Mississippi

Here are 10 bucket list trips you should take in Mississippi this year

Published

2 years ago

March 15, 2024

Here are 10 bucket list trips you should take in Mississippi this year

Mississippi’s food, culture, outdoors and architecture are waiting for you to experience them this year.

Mississippi has a lot to offer. From the state’s vast amount of land and water to explore, to islands, culturally rich towns and deep roots in American history, there is a lot to experience.

Architecture and the arts flourish in Mississippi and the food is second-to-none.

That could leave some people asking, where do you start to experience Mississippi and take it all in? Well, there is no definitive answer to that question, but below are 10 places where you can’t go wrong, and they will likely leave you hungry to experience more of the Magnolia State.

Visit Longwood mansion, an unfinished architectural wonder of a by-gone era

A millionaire, a celebrity architect and a team of master craftsmen set out to build what may have been one of the grandest homes in Mississippi, but the Civil War halted construction.

Today, Longwood in Natchez stands unfinished much as it did in 1862.

Construction of the home began in 1860 for millionaires Haller and Julia Nutt. Designed by celebrity architect Howard Sloan, the octagonal home consisted of six levels and had 32,000 square feet of living space. It would have been the largest home in Mississippi at the time and would cost around $35 million to build today.

The Civil War halted construction and only one floor was completely finished. Tourists can see it today much as it was in 1862.

For information about tours of Longwood, visit www.natchezpilgrimage.com/year-round/longwood-circa-1860-1861 or call 601-446-6631.

Eat at the Blue and White Restaurant where homestyle meals have been served for 100 years

As the name suggests, it’s blue and white and it sits along one of the main arteries in the Mississippi Delta. The Blue and White Restaurant has offered homestyle goodness for 100 years and served generation after generation of guests.

The Blue and White Cafe and Service Station was opened in 1924. It was a time known as the Roaring Twenties and Calvin Coolidge was President. It was located in downtown Tunica and in addition to offering food and gasoline, there was a news and tobacco stand and a Greyhound bus terminal.

An icon of the Delta, the restaurant was later moved to its current location on US 61. Guests enjoy fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, steaks, burgers and a wide selection of breakfast options just like generations of customers before them.

For more information, visit www.blueandwhiterestaurant.com.

Take a swim with dolphins at Ocean Adventures

Have you ever wanted to touch, feed or swim with a dolphin? Ocean Adventures Marine Park is the place for you.

The marine park offers several packages that allow you to play with dolphins. The Dolphin Interaction package gives visitors a chance to get in the water with dolphins and make a new finned friend. Other opportunities allow visitors to touch and feed dolphins while staying dry on land.

However, it’s not all about dolphins. Guests can swim with rays, bamboo sharks and even get a kiss from a sea lion. Dolphins and sea lions also perform for guests multiple times daily.

For more information, visit www.oceanadventures.us.

Experience the charm of historic Ocean Springs

The Mississippi coast is the state’s playground with too many attractions to list, but no trip to the coast is complete without enjoying the beauty and charm of Ocean Springs.

Founded in 1699, the small town has created an identity through the centuries as a premier location for small shops and dining. Its ancient live oaks offer shade and beauty as people make their way through downtown.

It’s home to the famed Shearwater Pottery as well as the Walter Anderson Museum of Art where guests can learn about the town’s celebrated eccentric artist.

It’s also home to the annual Peter Anderson Arts and Crafts Festival and was chosen as one of “12 Cutest Small Towns in the Southern United States” by World Atlas in 2023.

For more information on Ocean Springs, visit www.gulfcoast.org/coastal-communities/ocean-springs.

Take a canoe trip on the mighty Mississippi River with Quapaw Canoe Company

If you’re looking for a wild adventure in Mississippi, look no further than Quapaw Canoe Company based in Clarksdale.

The company was established in 1998 and offers canoe, kayak and paddleboard trips on the Mississippi River ranging from Cairo, Illinois, to the Gulf of Mexico.

The river is the largest in North America and can be more than a mile wide. Its floodplain is home to hundreds of species of animals such as deer, black bears and others. Paddlers can stop on sand bars where they may find artifacts of long-ago people or fossils of extinct animals such as the American lion.

