seeking springtime travel ideas

My wife and I want to travel to Mississippi and Alabama this spring, but we don%26#39;t know where to go! We%26#39;re just starting our travel research and I%26#39;ll look at official tourism sites, etc, but we%26#39;d like your suggestions, too.

One thing we know we want to do is eat good, local food. We%26#39;re interested in history and in natural sites. We%26#39;d be happy to take backroads rather than zoom from city to city.

We%26#39;re looking for advice on towns, sites and events to consider. Also, if we want to enjoy the springtime, when is the best time to come?

Thanks for your help!

Jeff

St. Paul, Minnesota

(also posting in Alabama forum)

seeking springtime travel ideas

If you enjoy history, Vicksburg is the place to go. Natchez also has some lovely sites and good food. There are several nice state parks and a drive down the Natchez Trace is very relaxing. The coast offers gaming first and formost but there are some very nice quaint towns that are worth exploring. Jackson has some exceptional restaurants. If your interested in some different scenery drive thru the Delta take a cooking class at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood and then stay at the Alluvian Hotel (very nice!). There are lots of things to see and do with a little planning.

seeking springtime travel ideas

Jeff,

You did not say how much time you have, or your transportation plans.

Are you trying to see as much of AL %26amp; MS as you can, or just trying to decide which area to visit?

If it is the first, try pricing air into Memphis and picking up a car. If Memphis is not a good fare, try BNA or HSV.

From Memphis, drive the MS Delta (US 61)until either Vicksburg, or Natchez. LOTS of history, scenery good food, good music.

Look through

www.visitthedelta.com GREAT site.

From there you can go over to Hattiesburg, then Mobile %26amp; Fairhope, and see the Gulf beaches in AL.(beautiful).

From Mobile, head North back toward Huntsville, stopping, if you like in Selma, AL, Birmingham, and if you go Northeast, Lookout Mountain. (Between Birmingham and Chattanooga). Beautiful scenery lakes, towns.

On the AL forum you have suggestions for Fairhope and the Gulf Beaches. Those links are good.

I second the vote for The CRI here in Birmingham.

Very well done, accurate, easy to do (by that I mean on a level that reaches all ages...NOT easy by any means in terms of the pain it brings up).

www.bcri.org

Or, after Huntsville, you can go back West toward Memphis, and visit some of the places along the TN River.

The Dismals Canyon is in that region.

This ';loop'; could be approximately 800 miles or more, depending on where you actually go.

Are you bringing kids?

Once you decide on which places you are interested in, post again, and we can try to recommend lodging and places to eat.

Have fun!

Miller

Thanks for the great ideas and the really helpful links. Now I wish we had more than a week for our trip!

Here%26#39;s the plan we%26#39;re leaning towards: Fly into Birmingham April 11 and make sure to see the CRI. Rent a car and head into Mississippi and drive the Natchez-Trace Parkway. Stop by Vicksburg. Head through Baton Rouge to New Orleans to fly out...all in a week. Would like to spend a day on the Gulf Coast east of NO, if possible.

I may post another topic about this, but how long can someone spend on the Parkway? Which towns are worth staying the night? We%26#39;d probably start at Tupelo or maybe further south.

I%26#39;m sure getting ready for spring...

If you want to visit the Gulf Coast east of NO, take highway 90 (not I-10) to Biloxi. It will be an eye-opening drive, to say the least.

Biloxi has a lot of places to enjoy gulf seafood (in addition to the casinos), but you might want to try the historic Mary Mahoney%26#39;s, across the street from the Hard Rock casino. The building dates back to c. 1737.

PS: For more info: www.marymahoneys.com