Travels in Mississippi

Pascagoula, Natchez, Vicksburg & Jackson (May 2005)

Our 2005 trip to Mississippi started along the Gulf Coast. From there we traveled up the Natchez Trace to Natchez, Vicksburg, and Jackson.


Airboat Ride

Airboat Ride
Airboat Ride in a Mississippi Swamp

Our first adventure involved an airboat ride at an alligator farm outside of Pascagoula. We thought the little guy might be overwhelmed by the speed but it turned out that he loved it. Grandma, on the other hand, looked less than thrilled (and that blue visor she’s wearing eventually flew into the swamp although we did manage to recover it).

Everyone got a close look at the gators when our guide threw handfuls of dried dog food into the water.


Natchez

Carriage
Carriage Tour of Natchez

Next we headed west towards the Mississippi River and the city of Natchez. We took a carriage tour of the city, seeing many of the historic antebellum homes and various other sites around town. We stayed in a hotel with a large balcony overlooking the river and watched a swarm of bats chase bugs as the sun set.


Vicksburg

Tugboat
A Tugboat in Vicksburg

We headed north towards Vicksburg using the Natchez Trace. It was an easy drive and we were able to stop often to observe waterfalls, wild turkeys, and a few historical sites.

In Vicksburg we toured the battlefield and then took a sunset cruise along the river to view some old observation points from the battle, lots of barge and tugboat traffic, and even a chunk of strange geography — DeSoto Point.


Jackson

Little Train
Riding a Train at the Jackson Zoo

Finally we cut over to Jackson, the state capital. A stop at the Jackson Zoological Park provided an opportunity for our little guy to see even more animals. He also enjoyed the train ride that is located in a park just outside the zoo entrance.

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