Trips are led by highly trained guides and range from day trips to seven days. Adventures are also offered on tributaries such as the Big Black and Sunflower rivers.

For more information, visit www.island63.com.

Visit Sciple’s Mill and get stone-ground grits and corn meal made the same since the 1700s

Visit the small town of DeKalb and step back in time at one of the state’s oldest hidden gems, Sciple’s Mill.

Established around 1790, Sciple’s Mill is a family-owned business that has spanned seven generations, and you can bring your own corn to be ground or see the mill in operation as it is powered by the flowing water of Tiger Creek.

Stone-ground grits, cornmeal and fish fry are available for purchase and are made the same as they were almost 250 years ago.

For more information, visit MadeinMississippi.com.

Learn about the world around you at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

Exploring the wonders of nature will excite both young and old at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson.

Visitors can enjoy large aquariums where they can watch freshwater and saltwater fish. There are aquariums with alligators and a huge alligator snapping turtle, too. Other displays feature unusual animals found in Mississippi such as a two-headed gray ratsnake and a blond timber rattlesnake.

The museum has a large display of fossils and replica skeletons of extinct animals such as a giant ground sloth and ancient whales as well as special events and displays.

For more information, visit www.mdwfp.com/museum.

Tour Mont Helena, an 1800s home built on a Native American mound

The Mississippi Delta is rich in culture and history and a shining example is Mont Helena in Rolling Fork.

Built in 1896 atop a ceremonial Native American mound, Mont Helena is the design of famous architect George Barber. He was known for Queen Anne Victorian style house plans and Mont Helena was a premier Delta home at the time.

It was the home of Helen and George Harris and featured parlors, seven bedrooms, a formal dining room, library and massive heart pine staircase leading to the second floor.

The home now serves as a museum of Delta wealth and history. Tours are offered and it also functions as a wedding venue.

For more information, visit www.monthelena.com.

Spend a day on Ship Island, home of the historic Fort Massachusetts

Located due south of Biloxi, Ship Island is home to Fort Massachusetts, which according to the National Park Service Gulf Islands National Seashore, was completed in 1886. Its purpose was to protect commerce and serve as a fuel and supply depot for small coal-fueled gunboats and the ocean-going fleet.

It’s now a destination for tourists to explore the the historic military structure and enjoy miles of beaches.

Ship Island Excursions offers boat rides from Jones Park in Gulfport to the island and guests are treated by dolphins that play in the boat’s wake. The island also offers beautiful beaches where visitors can relax, swim in emerald green water and hike around the island.

For more information, visit www.msshipisland.com.

Take a bite of Mr. D’s fried chicken at the Lorman Country Store and then another, and another and…

Fried chicken and The South go together like peas and carrots and there is likely no fried chicken in Mississippi more famous than Mr. D’s at the Old Country Store in Lorman.

Built around 1875, the Old Country Store has served many roles, but now it’s the place where Arthur Davis, more commonly known as Mr. D, serves his famous fried chicken. Davis often jokes that if Col. Sanders had his recipe, Sanders would have been a 5-star general.

Others agree. Alton Brown of the Food Network visited the restaurant in 2011 and said it was the best fried chicken he had ever eaten. It has been featured in Southern Living Magazine and many others.

But people don’t just come for the chicken. There’s a buffet that tempts with mustard greens, collard greens, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pork chops, smoked ribs and more.

Guests also come to enjoy his cornbread, which he’s credited to his grandmother in a song he often sings for guests.

For more information on the Old Country Store in Lorman, visit www.mrdsfriedchicken.com.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

This river cruise made the American Deep South feel all-inclusive

Published

4 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

This river cruise made the American Deep South feel all-inclusive

The Viking Mississippi offers cruises along the Mississippi River, exploring cities like Natchez, Vicksburg, and Greenville.
Onboard experiences reflect the region’s culture with local music, cuisine, and historical lectures.
Fares are largely inclusive, covering meals, drinks, Wi-Fi, and at least one shore excursion per port.

During my first visit to Natchez, Mississippi, I covered nearly 200 years of history in a few hours.

