This is STOP 20, the 60th and 61st days of our ten week cross country fall adventure in 2021! Here is a link to our previous stops in Odessa & Fort Worth, TX.
The Drive from Fort Worth, TX to Natchez, MS
fort worth to natchex ms
The fastest route from Fort Worth to Natchez is 6.5 hours which is more driving than we like to do in a day. So we suck it up and head out on I-20 east. Driving on the outskirts of Dallas seems to last forever (dang that is a huge city) but we finally hit a stretch with less traffic and straighter roads. We haven’t had breakfast and its takes longer than expected to clear the traffic in Dallas.
Nancy notices a billboard for a place call “Buc-ees” that says it has biscuits. This isn’t a place we are familiar with and when we initially pull in, we are actually on the side of the store. We think before we walk in the door that we are going into what might be a slightly larger convenience store similar to large “Sheetz” on the east coast. We quickly realize it is the largest convenience store we have ever seen. Its the size of a large supermarket – a convenience store on steroids. The coffee bar itself is the size of small store. If you are ever in this part of the country (TX, AL, GA) you have to go see this just to experience it.
Since our replacement credit card didn’t arrive before we left Ft Worth, Nancy spends time on the phone with the bank while Harrison drives. It turns out they can’t cancel the replacement card or issue another until 72 hours has passed. We’ll have to make yet another call in two days. The route takes us into Louisiana, around Shreveport where we switch onto I-49 south through Natchitoches. In Alexandria we transition to LA-28 east (via US-167) and then turns into US-84. We cross the mighty Mississippi River and that means we are now in Natchez, Mississippi – the oldest permanent settlement along the river.
Natchez was a prominent city in the antebellum (aka – before war) years, a center of cotton planters and Mississippi River trade. At one time it boasted the largest number of millionaires outside of New York City. It is named after the Natchez Native American tribe that inhabited the area at one time. Established in 1719 by French colonists, it changed hands with Great Britain in 1763 after the French and Indian wars. British officers were given land in Natchez and established plantations. Spain took control from the British in 1779, but since Spain wasn’t truly part of the American Revolution, when Great Britain “gave” the land to the newly formed United States in 1783, it still remained under Spanish rule. In 1797, the US took control from the Spanish and established the Mississippi Territory, naming Natchez as its capitol.
The river port helped propel the growth of cotton and sugarcane plantations that utilized a large slave population. At the start of the American Civil War in 1962, Natchez surrendered without a battle to the Union. As we learn later when touring a mansion, these rich folk didn’t want their beautiful mansions destroyed. By quickly giving up, the city was spared much of the destruction so many other southern cities endured. Today, between 600 and 1000 antebellum buildings still stand in Natchez (the number depends on which web site you visit). This allows Natchez to benefit from tourism centered around antebellum mansion tours supported by a large bed and breakfast business in some of those mansions.
Our Lodging – The Guest House
With over 50 bed and breakfasts in Natchez, the choice isn’t straight forward. We end up choosing The Guest House for this stay. Established in 1840 as a modest one and a half story townhouse, renovations in 1902 – 1903 enlarged the house by adding a full second story. The architecture is a mixture of Greek Revival and Victorian. This place has 16 uniquely decorated rooms and an on-site restaurant. Their website says they are “maintaining an atmosphere where guests can immerse themselves in the coziness of a B&B and still enjoy the comforts and privacy offered by a fine hotel.” We’ve chosen room 255, the Wright room which offers impeccable period décor and a king size bed. It is also near where the certified ghost child, Shannon, has been photographed (both still and video) and there are sound recordings of his voice in the halls outside our room. We don’t ever “feel” his presence.
Dinner at The Corner Bar
Pre-research leads us to believe there are numerous eating options in town, but as we walk around, many are closed. It isn’t clear if they are permanently closed or just not open on a Wednesday. Nancy had read that The Corner Bar, a local favorite, has steak and pork chop night on Wednesdays. We head to this little place, located down the street and around the corner and grab two seats at the bar. The entire place is ten bar stools and three tables with four chairs each. There is a large old mural on one wall with steamships on the Mississippi River in Natchez. We meet our bartender, Candice, and we learn that Wednesday is the only night of the week that they serve food. The prices are very reasonable! Harrison orders the pork chop and Nancy orders a filet mignon. Both are delightful and hit the spot.
A Day in Natchez
One benefit of staying at a B&B is that breakfast is included. Here, breakfast is served in their restaurant which is open to both guests and anyone that wishes to eat here. We get to order from the menu!
There are over a dozen antebellum mansions in Natchez open year-round for tours. It is worth noting that twice a year, there is an “Antebellum Pilgrimage” that runs for 5 weeks in the spring and 2 weeks in the fall – with tours available in 35+ historic properties. A few are even run by the National Park Services. Choosing which to tour is a challenge since they are all stunningly beautiful in the guide book and each tour is at least a of couple hours. After asking the receptionist for a recommendation within walking distance, we decide on the 11am tour of The Choctaw Hall. The mansion isn’t far from where we are staying and we have about an hour to kill, so we just walk around the town and look at other mansions and historic buildings from the outside.
