* Your eyes are filled with the beauty of the white blossoms of the state tree, Magnolia. The leaves are waxy green and the blossoms are fragrant beyond belief.
* Zaxby’s is a fast food restaurant that serves only chicken, and fried chicken at that. Mostly everything is fried in Mississippi and oh so delicious. It isn’ t hard to understand why there is such a weight problem there. Mississippi is #50 in the states for obesity.
* Sweet tea. . . . another southern pleasure that is served everywhere. It is strong dark brewed tea with sugar, sweetened perfectly with not a hint of too much sugar. Absolutely no instant tea allowed with its bitter taste.
*The chicken salad we ate at Zaxby’s was covered with the canned fried onion rings that cover most southern casseroles and especially the green bean one. I had no idea that these were still available, but they brought back memories!
*Gas was $1.92 a gallon which is about $.40 less a gallon than in New York.
* There are lots and lots and lots of trucks in Mississippi, probably buying cheap gas.
* A slower pace which is noticeable. Everybody says “Good morning or hello.” All with a smile and often a question. When people noticed our license plates from New York, they would ask, “Hot enough for y’all?” and then a laugh!
* We enjoyed a lovely ride on Natchez Trace as we wound our way to Natchez. A trace is a road that follows a ancient path first made by the Natives who were the first people of the state. We saw birds, a Heron and Red-Tail Hawks. We stopped to use the bathroom and I came out first. A man on a motor cycle had stopped too just as an old rickety pick-up screeched to a stop. A thin man with dyed red hair shouted, ” Who is from New York?” “Well that would be me,” I said. We chatted about this and that and David hurried out to move me along to the car. He knows my conversations can go on and on! Just as we got to the car, Jimmy jumped out of the old truck , and asked, “Could I shake your hands?” Of course we agreed and waved good-bye. David made some observation that Jimmy might have a lab deep in forest where he was going. I don’t know about any of that , but loved his welcome and parting:
“Bye, y’all! Enjoy Mississippi!”
TalesAlongTheWay 
Did you by any chance go thru Kentucky on your way South? That sweet tea is the mandatory drink of the South, ya know. And if your friend Jimmy has a “lab” in the woods, the moon is probably shining in those woods at the moment Anne. You have experienced the entire South on that trip down the Natchez Trace, a sometimes dangerous area, but mainly a friendly place where the true blue Southern gentlemen and Belles are bred and hospitality reigns, fried is the only way to cook, lard and bacon grease are the condiments of choice, and yes, those French fried onions are still sold, and still used almost exclusively on all casseroles, and God help anyone who runs out of them. Cream of mushroom soup is also mandatory as well as cream of chicken, cream of celery and beans and cornbread. I sure hope you had a wonderful visit all the way around.
LikeLike
Lol, I grew up in VA so I had had previous experience. We did do Mammoth Cave in KY. Check out the blog. It wasn’t what we expected! Hugs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read the blog and saw the photos, but wasn’t sure if you did the cave or not. It has changed a lot since my last tour in 1987, when the MS was beginning to affect my legs, and they open more and more of it every year. I suppose parts are also closed off each year, but not sure
LikeLiked by 1 person
We were on the two hour tour. Amazing setting !
LikeLike
My last trip thru was the half day. It would take me a week to complete the half day trip now, but back then I made it though barely made it. The setting really is amazing. So hard to believe it was all carved by water erosion over the centuries, and is forever a work in progress.
LikeLiked by 1 person