A shore excursion on my nearly week-long cruise aboard Viking Mississippi took me from Magnolia Hall, an 1858 Greek Revival and Italianate mansion, to the Stratton Chapel Gallery – home to photographs of Natchez dating back to the mid-1800s – behind First Presbyterian Church. Our shuttle bus then stopped by the Proud to Take a Stand monument, honoring residents who were incarcerated following a Civil Rights demonstration, before dropping my tour group back at the bank of the Mississippi River – and I still had an entire afternoon to explore.

The tour was one of several complimentary excursions I took during my early December sailing. The ship, which is Viking’s only river vessel based in the U.S., offers an easy and almost entirely inclusive way for guests to see the American South. Here’s what to know.

Where does Viking Mississippi go?

My cruise – the eight-day Mississippi Delta Explorer itinerary – traveled from New Orleans and ended in Memphis, Tennessee (though I boarded late in St. Francisville, Louisiana). I spent my days exploring small cities along the way, both on my own and under the tutelage of knowledgeable guides at each stop.

During my free time in Natchez, I trekked up a hill and through town to Wishes Sweets & Eats, where I snagged one of the last snickerdoodles before perching on a bench along the Natchez Bluff Walking Trail to enjoy views of the river (and Louisiana across the water).

The following day in Vicksburg, low water required the ship to stop at an alternate landing outside of town. The river’s fluctuating levels can impede cruise ships, but Viking Mississippi has a flat bottom that allows it to keep moving even when the river is shallow.

I hopped on a complimentary Viking coach for a roughly 20-minute ride to browse the shops on Washington Street. On a fairly sunny, 58-degree day, I grabbed a latte at Highway 61 Coffeehouse and browsed Lorelei Books, which had exposed brick and a large selection of regional titles, from Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” to “Rising Tide” by John M. Barry, which details the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

The city is also home to the Vicksburg Civil War Museum and the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum (the soda was first bottled in Vicksburg in 1894), which guests can visit during their stop. After returning to the ship for lunch, I boarded another shuttle for an excursion to Vicksburg National Military Park, the site of a key battle during the Civil War, where a guide detailed the events via loudspeaker.

Before arriving in Memphis, we made one last stop in Greenville. There, singer-songwriter and Mississippi Music and Culture Ambassador Steve Azar shared his love of his hometown, hosting a banquet-style concert at E.E. Bass Cultural Arts Center. The event featured a catered lunch of crispy hush puppies, catfish, smoked chicken and more – with Mississippi Sherin Sauce on the table, while Azar and others told stories between songs. The building also housed a 1901 Armitage Herschell Carousel, which guests could ride after the show.

What is the ship like?

The 386-guest ship was purpose-built for the region, evident in its design. A mural at the forward stairs displays passages from “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” for example, and the ceiling of the central Living Room mimics the frets on a guitar in a nod to the area’s musical heritage (married with the signature Scandinavian look of Viking’s other ships).

Fittingly, there was live music onboard. Memphis-based musician, Memphis Jones – an apt moniker – welcomed passengers to Tennessee with two nights of shows, featuring his take on hits from Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and more. There was also a communal record player, allowing guests to spin records from artists such as Elvis Presley and Robert Pete Williams.

There was plenty of other onboard programming, including trivia, cooking and cocktail demonstrations, and seminars related to the visited regions. A lecture on slavery and Mississippi’s efforts to secede from the Union was particularly impactful.

The cuisine also reflects the ship’s destination. On cruises that start out in New Orleans, guests can expect to see more French, Cajun and Creole fare, while barbecue is likely to be on offer as the vessel nears Memphis.

I enjoyed every meal I had onboard and developed a particular fondness for The Grill on Deck 5, an outdoor venue open for lunch and dinner with made-to-order steaks, seafood and more. I visited several times and the burger – juicy and well-seasoned – was the best one I’ve had in recent memory. The pumpkin praline cheesecake from the adjacent River Café was another highlight.

Despite its relatively small size, the ship – which began sailing in 2022 – felt spacious with wide hallways and luxurious touches, such as complimentary espresso machines and heated bathroom floors in the cabins. The service felt pampering, too: When I arrived with a large suitcase, a crew member offered me a golf cart ride down a steep hill to board the ship. Another day, when guests returned to the vessel from an outing, the staff had mulled wine waiting for us.

How much do Viking Mississippi cruises cost?

