Traveling abroad is great but with so many amazing sites at our door step I have chosen to see what my state has to offer, first.
Yesterday, we went on our first summer adventure. It was a four hundred mile trek through Red Lick, Port Gibson, Lorman, and Natchez which took approximately fourteen hours.
Our first stop was the town of Red Lick. Expecting an actual town we found a winding dirt road and a quaint little church.
Red Lick Presbyterian Church (Est. 1845)
Next we visited Port Gibson where we toured a yet another primitive church...
Bayou Presbyterian Church (Est. 1807)
and awed at the skeleton of Windsor Mansion, most commonly known as the Windsor Ruins. At a cost of $175,000 the four story home was constructed in 1860 and met a fiery demise in 1890.
The pillars (still on site) and an iron staircase (located at a local university) are all that remain of a once breathtaking plantation home.
For lunch we stopped in Lorman for a taste of Arthur Davis's famous fried chicken at the Old Country Store Restaurant.
In 1875, the facility began operation as a general mercantile business by the Cohn Brothers. In 1995 it became a restaurant that has been featured in various magazines and food networks for it's mouth watering fried chicken.
The town of Rodney was our next stop and the primary reason for our trip. Now an official ghost town it was once a happening place. Founded in 1798, Rodney was one of the busiest ports in the area due to the adjoining Mississippi River. That is until the river changed course and left the bustling town high and dry.
Rodney, almost the capital of the Mississippi territory is a must see before it is totally dilapidated. The difficulty is actually finding the place but once there it is well worth the desolate journey.
A neglected dirt road leads directly to Muddy Bayou Road, which is the main street (also dirt) running through the center of the town.
The mail boxes and trash receptacles are proof that current inhabitants do exist but the only life we encountered was a lowly armadillo.
A few structures can still be seen but all are in terrible disrepair and are unfortunately fading away into the dust.
The Rodney Presbyterian Church (below) is probably the most noted and has been included on the National Historic registry.
The cannon ball lodged in the front really adds to the building's already established character.
Unfortunately, all my toddler saw of this attraction was the back of his eyelids.
Historic Natchez was the final stop on our agenda. Natchez Under the Hill is on the bank of the mighty Mississippi and basks in nostalgia. The Old South Trading Post, an original saloon, Mark Twain's Guest House, and the Mississippi River bridge make a visit here action packed.
The Old South Trading Post is a definite stop for great home made candy (specifically fudge) and unique souvenirs.
I purchased "Natchez: The History and Mystery of the City on the Bluff" written by Mitchel Whitington. It is a spectacular guide to the sights and sounds of Natchez as well as the surrounding area.
Behind the trading post my son took his first look at the Mississippi River.
Further Under the Hill we visited the saloon and Mark Twain's Guest House.
Built in the late 1700s or early 1800s this building was originally a bar/grocery store. With a lengthy restoration beginning in 1976 it was transformed into the saloon and party spot experienced today.
I didn't want to subject my impressionable child to the bar seen at such an early age so we didn't actually go inside. He did sit on a bench out front and flirt with a rather wobbly lady through the window.
Mark Twain's Guest House adjoins the saloon and was part of the 1976 renovation. Inside you will find three guest rooms, a bathroom, washer/dryer, and refreshment area. The rooms are available with a reservation and small fee.
Lying beneath the bluff is the Mighty Mississippi River.
Here we enjoyed the view and
threw a few rocks into the muddy water.
Upstream stands the Mississippi River Bridge in all it's beauty.
Crossing the bridge resulted in my baby's first trip to LA.
Back in Mississippi we dined with a ghost in front of a legendary fire place at King's Tavern. The tavern itself was erected around 1789. An infant murder and the slaying of the owner's mistress has made the restaurant a national landmark with a guarantee of a supernatural experience.
It is a four story structure with a restaurant (once tavern) on the ground floor and several upper rooms that were rented out to travelers. The fire place on the ground floor is where three skeletons were uncovered after it collapsed in the early 1900's. The female of the three was believed to be Madeline, the mistress of owner, Prosper King.
Madeline, according to tavern employees, makes her presence known from time to time. Unfortunately, we didn't actually see her or did we?
While awaiting the arrival of our meal we toured the upper rooms.
This staircase took us to the second floor from the restaurant area.
To the third floor...
The forth floor was not open to the public but that didn't stop toddler curiosity.
This stairwell marked the end of our tour and the beginning of a wonderful meal.
HAUNTED? You Decide!
A close up of the window on the left...
My son repeatedly waved and said "Bye, Bye" as we boarded the car beneath this window. I guess he made a friend or two while inside.
The window with the pulled curtain is the third floor bathroom. The curtain was down when we visited the room.
Homeward bound we stopped at the Forks of the Road. This was the prime location for slave auctions and trade between the years of 1810 and 1863. Chains were used to retain the slaves on the auctioning block. Therefore, a display of shackles has been placed in the area in remembrance.
A disheartening conclusion to a majestic adventure.
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