Deep South Road Trip Must-Sees

May 25, 2017 11:01 AM

Flying into Memphis late Friday, Sept 1, flying out early Thursday, Sept 7. In between, will be renting a car and hitting up Mississippi and Alabama. The hitch? There's too much I want to see! What are the absolute musts?

MeFi has been absolutely amazing with suggestions for previous trips (thank you, all!) so once again, I turn to the hive for recommendations and help with winnowing out the meh from the must-see.

I am considering a loop: Memphis, Oxford MS, Tupelo MS, Muscle Shoals AL, Birmingham AL, Montgomery AL, Mobile AL, Jackson MS, Vicksburg MS, Clarksdale MS, Memphis (this loop could be taken in the opposite direction, going from Memphis to Clarksdale first). I know that seems like a lot, but some of the places I can't imagine spending more than an hour or two (or less; I want to see Elvis's birthplace in Tupelo, and Robert Johnson's crossroads in Clarksdale). And since I like the road-trip aspect of it, I'm perfectly okay with spending that hour or two at a place, then driving on a bit, grabbing some food in another place, driving a bit, etc. The journey is mostly the destination.

Also want to hit: Graceland, Sun Studios, the Stax Museum, Muscle Shoals, Birmingham, the Hank Williams Museum, the Delta Blues Museum, the Mississippi Blues Trail.

Main interests: the music (if you couldn't tell!), the food, the folklore. I want to anchor the trip in the bigger cities, but want to drive some state routes/smaller roads to see the small-town South as well.

I also see a lot of national forests on the map--are any (Holly Springs? Bankhead? Talladega? DeSoto? Bienville?) better than the others, or worth the short jaunts off-track to visit ?

I know this is kind of open--maybe too open? I've just started planning, so I'm trying to cut out the fat. For example, I wrote Vicksburg on a slip of paper a week or two ago, but I don't remember what the allure of it was. Is Vicksburg worth seeing? Or Jackson? Or Mobile, even? (I like going to places I've heard in songs, but do I have enough time for such frivolity?)

A friend recommended Oxford, but it wasn't originally on my list. I like bookstores and literary culture (the reason for the recommendation), but am not a huge Faulkner fan.

I know I could Google things (and I am) but I much prefer suggestions for things slightly off the beaten path, which can be hard to find on Google.

(I've been going through old Asks about/around this area too, but they're older--I'm heartbroken Graceland Too closed down!)

posted by dearwassily to Travel & Transportation (16 answers total)

There's lots and lots of trees in the south. I don't think you will miss anything to avoid the national forests.

I do, however, recommend a drive through Natchez if you're in that area, or travel along the Natchez Trace. Far superior to any national forest imo.

Leatha's barbeque in Hattiesburg is a regional treasure if you plan to go that far south.

Jackson has a great club called Underground 119 that has some blues and jazz at times.

I know this area well so MeMail me with any questions.
posted by crunchy potato at 11:09 AM on May 25, 2017

If you end up in Birmingham at night, the color tunnel is fun.
posted by Fig at 12:41 PM on May 25, 2017

Absolutely Oxford (Proud Larry's for music, Snackbar and Big Bad Breakfast!)

What's that hotel in Clarksdale in old agricultural buildings? The Shack Up Inn or something? A unique spot for an overnight especially if you will be listening to music until late.

The Southern Foodways Alliance will get your mouth watering-- check their oral history interviews and BBQ / Tamale trails.

The Natchez Trace is great. You are going to have a great time. Jealous.
posted by athirstforsalt at 12:43 PM on May 25, 2017

The BB King museum in Indianola is amazing, as is Lemuria Books in Jackson. The art museum in Jackson is pretty good. I'm not a big Faulkner fan either, but I found his house super interesting.
posted by zeptoweasel at 12:43 PM on May 25, 2017

N.B. you're signing up for a big-ass drive. Memphis to Mobile is close, per Google, 376 miles, and not all of that is Interstate.

The MS Blues Trail has some interesting stops, but could be a trip on its own.

If you're going to start in Memphis, and you like books, then I'd go through Oxford if only to visit Square Books. It's one of two really outstanding bookstores in MS, and I'm really not grading on a curve here. Square and Lemuria (in Jackson) would be great shops no matter where they were. They're especially great for being in Mississippi.

Doe's Eat Place in Greenville is iconic and deservedly popular, but I'd avoid any franchise locations or expansions. Stay original.

I'm not sure what I'd really recommend in Jackson; I spend time there every year because of family, so I'm not sure how appealing it'd be as a tourist destination, though crunchy potato reminds me that Underground 119 exists; that's something.

Hattiesburg, though, is probably a bust. (Trust me. I'm from there.)

Candidly, lots of the history worth seeing in Mississippi is tied up in terrible things, either from the war or the Civil Rights era. Be aware that the points of view on the losing side of both conflicts are very much not extinct. If you are not a white dude, be extra aware.

On a lighter note: most of the charm of the Gulf Coast got washed away by Katrina, but the eastern side (Jackson County, more or less) was mostly unscathed and has some fun things, including Shearwater Pottery and its descendants.

There's also a relatively new (and Frank Gehry designed!) art museum in Biloxi, just across the bridge from Jackson County. People seem to like it; might be worth a look.

I know very little about Mobile, but the Spanish Fort area near there is pretty charming.

Alabama is somewhat less depressing (at least to me; ymmv). Tuscaloosa is the capital of football and might be worth swinging through, but be aware that 9/2 is a home game (vs. FSU, 7pm local time kickoff, roll tide) and will therefore make Tuscaloosa more or less impossible to navigate or enjoy starting (no kidding) by Wednesday. OTOH, if you love crowds and don't mind walking, being on campus on a gameday weekend is kind of an experience all on its own if you've never done something like it. (For that matter, Ole Miss is also playing at home that day -- they're both season openers -- and their tailgating hospitality is somewhat legendary. Beg/borrow a hookup with someone and you could have a wonderful time.)

