28. Mississippi

Month: January 2017

Location: Jackson

I had been to Mississippi once before, to Hattiesburg several years ago.  But it was for one night with my buddies and we were on our way to New Orleans.  All I remember from that trip is a rundown airport at Gulfport and a lot of rural landscape.  This time I was going to the capital city of Jackson and some research showed that it was an interesting place.  Typically I would have come in on Saturday morning and left Sunday night, but there was no convenient way to get there before noon. So rather than waste half a day, I decided to fly in the previous evening and grudgingly pay for an extra night’s stay.  Aah well, compromises.

The deserted streets of Jackson

I was connecting through Atlanta and being a big airport, I had to cross across terminals to make my connection.  I did have enough time though for a quick dinner.  I dozed off on my next leg and arrived in Jackson after 11 pm.  The airport was ready to shut down for the night and I came outside to find a cab.  The gentleman driving me to downtown was a friendly sort and he told me how he had ended up in Jackson because of his wife.  When he learned that I was here for fun, he asked if I had been invited for a wedding.  When I said no, he recommended that I go to either Memphis or New Orleans, both of which are approximately 3 hours away.  I said that I would be fine, though he was skeptical.  As we entered downtown, I noticed that it was empty with nobody on the streets.  I asked if it was safe for me to be walking around at night and he said that calling a cab would be a better idea.  As I reached my hotel, I did see some revelers in the foyer.  At check-in the manager asked if I wanted a night cap in the bar, but it was quite late and so I went to my room, though it was an hour before I could unwind and fall asleep.

My first stop for food - 'The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen'

One of things I wanted to do in Jackson was go and see “live music” at night.  While on map the places appeared to be within walking distance, based on the empty streets that I had seen last night, I wanted to ensure that I knew where I was going.  So I decided to walk over to a couple of the places and back to the hotel.  As I navigated through the streets I realized that it wasn’t just the night time when these streets are empty.  There wasn't a single person in sight.  After going beneath a couple of dodgy looking underpasses, I located the places and returned, still unsure if I wanted to walk everywhere.  I called an ‘Uber’ to go to get brunch at a place called ‘The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen’.  My driver invited me to sit next to them in the front and we had a nice conversation about the downtown and especially the up and coming “Medical District” which was where the restaurant was located.  The place itself was very pretty and I grabbed a seat observing the locals…and charging my phone of course.  The food was quite good and I was now ready for the rest of the day.

The small 'Mississippi Museum of Natural Science'

I was headed to ‘Mississippi Museum of Natural Science’ and it was located it a public park, alongside the “Children’s Museum”.  My driver wasn’t sure where the place was and dropped me off in the park. I asked the attendant at the entrance and was told to follow a path through the grounds, at the end of which I would find my destination.  So I did and after going under trees and around some park benches, arrived at a gate which had the sign of my museum.  The building looked big enough, though as I entered inside there weren’t any other visitors.  I got a ticket from someone who looked like they were in Middle School and walked down the spiral staircase to the main gallery…the only gallery.  The museum was focused on Nature and had some aquatic specimens on display, but it really didn’t take me more than 30 minutes to walk through it.  They had some outdoor exhibits as a part of the park, but I was on my way back sooner than I had thought.

On to the "Museum of Agriculture"

I walked back to the entrance and asked the lady who had helped me to direct me towards another museum that was nearby – ‘Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum’.  She told me to go outside and follow the road around the bend to the traffic light.  She must have thought that I was driving since walk was not quite on a paved path, but through some heavy grass that grows on the side of the highways.  Plus it had an embankment and knolls with wet dirt, making it an awkward walk, and must have amused the locals driving by who are perhaps not used to seeing someone out there.  I arrived at the light and crossed the multi lane road to get to the gates of the museum.  It was a big property with several buildings having different names such as “Ethnic Heritage Center”.  Most of them looked like log cabins and I did not have much hope for this being a worthwhile visit.  But as has been the case with several of my visits, I was wrong.

The main hall

I located the main building and the lady said that while this one hosted the main exhibits, I was welcome to walk around the big property, which had been set up as an “Early 20^th Century Town”.  It does seem like I have been encountering a few of these lately.  She also pointed out that not all buildings were open to public and a few were actually rentals for weddings etc.  I definitely have been encountering a lot of those for sure!  The main exhibit hall was as good as any of the museums that I have seen.  Story of agriculture in Mississippi was told through models, including full-sized farm equipment and a couple of “crop dusting” planes.  But the main highlight of the floor were several “model railroads”.  One of them was operational and I followed a train though the enormous model of the landscapes, farms and towns.  There were buttons at different points which would play noises of the area through which the train was passing, such as a farm house or even a haunted house!

