When planning out where we’ll be staying on our road trip, I like to start looking at our accommodation options about 6-8 weeks ahead of time, even if I don’t book them immediately.
Well, I’ve gotten a little behind on that in recent months due to how busy things have been. We’re due to arrive in Mississippi at the beginning of January and I don’t have any hotels or Airbnbs booked yet, so I need to get on that.
Accommodation
As always, we’re planning on staying in a number of places in Mississippi so that at some point during our time there we’ll be within a two hour drive of anything that we might like to do.
Based on the locations of some of the state’s larger cities and places we already have on our list of things to do, we’ll likely stay in Tupelo, Jackson, Natchez and Biloxi. We might manage to fit in a fifth city, but it looks like we have a super-cheap hotel option in Jackson when using points, so we might stay there for 10 nights instead and drive to Vicksburg and Meridian rather than actually staying in one of them seeing as they’re not too far away.
Things To Do In Mississippi
Based on some of our own research and several posts by Cassie at Sites and Bites (see here, here, here & here), we have quite a few things on our list of things to do in Mississippi already:
- Biloxi Visitors Center – this looks fairly fancy and has a lighthouse outside
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- Stanton Hall in Natchez
- Vicksburg National Military Park
- World’s Largest Rocking Chair in Gulfport (we saw one in Casey IL too, so I’m interested to see how they compare)
- Museum of Mississippi History in Jackson
- Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson
- International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson
- Civil Rights Driving Tour in Jackson
- Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson
- Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum in Vicksburg
- Bill’s Hamburgers in Amory
- Dunn’s Falls in Enterprise
- Carousel horse sculptures around Meridian
- Birthplace of Kermit the Frog museum in Leland
- Woodall Mountain – highest point in MS
- Hattiesburg Zoo (they have a sloth experience)
- Longwood – largest octagonal home in US
Your Suggestions
We have 18 places on our list of things to do, but what are we missing? Do you know of any places we need to see in Mississippi, must-eat foods, beautiful hikes, unusual or quirky things to do, etc.? If so, please let us know in the comments below so that we don’t miss out. Depending on what’s recommended and where, you might also help influence where we stay and for how long.
David & I are not big on revisiting places … that being said we got to Biloxi over and over. Very nice people, great weather, different things to do.
So here’s my suggestions:
1. Drive the beach highway all the way at some point. Stop at whatever peaks your interests. We have stopped at quirky beach bars, quiet beach spots watching shrimp boats come in, watched a boat load of chiquita bananas be unloaded, explored Sharkey’s way too long but its tacky and cool.
2. We have a mini golf thing … Scarlet Pearl Casino has a new mini golf course with exploding volcano … best part sign up for players card its free !!!! I know yall don’t gamble much at all and you don’t have to.
3. Speaking of the casinos … some really good food to be found and great deals just from getting a players card you don’t have to use.
4. Take a walk across the bay bridge at sunset.
5. Walk thru the Old Cemetery … creepy beautful in the morning
Now just right next to Biloxi is a little place called Ocean Springs visit a day here here:
1. Eat breakfast at Buzzy’s Breakfast Joint, don’t put this on maybe, put on must do. Only open till 11 am for breakfast in a little house on a small side street. Try to get a porch spot.
2. Get down to their war memorial, we like to visit and pray at these but this one is unique alot of the name plaques have picures and their stories.
3. Spend rest of day hiking through Gulf Shores National Seashore.
There is also a great bbq place ne of Biloxi but we haven’t been in couple years. I need to check on it.
Wow, thanks so much for all those suggestions – I’ll add them all to the list.
Ok Stephen it’s still going strong … The Shed … theshedbbq.com
Here is some of the story the kid that owns has great bbq not a lot of $$$, builds a shack out of found things, becomes known for bbq adds on and on till you have the ramshakle shed complex it is now. He also won bbq awards and had a short lived show on food network.
Now they free live blues music weekends, amazing bbq, huge selection of local beer and s whole lot of southern quirkiness.
(Disclaimer don’t blame me when you get the meat sweats lol)
Don’t worry about me getting the meat sweats – we’ve been eating so much BBQ on the road trip that the meat will be sweating when it sees me coming!