Viking Mississippi’s available cruises – ranging from eight to 22 days long – currently start at $3,499 per person based on double occupancy, according to the cruise line’s website. The fares cover lodging; meals on board; drinks such as house wines, beer and soft drinks; at least one shore excursion in each port; Wi-Fi; entertainment and more.

I grew up in Middle Tennessee, just three hours from Memphis, but by the morning of disembarkation, I felt like I’d undergone a five-night history and culture immersion session – with comfortable beds and really good cocktails. I learned something new every day of the cruise, and found myself wondering why it took me so long to make the trip.

The reporter on this story received access to this event from Viking. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

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Mississippi

6 die in MS shooting spree including 7-year-old, police arrest suspect

Published

16 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

6 die in MS shooting spree including 7-year-old, police arrest suspect

Capital murder charge possible

A 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder after six people were killed in a series of shootings in northeast Mississippi.
The victims, including a 7-year-old girl and other family members of the suspect, were shot at three separate locations in Clay County.
Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the killings, which included an alleged attempted sexual assault.
Prosecutors are working to upgrade the charge to capital murder and will seek the death penalty if the suspect is found eligible.

Authorities arrested and charged a 24-year-old man with murder after six people were killed, including a 7-year-old girl, in a series of shootings Friday, Jan. 9, in northeast Mississippi.

The information was disclosed by authorities during a press conference Saturday, Jan. 10.

Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said the victims — some of whom are family members related to the suspect — were shot at three separate locations late Friday night in Clay County.

The shootings took place in the rural community of Cedarbluff, west of the county seat of West Point. Clay County is roughly 125 miles northeast of Jackson.

Scott identified the shooting shooter as Daricka Moore, 24. Moore was booked into the county jail shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday on a first-degree murder charge. Scott said prosecutors are working to upgrade the charge to capital murder with additional murder charges forthcoming.

Investigators have yet to determine a motive.

Scott described the emotional state of surviving family members as “overwhelmed grief” in the aftermath of the incident.

The first shooting happened Friday at a residence on David Hill Road, where three people were killed. Moore allegedly shot and killed his father, Glen Moore, 67; his uncle Willie Guines, 55; and his brother Quinton Moore, 33.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered the three men sustained gunshot wounds to the head.

Moore then allegedly stole Quinton’s pickup truck and drove to a home located on Blake Road, where deputies had initially received their first 911 call.

Scott said Clay County E-911 received a call at approximately 6:56 p.m. Friday in regard to gunshot victims at Blake Road. Clay County deputies arrived on the scene at 7:03 p.m. Friday.

Scott said once at that residence on Blake Road, Moore allegedly “forced his way into the home and attempted to commit a sexual battery while armed with a handgun.”

“At some point, Moore, in front of witnesses, allegedly shot and killed a 7-year-old female at the home,” Scott said.

According to authorities, the child suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene. Moore allegedly tried to sexually assault the child prior to killing her.

Investigators said the girl was also related to the suspect but did not release her name.

“Personally, I don’t know what kind of motive you could have to kill a 7-year-old,” Scott said. “It’s just none out there, that you can explain to me why this would happen.”

It is believed that Moore fled from the Blake Road scene in the stolen vehicle and traveled to a residence on Siloam-Griffith Road, where two people were found dead.

Deputies were directed to the Griffith Road residence by a 911 call.

Scott said upon arrival, investigators discovered the stolen pickup truck hidden behind the house. While at the home, deputies discovered apparent forced entry into the rear of the residence.

Two deceased males, Berry Bradley and Samuel Bradley, had suffered gunshot wounds to their heads. Both brothers, who are from Columbus, were pronounced dead at the scene.

It is unclear if the brothers had any connection to Moore before the shooting.

Law enforcement captured Moore at the intersection of Pine Grove Road and Joe Myers Road. Moore was in a vehicle allegedly stolen from the Siloam-Griffith house.

Moore was taken into custody by members of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals and other law enforcement agencies.

Scott stated that Moore was not on law enforcement’s “radar” before the shootings, and authorities had no records of prior criminal charges against him.

“We all lift our hearts and prayer for the victims and families,” Scott said. “This has really, really shaken our community. For me, almost 30 years, and this is one of the toughest ones we’ve had to work. Our job right now is to thoroughly investigate and make sure that we get our district attorney’s office everything that they need to prosecute.”