We arrive at 10:50am at this four-story brick mansion with two-story giant white columns and double porches that was originally built in 1836. Eleven finally arrives and we are greeted by a short, well-dressed man in ruby red slippers that introduces himself as our tour guide and owner, David. We meet the other two couples on the tour – one of them is staying here, but their breakfast is provided by the B&B we are staying in. (No wonder they recommended this place for a tour!) David apologizes up front that he may not always speak politically correctly, but he feels speaking his mind makes it OK because he prefers to speak his truth. David eagerly informs us of his family’s wealth, having earned their family fortune with their cotton and rice farm in Arkansas. He was very close to his grandmother, who purchased this mansion in 2014 when she was looking for a weekend getaway cottage in Natchez. At 11,608 square feet, it was larger than she was looking for, but she just fell in love with its grandeur. It was in a sad state of disrepair, but she had the money to restore it and so she did. After all, she needed a place to store & display the family furnishings, art, glassware and dinnerware they’ve acquired over the years. Grandma basically paid him to move here and manage the place for her. He has since inherited that place and lives here today. David is very proud of his family’s possessions and we learn they have over 7000 pieces of Jacob Petit porcelain art, with some individual pieces appraised at over $8000.
We felt we might knock something over and break it as this house is absolutely jammed with items that have been in the family since the late 1600’s. They even have one of only 4 Marie Antionette busts that exist in the world. It was made when she was 16 and still very much alive. Priceless but it is just setting where it could easily be knocked over.
Representatives from the Louvre Museum in Paris have visited the home to examine and catalog the collection because of its rarity and historical significance.
We also learn they have 112 place settings of a particular silverware his father loved. The home is beautiful and we only see the first and second floors because the third floor is still undergoing renovations. One of the centerpieces of the home is the beautiful swirling oval spiral staircase. Another interesting piece of history worth noting is the banister of the front porch steps includes 2 cannon balls fired at the home, that missed. In the end, this tour is more about his family and their belongings than it is about the mansion itself, but it was quite entertaining.
Under the Hill Natchez and The Camp Restaurant
The 1.5 hour tour over, we are hungry and decide to head down to the river to a place nicknamed “Natchez Under the Hill”. In 19th century Natchez, the city was said to have a split personality. There was the proper part of town up on the bluff where the mansions were located. And there was the improper part down by the landing on the Mississippi River – a place lined with taverns, gambling halls and brothels. Natchez was once described as the rowdiest port along the river. When the railroad was built at the end of the 19th century, trains replaces steamboats and the once active river port became a sleepy town. In 1940, when a bridge was built across the Mississippi River, Natchez Under The Hill essentially became a ghost town inhabited only by chickens and the homeless. In the 1970’s, the area was revived when The Delta Queen Steamboat Company built the large Mississippi Queen Steamboat Cruise Ship to meet the growing interest in travel on the Mississippi River. Today, there are just a handful of historic bars and restaurants here along the river.
We came to this area during Stop 5 of our trip, but we couldn’t get a seat at The Camp Restaurant the last time. It is a Thursday, so we think we’ll have much better luck this time. We do notice a Riverboat is docked which means a Mississippi Cruise ship has unloaded its passengers here for the day. As luck would have it, we beat the crowd and grab 2 of the 6 bar seats. Our bartender Lauren is a hoot as is the guy sitting on Nancy’s left – Nick – a twenty something who is kayaking the entire length the MS River. When asked what he does for a living, his response is that he’s a traveler. He’s sleeping in a tent he’s setup just off the boat ramp. He lets us know this is not only his first restaurant meal in over a week, it is also the first real bathroom he’s used in that same timeframe (TMI). Folks are pouring off the small cruise ship and standing around the bar ordering drinks and carry-out food (since the place has no available seating left). A local guy, Justin, has sort of befriended Nick and not only paid for his lunch, but is buying him lots of drinks. We talk with the two of them for quite a while and also chat with two of the cruise ship staff sitting on our other side. We learn the cruise ship stops here 2-4 times a week (depends on the week) and they will be docked here until 9pm tonight. Despite so many stops in this town, the cruise ship workers have never ventured up into the town to tour one of the mansions (and didn’t even know they were there).
We head back to the room for a few hours of R&R before heading out for dinner. We are really hoping to have dinner at one particular sports bar in town, however, it is still closed. Yesterday we saw a hand-written sign that read “closed Wed”, and we see 2 TVs on when we peek through the door window. Now on Thursday, the TVs are still on but the doors are still locked. We keep consulting phone apps that help locate area restaurants, but so many are closed. We are about to “give up” and just eat at the upscale Guest House Restaurant. Side note – angels are a theme in Natchez. Many people get their photo taken by wings painted on outdoor walls – and Nancy could not pass up that opportunity.
We finally pass by one restaurant called 100 Main Spirits & Eatery that was closed yesterday (and earlier today) that is now open! It looks like it is located in an old city market building. Large “barn” doors are open. From inside, we can see the river walk and the sun setting in the distance. A perfect choice, the ambiance here is wonderful! We opt for a table viewing the river rather than sitting at the bar with our back to the view. Our waiter, Cody, is highly attentive and offers great service. We aren’t overly hungry so we order a pizza knowing we’ll only eat half and will have half for lunch tomorrow along our drive to the next location. The sunset is stunning, the growing chill in the air prompts the doors to get closed – and so also draws the close to another fantastic day, evening and stop.
Our Verdict
The longer we were in Natchez, the more it really grew on us. We only got to tour one mansions and we think it would be fund to come for a more extended time and see many more. It has 50+ B&B options as well as a historic hotel as lodging options and numerous good places to eat and drink.
Next Up
Here is a link to our previous stops in Odessa & Fort Worth, TX.
Our next stop will be a in Fairhope, AL visiting some long-time friends.
[…] This is STOP 21 and 22, the 62nd, 63rd and 64th days of our ten week cross country fall adventure in 2021! Here is a link to our previous stop in Natchez, MS. […]