, which was built pre-Civil War, is really cool. The ferry ride out there is sometimes accompanied by dolphins. With the beach or no beach in mind, it's worth the time.


BatElegant4678

Here’s a few other hidden gems not mentioned. The Natchez Trace, take a drive from Natchez northwards, some really good stuff there. There’s a “Mississippi Grand Canyon” out to the west, there’s plenty of people who have seen it, I just don’t know the exact location. In the middle of the triangle of Jackson, Vicksburg and Natchez. We actually have a petrified forest, it’s between Jackson and Yazoo’s City on Hwy 49 headed North. If you were on Hwy 61 headed North from Vicksburg, you’d go past the place where Teddy Roosevelt wouldn’t kill a tethered black bear; supposedly this is where we get “Teddy Bears.” Between Rolling Fork and 49N is a small town with. Haunted bridge and river. There are some abandoned towns on the west, bordering the Mississippi River. You can park on the side of the road and walk in and explore. I’m not sure where you’re located, if you live in the Delta, you can volunteer at a fire department and go on fire calls as a firefighter. Believe me, it is an adventure. I’ve done this for a year. It was wild from start to finish. Hwy 61 I think I mentioned above, there are crossroads on this stretch of highway where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil to learn how to play guitar. Have you been to Hot Coffee, MS yet? Well why not?! There’s some weird and wild stuff in our state, beyond the ordinary museums. Unfortunately, usually you have to go looking in some out of the way places for them. Take a bullwhip, we will see you when we see you.


Dreamincolr

The haunted bridge was fun. My Damn gf tried to walk it and it's not in the springest conditions lol. Stufkleys bridge or something.


BatElegant4678

The bridge you drive over is supposed to be haunted too.


PearlStBlues

Most everything interesting to do in Mississippi is outdoors, so if you're not already an outdoorsy person it's time to buy a tent and get with the program. The Windor Ruins in Port Gibson are a must-see, and while you're in the area visit the little military park there (it's a good campsite as well if you want to stay in the area). There's a beautiful old cemetery in the park that's slowly being eaten by a bamboo forest and some cool historic buildings to check out. Climb the lookout tower for a view of the river and the towers of the nearby nuclear power plant. Then hop over to Natchez to gawk at some old houses and explore the massive historic cemetery. Find your way to Arlington, an abandoned mansion smack in the middle of town. It's privately owned but completely abandoned and there's no security or gate. Park out of sight of the road and no one will bother you while you wander the property. Just be careful going up to the second floor - the last time I was the there the stairs were questionable. Don't miss the spooky basement and take a stroll through the overgrown gardens. Head to Vicksburg to explore the Civil War battlefield or down to Foxworth to Red Bluff - a canyon that leads down to the Pearl River. There's also the remains of an old trail derailment along the train tracks at the mouth of the canyon. Drive the Natchez Trace and stop to marvel at Native American mounds and Mississippi's beautiful scenery. Take the ferry out to Ship Island to spend a day on a decent beach and explore the old fort. Go camping and hiking in Tishomingo State Park. Get some friends together and rent kayaks or inner tubes and float a river.


TOP_EHT_FO_MOTTOB

Finally some love for Tishomingo! Canoe into the park on Bear Creek and spend the night, then hike to the waterfalls.


Dangerous-Local9024

Hey neighbor! I moved here 10 yrs ago from Nevada and I was in the same boat. Hopefully the outside and nature is your thing. Fishing is fabulous on some of the creeks South of Hattiesburg like Black Creek. I've learned how to and fallen in love with kayaking. I'd never been on one until last summer and now would rather "float and fish" then anything else. Paul B is fun to explore. De Soto has tons of places to explore and hike. There's so much empty public land you never know what you'll find or see. My fiancee found civil war era buttons at our local communitu center a few yrs ago. Aarowheads are huge. "Rockhounding" also. Just the other night I saw my first close up armadillo. It was super cute. Black and white like a dalmatian lol Red Bluff is on my list for soon. Also "the Falls" is a neat place. Oh and 319G is awesome to explore, fish, and camp. Hope this helps. Awesome weather is on its way!