The fantastic model railroad

As I was watching this model, an older gentleman wearing a “railway conductors” uniform approached me and started describing the model.  He mentioned that the entire scene captured the agriculture and forestry landscape of Mississippi and how goods are produced and moved from place to place.  He worked for the museum and I asked if he got to play with the trains.  He said no so much and pointed out all of the complex controllers inside the display.  It had been nice chatting with him and as I went along to see some of the other exhibits, I saw him talking with other visitors.  I walked through the rest of the museum and then went outside to explore the “town”.

The "General Store" from a century ago

First thing that grabbed my attention was the church, which was on one end of the dirt road, just like in a “Western" movie.  I saw a small house with a front porch and some chairs where people were sitting down and drinking “coca cola”.  I went inside and sure enough, it was a “General Store”, recreated from over a century ago, complete with the interior from that era.  I bought a bottle of water and then sat down on the porch looking over the main street of the town.  I visited some of the other buildings such as the church, the doctor’s office – all had rooms that one could look into but not go inside – as well as other places like the barn and also an iron works place where visitors were hammering on metals that had just come out of a furnace.

The main rotunda of the "Sports Museum"

Right next door to this was another museum called ‘Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum’; and there was a walking trail towards it.  As I walked on it, I saw a wedding preparation in progress – surprise surprise – in one of the buildings.  The "hall of fame" was specifically for the athletes who were either from Mississippi, or played for one of the in-state Universities.  Even though it was small, it was a well-designed place, with a central circular hall that had different sections around its perimeter.  It was lined sports like Football, Basketball, Olympics, Tennis etc. and that section honored the athletes from those sports.  Furthermore, it was decorated in the style of that sport, e.g. the Olympics section had a torch, the Tennis section had a net etc.  It was a very innovative way of doing that in one room and I liked going around and learning about these folks.  The top level was a balcony – like a sports arena – overlooking this central hall and I went and sat there charging my phone.  Then it was time for the evening to commence.

At the charming 'Library Lounge'

All my recent visits have had one thing in common – me seeking out the top cocktail places in that city.  I had set a schedule and the first visit was to a quint place called ‘Fairview Inn’ and their ‘Library Lounge’.  The ‘Uber’ driver who picked me up at the museum was in fact a sports reporter and so seemed please that I had decided to visit the museum.  He dropped me off at the Inn, which was in a residential neighborhood and was as elegant a place that I had seen.  There was a wedding photo session in progress and I made my way inside and found the lounge, which resembled a wood paneled library and was cozy as it gets.  I loved it on sight and sat at the bar soaking in the ambiance.  I noticed that the people around me were all dressed up and the lady behind the bar told me that it was because of the wedding.  I enjoyed the cocktail and my conversations with the staff, with whom I discussed cocktail lounges in Jackson as well as around the country.  A gentleman sat next to me and I learned that he was from Atlanta and was here because his fiancée was in the wedding party.  He was looking forward to getting up early the next day and departing for Atlanta in time for the “NFC Championship Game”.  We discussed football as I ordered another non-alcoholic cocktail, which was also very good.  I had enjoyed this place a lot and definitely a worthy addition to my list of favorite places.

And the "Apothecary"

Next, I was headed to a unique “speakeasy” place called ‘The Apothecary at Brent’s Drugs’, which was hidden behind an old fashioned “drug store soda shop”.  My ‘Uber’ driver praised that place to no end, including the neighborhood - “Fondren” - that it was in.  This was the place where all the youngsters hung out, because of its restaurants, bars and shopping options.  He dropped me off and the main store looked like a diner from the 50s.  In the back, beyond the bathrooms was the entrance to this bar which looked like a classic "speakeasy”.  I liked everything about that place, except the seats at the bar which were really uncomfortable.  But the cocktail I ordered was outstanding in its taste, despite the simplicity.  The place started filling up with locals and visitors alike and it certainly was a popular destination.  I ordered another cocktail and the mixologist gave me an extra serving.  The evening was getting better.

