Mississippi is a much-loved destination for family travel, for a variety of reasons. Whatever your reason, or your vision, this guide will help with your planning and itinerary. If you're planning Mississippi Sightseeing and fun all around, keep reading! Are you picturing white magnolia flowers, river deltas and rolling hills yet? The southern charm is real, but the real attraction here is so much deeper than it's looks. Bring an empty tummy, you're going to want to eat. Also bring your open mind, there's so much here to discover!
The Gulf Coast, Natchez, and Jackson: Hot spots to Stop and Stay
I’m going to give you the Best of Mississippi run down of three places I was blessed to spend time in 2024. While I was getting the speed version of the really cool history and beauty of the Magnolia State, also known as the Bayou State, I had way more fun than expected. My work trips to the area ended up with a little unexpected free time for some area appreciation and I found myself having a solo momcation, and the Mississippi Delta was the perfect spot. Below you can pick your city, or dive into what to do in all of these hot spots!
The natural beauty of Mississippi revolves around its relationship with bodies of water, both the Gulf and the River which border the state on it’s Southern and Western sides. Pine forests fill much of the central and southern plains and the Natchez Trace Parkway is a scenic road that attracts many outdoor enthusiasts. As a visitor, driving through was easy breezy and I enjoyed the slower paced life with a side of southern hospitality.
The Mississippi River aka the Mighty Mississippi runs along the Western border and has had a major impact on culture, economy, and life. If you’ve never seen it, it’s the 2nd longest River in the US, second to the Missouri River by about 200 miles, but still the most important waterway runs the entire length of our Country. Passing through ten states, it’s considered a main artery of the US economy! Trade, recreation and transportation are all directly connected to this 2300 mile “Father of Waters”.
Fun fact: Did you know Mississippi is one of the most commonly misspelled places in the US on Google? I want to know who is misspelling Mississippi, didn’t you learn the jingle as a child? M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i? It’s fun to spell I thought we all did this in first grade?
Some of the reasons Mississippi attracts a crowd might surprise you
Rich Music History: celebrated along the Mississippi Blues Trail which leads to many historical places, landmarks, and museums. This trail goes through churches, cotton fields and more allowing the story to unfold through the lives of blues men and women. Heritage here means something, and the pride in culture, diversity and it's contribution to music is a huge piece of the pie. The good news is, wherever you are in the State, you can find good music in a stone's throw.
Civil Rights History: The Mississippi Freedom Trail is a well-known journey through the paving of time's changes, disruptions to a previous world, and a reminder of both how far we've come and where we still need to go. You may or may not know Mississippi played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement and still showcases history’s struggle to treat all with the equality and respect ensured every individual person is worthy of, regardless of their color. The Freedom Trail is a path taking visitors through multiple states, and the Mississippi segment centers largely around the Jackson area where sites such as the home of Medgar Evers and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Food: which roots itself in southern cuisine also highly emphasizes their fresh fish markets, the biggest of which being catfish. Gumbo, crawfish, and mudpie are regular items with well-known family recipes with every kind of seasoning to make your mouth water! Local crops like rice, soybeans, and cotton have strongly influenced the food and culture with a heavy instance of dishes that have a flair to them. Prepare for a cuisine unique to Mississippi.
Getting there:
Both Jackson (JAN) and Gulfport/ Biloxi (GPT) are home to International Airports. Easy to navigate and well-designed these are great choices. On my flight to Natchez, we found the most direct route to be flying into Baton Rouge Louisiana (BTR), which leads me to another point...
Louisiana the neighboring State is quite an attraction as well and there two states share similar features, pairing really well together for family trips and road trips and such! More on that later, especially considering a road trip through the southern Gulf States will lead you through some really beautiful, historical and magnetic port cities. Ok, let me stay focused...
Pick which Mississippi City you'd like to explore first....
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