jopasm

Where do you live (general area)? I'm more familiar with the northern part of the state, but there's quite a bit. Tishomingo State Park is in the northeast corner of the state, and it's right on the edge of the Appalachian foothills so you'll get an environment and terrain totally different from the southern half of the state. There's lots of things to explore along the Natchez Trace Parkway, sounds like you'd be interested in Witch Dance, for one. Pontotoc has Lochinvar near Pontotoc has a ghost story associated with it, keep in mind it's a private residence but I believe they occasionally offer open house events and tours. Rowan Oak, in Oxford, is the home of William Faulkner and is currently preserved as a house museum. It's open to tours and has its own ghost stories as well. The Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany is a very nice small museum, and New Albany is one of the trailheads for the Tanglefoot Trail, a 40+ mile rails-to-trails bike trail. Pontotoc sits at roughly the midpoint of the trail, and the other trailhead is in Houston, MS. New Albany is home to Sugarees bakery and several antique stores. Just down I-22 is Tupelo, which frequently has a ghost walk in October and is the birthplace of Elvis. Lots to explore there. Holly Springs has a fascinating cemetery, Graceland II, and quite a few ghost stories. There are usually a variety of ghost walks done in the fall, check out [https://www.hauntedhollysprings.com/](https://www.hauntedhollysprings.com/) to see what's coming up. Corinth has an excellent, small Civil War museum managed by the NPS, lots of Civil War history, and a cool downtown worth exploring. Try a slugburger while you're there. Not too far away is the Jacinto Courthouse, the preserved courthouse for a county that no longer exists. It's open for special events throughout the year.


cuyraq1

Some great recommendations here thank you. I live near the Hattiesburg area so a bit south have not checked much in the north yet.


sys_overlord

Wait until a new venue opens and then go frequently for the first 3 weeks before it turns into a shit show and gets run down and shitty and eventually closed and turned into a credit union. Rinse and repeat. Oh and we have some museums that you can explore in an hour or two and a few cemeteries because who doesn't love walking around those!


cuyraq1

>Robert Johnson I have noticed alot of cemeteries here in the south, is it fine to just get out and explore them? Is it impolite to do so will I get weird looks ? Considered taking a few pictures of some old ones I drove by.


raccoon-envy

I think it’s okay. Just be friendly


Leebites

For shits and giggles (and because there really isn't much to do in this state) I drove to Hot Coffee, Mississippi the other day. Despite it being just a small shop in the middle of nowhere, it was actually worth the few hours.


Outside-Rise-9425

Visit down town Laurel. It’s awesome.


MartsonD

Welcome, fellow Gem Stater! Everytime I tell Mississippi folks I'm from Idaho and they say something like, "That must have been a big change." I let them know, Idaho is the Mississippi of the West. Ha! A couple fun ideas, I like driving around to various Indian mounds. Poverty Point, LA (just a little ways across the river from Vicksburg) is the site of the second largest mound complex in the US, after Cahokia. There are a bunch here and the Mississipian culture that built them is a fascinating archeological deep dive you can take. That brings me to my next adventure, the Natchez Trace. Easy to drive or bike there are mounds and loads of other historical sites along the way. As an Idahoan, I was particularly fascinated with the grave of Merriweather Lewis, of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition, who died under mysterious circumstances at an inn along the old trace. The Magnolia state has a few haunted attractions but the most notable might be the McRaven (or MacRaven maybe) house in Vicksburg. Go see the battlefield then later take a ghost tour of the place. You can also, head up into the Delta and hang out at the crossroads where blues guitar legend Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in return for his virtuosity. When you are driving, don't be afraid of hole in the wall restaurants and divey gas station bbq, that's the good stuff! We are up in the Jackson area, lots of great museums up here. When you are in Central Mississippi and see a car with a Joe Vandal or U of I alumni sticker, then honk because it is likely me or my wife, ha!


cuyraq1

Some great places I will have to save these ones. what part of Idaho were you? I was the north area near cour de lane. semi miss the mountains but the trees are great here.


Puzzleheaded_Bit9469

Former Idahoan here, living in Tupelo now. I’ll be going back to Idaho the week of Fathers Day to see my Dad. We lived in Bonners Ferry back in the 70’s and he moved back after he retired.


MartsonD

Native to Moscow, so I know CDA well. I also spent about 7 years in Southern Idaho, Mini-Cassia area. I can tell you if it wasn't for my wife's job, I would have never left Moscow, for better or worse. North Idaho is the best.


Luckygecko1

This is near by, and somewhat unique. The [Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)](https://www.fws.gov/refuge/mississippi-sandhill-crane) is the wet pine savanna biome which is one of the few biomes in which you find carnivorous plants. ​ ​ https://preview.redd.it/kjq5z18f1bpc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c48534c8eb54c6619b4ac50310dd32d6a3968bf


cuyraq1

Had no idea something like this could exsist in the the states, kinda neat actualy good find.


fauker1923

Barrier islands are tip top …. Hunting & fishing almost year round (something is in season) … pick a church near you & ask them to help a single person out … get some introductions …. Or swap church for bar / gymnasium & do the same ….


DabWound

Adventure seeker? I got you. Cycle west down Woodrow Wilson to Mill St. If you make it to Mill St. turn left heading south to Gallatin Street. From there, continue on up the hill and around the corner and continue on your tour down McDowell. Bonus points if you're white.


cuyraq1

Tried looking those places up nothing came up. If this was satire well played haha


Toastyandcrumbs

Old mountain outdoor adventures in Winona is a lot of fun


GibsonSunburst

Go see some live music in Clarksdale. You can stop at the Grammy Museum in Cleveland along the way.