A night on the town

Across the street was a wine bar called ‘CAET’ and as I headed there, the neighborhood was coming alive and I could see what my driver had meant about this being popular with the young people of Jackson.  I got a seat at the bar and saw a cocktail on the menu called “This One Goes To Eleven”, referencing one of the funniest movies of all time, and I just had to order it.  After some time there I called an ‘Uber’ and got the same guy who had dropped me off. He was keen on knowing about my experiences and I told him that I loved the place, and if I was staying for another night, would definitely come back.  I was going to one of the premier restaurants in Jackson, called ‘Parlor Market’.  I arrived in time for my reservations and the food was really top notch.  The plan was to go to the music places which I had scoped out this morning, but halfway through the meal I knew that it wasn’t going to happen.  So at the very late hour of 9:30 pm, I was back in my hotel room, ready to call it night.  Yeah, a real party animal!

Coffee at 'Cups'

During my research I had found out that very few places were open on Sunday and those that were open, did so after noon.  So I was in no hurry and took my time in leaving the hotel.  One of the things I seek out when visiting a place is a good coffee shop, not necessarily for the coffee, but because it usually is the place to see the locals.  The place in Jackson was called ‘Cups’ and it was located in the “Fondren” neighborhood that I been to last evening.  The ’Uber’ lady who picked me up was extremely friendly and we chatted about the city and after dropping me, she even opened her trunk and gave me a few magazines to read.  One of them was on Mississippi, one on Jackson and the other one was specific to the neighborhood that I was in.  As I sipped my coffee, it was a great way to pass the time and also learn more about the place.

And brunch at 'Babalu'

After coffee I walked around the area, which in the morning was very different than the hustle and bustle of last night.  I went into a place called ‘Babalu Tapas & Tacos’ which was busy with the Sunday morning brunch crowd and for good reason since the food was outstanding.  Most of the businesses were closed but there was a local grocery store of some sorts that was open and I walked through it before calling for a ride.  Once again, I was picked up by a friendly gentleman who mentioned that he was retired and we talked about everything from Jackson to the up and coming medical facilities and he even urged me to move here if I was so inclined.  Throughout this visit, I had been invited by all the drivers to sit in the front seat, which was more conducive to conversations than being a back-seat rider in a cab.

The art museum

I was dropped off at ‘Mississippi Museum of Art’, one of the few places open on a Sunday.  I crossed the museum gardens – which were pretty – and entered the main building which like everything else in the city was empty.  The galleries were good though and I spent the next hour or so walking through them.  The skies were threatening when I left the museum, though I had one more thing that I wanted to do.  Like some of the other State Capital’s, Mississippi moved its “Capitol” to a new building and converted the old building to a museum.  It’s an impressive building at the end of...well, “Capitol Street” and I entered inside just as the first drops of rain started falling.  The building has 3 floors of 2 wings each and as far as museum’s go, it was outstanding.  The stories and the history was all around, and the one thing that they did well was recreating the rooms where all the legislators met over a century ago, giving the visitors a sense of what it must have been like to be in the room.

The magnificent 'Old Mississippi State Capitol' 

It was raining when I left and there was nothing to do but suck it up and walk in the rain back to my hotel.  But it wasn’t a torrential shower.  It was one of those rains which make a city look beautiful, like the first rainfall of spring.  I was soaked by the time I arrived in the hotel, but did not regret it for a minute.  I called a cab to the airport just as I received a message that my flight to Atlanta had been delayed.  As I arrived at the airport, I saw that there was an earlier flight and so inquired if I could get in. I could, but that flight was also delayed for over 2 hours during which we sat on the tarmac. I was glad nevertheless since my original flight was now getting pushed back even further.  As I waited, my beloved “New England Patriots” were playing the hated “Pittsburgh Steelers” in the “AFC Championship” game and a gentleman in full “Steelers” attire was sitting a few rows ahead of me and had the game on.  So for the rest of flight – we had finally left – I watched his reaction and landed to over 20 text messages from my buddy with the game updates.  I exited and saw that my flight to Chicago was delayed and so went to ask if I could get on an earlier flight and I could, though that one was delayed as well.  I finally left at 11 pm – after watching my team win and booking a flight to Connecticut for the “Superbowl”.  Despite the travel issues, this had been a memorable visit and I had liked Jackson a lot.  Not only is it a pretty place, the people are extremely friendly.  While I may not move there as suggested, I would definitely love to go back.