Birmingham has some nice museums, and is visually appealing (actual topography kinda starts there) and some really great food. If you make this your upswing, you could go from there up to Huntsville and visit the Space Center.
posted by uberchet at 12:44 PM on May 25, 2017 [6 favorites]

Edited To add: Underscoring Uberchet's comments on how so much of this history is about real trauma and the lasting consequences are just as real (as in: had verrry mixed emotions about paying to stay where slaves and sharecroppers worked in Clarksdale. But! Maybe tourist dollars are what the Delta needs?)

Same with Graceland Too-- a really sad and complicated story in a lot of ways.

So stay safe if you aren't a white man and just-- be ready if it is a little intense.
posted by athirstforsalt at 1:03 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Im following this thread (and adding it to my favorites) for three reasons - I want to do a similar trip because im 4 states away from having been to all 50 (MS, AL, TN, AR), my grandmother was born in Memphis and at some point I need to go, and im waiting to do it until the completion of the Equal Justice Initiative's racial justice museum in Montgomery (expected to open next year).

Oxford is definitely on my list, you should check out the Souther Foodways Alliance as mentioned by athirstforsalt above - its an incredibly organization doing many interesting things - their website doesn't list any upcoming events but it is probably worth checking back to see if they have anything going on during the week of your planned trip.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 1:33 PM on May 25, 2017

If you're going as far as Hattiesburg, you really, really might as well swing through New Orleans. (Is there a reason that New Orleans isn't on your list? Music, food, folklore galore. If I were to do this trip, I'd fly into NO and wander around Cajun country, LA instead, but I presume you already have your tickets? What about fly into Memphis, drive down through north Louisiana, through Cajun country, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Gulf Coast, then circle back up through MS (or AL Gulf Coast and Mobile if you want to hit there), and swing back through MS to Natchez and Oxford on the way back up? I think you'd get a LOT more of music, food, and folklore that way.
posted by instamatic at 4:58 PM on May 25, 2017

Roadfood.com for where to eat.
posted by brujita at 5:57 PM on May 25, 2017

Oxford is a nice small town with a nice bookstore. If those words don't sound exciting to you I'd pause, but I love that sort of thing. But I also added days to a trip so I could got to the Tupelo library book sale, so keep that in mind. That drive through is really nice through that area.

I love exploring the highways and backroads in the areas you've named, but the Interstate travel is just Interstate travel, and on the road is where you're going to spend a lot of the trip.
posted by bongo_x at 7:46 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you'll be near Greenville, MS, I would recommend Vince's in Leland for food. They have good specials - I had delicious venison there once. Doe's Eat Place is well known but you can get awesome steaks around Greenville for much cheaper. Sherman's is also good. If you go through that area, definitely try some tamales. Hot Tamale Heaven on highway 82 is great.

If you go to Oxford, MS on a football game day, you might want to go to the Grove or the Circle (on campus) for tailgating. Strangers will likely offer you food or drinks from their tents.
posted by cp311 at 9:12 PM on May 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you find yourself near Vicksburg, it is one of the better civil war sites in the country. They have a dredged up and preserved ironclad you can see. Very powerful stuff if you have a bit of imagination; I saw the ironclad as a kid and it has always stuck with me. The stuffiness, the heat, the primitive technology, all that made an impression on me standing amongst the wreck's timber.

If you like southern wildlife, the new Natural History museum in Jackson is a hidden gem. A lot of love goes into that little place.
posted by billjings at 1:00 AM on May 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

Oh, and everyone's mentioned Doe's Eat Place, but nobody's mentioned the tamales there. They're delta tamales, you eat them as an appetizer, just get them with your steak meal. That's what you do; they're great.
posted by billjings at 1:03 AM on May 26, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks for everything suggested here!

We know it's a long ride. We're okay with that. Our original plan was to drive up (from Florida), making it even longer; the reason that was nixed was time constraints. We are people who have driven from Austin to Tampa, or D.C. to Tampa in non-stop hauls, so we don't fear the road. Podcasts are a pleasurable part of the journey.

We definitely will be staying away from football games. This is something I hadn't even considered, but yes, I guess it will be that time of the year. Hopefully we can avoid the nightmare traffic.

No New Orleans because I've already been there. (For years I had wanted to go; finally my band went on tour, even spending an extra night to see/experience more, and was I disappointed! I had built it up too much in my head. The French Quarter was just bars and price-gouging and people puking in the street. We found one captivating act there, some dixieland piano band. Our show, near Tulane, was horrible, some electrical wiring on the outside of the building caught fire; we all took that as a sign. My lasting thought of New Orleans was, "Well, at least I never have to go back.")
posted by dearwassily at 9:06 AM on May 26, 2017

You should go back. There's a LOT more to that city than the tourist traps on Bourbon Street.

Re: football, I totally get wanting to avoid it, but also beware that traffic from the games in Oxford and Tuscaloosa will likely snarl the highways near either city for much of the remaining weekend after the games. And in Alabama, this means the whole Interstate system will be very busy on Sunday, on account of how it's laid out.
posted by uberchet at 9:36 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

If you want to Memail me that's fine, message me and we'll chat or do a call or something if you want. I'm from the Mobile (Baldwin county AL actually) area, have lived around Tuscaloosa/Jasper, AL for years, I've lived in Memphis for a year. I can answer questions if you still have any or give recommendations easier than typing at random.
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:47 PM on May 26, 2017