Vicksburg is a lovely town with a rich history and is within driving distance of other historic places!

Mississippi has lots of wonderful places to visit. It is my home state, and I've started to rediscover both new and familiar things with my family. It's been a journey that I love sharing with friends too! If you are looking for a new place to explore in the deep south, put Vicksburg and Natchez on your radar.

The river views in both Vicksburg and Natchez are lovely.

Visit Vicksburg and Natchez

Vicksburg, Mississippi is located right on the Mississippi River and along Interstate 20. This makes it an easy stop passing through Mississippi or as a designated stop. I also like stopping at one place and using it as a hub to explore lots of spots in the area. Vicksburg is a great place to do just that.

Take a look at the murals along the Riverfront in Vicksburg.

Places to Explore in Vicksburg

Vicksburg has the traditional The Vicksburg National Military Park is a history buff's dream. My husband and I helped process the archives located within the park. You can walk, drive and bike around the park to learn about the civil war battle fought there. The park is beautifully maintained and preserved, and I recommend doing this on your trip.

Take a trip downtown and along the river to see the Riverfront Murals. These murals depict iconic and historic events from Vickburg history. Each one is different and unique. And it is worth the stop. Plus, you can see the floodwalls and the depth of the flooding from the Mississippi River over the years.

While you are downtown, take look at some of the shops along Washington Street. There are lots of cute shops that are worth browsing. Who knows what hidden treasures you might find as you stroll along.

Where to Eat in Vicksburg

When my parents lived in Vicksburg, I worked for the Nosser family years ago. This family once owned the Jitney Jungle grocery franchise in the town along with the once-popular Glass Kitchen restaurant. Two of the Nosser Sons, Rowdy and Rocky, both kept the family tradition of businesses in Vicksburg with their own restaurants.

Rowdy Nosser owned Rowdy's Catfish that is now a Taco Casa. It was a wonderful family business where I waited tables in the summer. Sadly, he passed away several years ago. Rowdy's son operates and owns the Taco Casa in place of the catfish spot his dad once owned.

Across the street is the longstanding dining establishment, The Beechwood. This local staple since 1956 is delicious and should not be missed. They serve wonderful steaks and seafood in an old-school dining room that will take you way back. I've never had a bad meal here, and it is truly a local favorite.

Rivertown Rose Campground has nice large yards and level camping spots with easy access to local attractions.

Where to Stay in Vicksburg

We have stayed at the Rivertown Rose Campground twice. I will fully admit that our first stay was better than our most recent one, and there are plus and minuses to this campground. But, I also like to be fair in my reviews.

The campground is clean and nice. They offer propane fill up, there is a pool and playground. Sites are level and large. Overall, we had a good experience.

However, they were having some issues with amenities such as cable, wifi, water, and electricity on our recent trip. And, all of these items seemed not to be a priority. When I tried to talk with the campground about the cable and WiFi, it was apparent that both of these had been known issues but had no plans to really fix this. I don't normally care about this except we like to watch tv sometimes at night, and there was not enough cell signal on our phones in Vicksburg to even hotspot if we wanted to. So, if these items are things you need while camping, know this in advance.

There was a main water line break while we were there that did seem to get repaired rather quickly, but the electricity on our box kept causing the breaker to flip. This was even with nothing running except our AC. They finally switched out the breaker, but it was apparent the maintenance guy was annoyed by the issues we were having.

Despite these issues, we enjoyed our stay there. And, I also think you should ask questions before you make reservations and when checking in about sites that have working cable or access to Wi-Fi if you need it. Hopefully, these issues have been resolved. As a whole, I would recommend this but know that some amenities might not be available.

We loved our day trip to Natchez!

Day Trip to Natchez

Natchez is a quick drive from Vicksburg. You can arrive in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. It made more sense for us to stay in Vicksburg and travel around that moving from location to location on this trip.

I think we may have a professional shopper on our hands. He loved Olivina!

If you are planning to go to Natchez, first stroll around downtown and visit some of the fun shops. There are plenty to be found. We enjoyed Olivina. It's fun and whimsical just like the town itself. The shop proprietor is a young merchant that has returned to her home after several years in New York. She brings her sense of big city style to her hospitality and welcomes shoppers! We loved this stop!

Everyone should make a stop at Fat Mamma's Tamales in Natchez!

After a little shopping, stop in for some lunch. One of my favorites is Fat Mamma's Tamales. I recommend the Gingo Pie and Fire & Ice Pickles. You won't be disappointed here. You can also sip on a margarita and even grab some mix to take home for you or your friends.

Take a stroll along the river after lunch and enjoy the views. There is a nice overlook within walking distance of Fat Mammas. It's worth the time to do this. So take a moment to just slow down and enjoy.

We had a grand time at Stanton Hall in Natchez.

Everyone should visit one of the historic homes in Natchez. I have been to more than one of these homes in my lifetime, but we selected to visit Stanton Hall. It is grand and offers a well-versed tour. However, you won't be disappointed by any of the homes in Natchez. And my overall recommendation is to pick one, go and take it all in!

Before you leave town, make a stop at the Old South Winery. They offer muscadine wine as well as a few others. It is a local stop that is interesting and a fun way to end the day.

If you are looking for alternatives or other choices in Natchez, you might consider:

Natchez has a well-maintained visitors site that would be excellent to use to plan your trip to visit there. You can find out about specific events that might interest you while you are there!

Take a Backroad Off the Beaten Path

Now if you want to take a little side detour, take a visit to the Windsor Ruins and Natchez Trace Loop Route. By taking 61 south of Vicksburg, you can travel to Port Gibson. In Port Gibson, be sure to stop and take a look at the Presbyterian Church with the hand pointing up on the steeple. It is an iconic landmark and worth stopping to see.

From there, travel to the Windsor Ruins that are about 8 miles from Port Gibson. These are the historic ruins of a house that burned and all that remains are the exquisite columns that surrounded the home in its glory.

Bethel Presbyterian Church was constructed in 1826 and still stands today.

A short drive from the Windsor Ruins is the Canemont Plantation that operates as a bed and breakfast. You can also see the Bethel Presbyterian Church that was built in 1826. You can even still walk inside of the small church and look around.

The Lorman County Store is delicious but can be an expensive stop.

We loved this shaded and winding detour off of the main road to these locations. Our final stop that day was the Lorman Country Store for lunch. I have hesitated over what to say about this stop, but I am just going, to be honest here.

First, the food and service at this old country store location are wonderful. The friend chicken and vegetables are some of the best I have enjoyed. I still think the food is terrific, and it cost my family of 3 $72 for lunch with water! I'm not sure if they are making up for Covid, but the cost of lunch is probably the most expensive I have ever had including large cities like New York. So, I am not sure how to make peace with the cost of that fried chicken lunch except it was an experience that we shared with dear friends. But just know, that is some expensive bird!

This southern corner of Mississippi is grand and beautiful. If you get a chance, I encourage you to go there. You will love the detour and adventure it brings. Be open to taking the back road, slowing down, and taking the time to unearth something new around every bend in the road!

Until next time...

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