District Attorney Scott Colom, who recently threw his hat into the ring for next year’s U.S. Senate race, spoke at the press conference.

Colom stated that the death penalty will be sought if Moore is found eligible, noting that further investigation and potential mental evaluations must be completed before the district attorney’s office pursues this course of action.

“Typically, I would consult with the victims and, you know, wait down the line. But there’s some cases [where] they’ve got to get the worst punishment. They got to get the worst punishment. Six people, one night, several different scenes. You’ve heard the allegations. They’re about as bad as it gets,” Colom said.

“If he’s eligible, we’re going to go for the death penalty and let a jury decide his fate.”

Authorities said the details shared at the press conference are considered preliminary information and are subject to change.

Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

Will Kentucky basketball beat Mississippi State today? Our prediction

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Will Kentucky basketball beat Mississippi State today? Our prediction

Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 23 points per game.
Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope praised Hubbard as an electric scorer and the team’s leading playmaker.
Kentucky is looking for its first SEC win after an 0-2 start, while Mississippi State is on a six-game winning streak.

LEXINGTON — So much of the focus on Josh Hubbard is his scoring ability.

And rightly so.

Hubbard, a junior guard for Mississippi State, is averaging an SEC-best 23 points per game, which is tied for fifth nationally. But Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope said Hubbard isn’t simply a scorer.

“He’s their leading assist guy by far,” said Pope, alluding to Hubbard’s 3.7 assists per game, more than twice as many as his closest teammate.

Stream Kentucky vs. Mississippi State

Pope and the Wildcats will try to do their best to keep Hubbard in check tonight as they host the Bulldogs at Rupp Arena.

Hubbard is fresh off scoring 30 points in a home win over Oklahoma. He has two other 30-plus-point efforts this season, while he’s scored 20 or more 10 times. Hubbard has reached double figures in every game but one in 2025-26; he played just two minutes before exiting with an injury versus San Francisco last month.

“So he’s an electric scorer,” Pope said. “He’s their best playmaker, their best assist guy … and he’s bringing it on the defensive end right now. He’s (got) a full, complete game. He’s a little bit undersized (but) he’s got a real physicality to him. He’s got an unbelievable cleverness to his game. Clearly, he shoots it incredibly well.”

Can Kentucky (9-6, 0-2 SEC) stop the bleeding and avoid its third straight loss to start conference play? Or will Mississippi State (10-5, 2-0) pick up its seventh straight victory and remain unbeated versus league foes?

Here’s what to know about the Wildcats’ battle with the Bulldogs tonight in Lexington:

UK and Mississippi State are slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m. today at Rupp Arena.

Oct. 17: Blue-White game (Click here to read takeaways from the intrasquad scrimmage.)
Oct. 24: exhibition vs. Purdue (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Purdue 65
Oct. 30: exhibition vs. Georgetown University (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Georgetown 84, Kentucky 70
Nov. 4: Nicholls (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Nicholls 51
Nov. 7: Valparaiso (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 107, Valparaiso 59
Nov. 11: at Louisville (KFC Yum! Center) | SCORE: Louisville 96, Kentucky 88
Nov. 14: Eastern Illinois (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 99, Eastern Illinois 53
Nov. 18: vs. Michigan State (Champions Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Michigan State 83, Kentucky 66
Nov. 21: Loyola University Maryland (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Loyola Maryland 46
Nov. 26: Tennessee Tech (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 104, Tennessee Tech 54
Dec. 2: North Carolina (Rupp Arena; ACC/SEC Challenge) | SCORE: North Carolina 67, Kentucky 64
Dec. 5: vs. Gonzaga (Bridgestone Arena; Nashville) | SCORE: Gonzaga 94, Kentucky 59
Dec. 9: North Carolina Central (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 103, North Carolina Central 67
Dec. 13: Indiana (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 72, Indiana 60
Dec. 20: vs. St. John’s (CBS Sports Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) | SCORE: Kentucky 78, St. John’s 66
Dec. 23: Bellarmine (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 99, Bellarmine 85
Jan. 3: at Alabama | SCORE: Alabama 89, Kentucky 74
Jan. 7: Missouri (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Missouri 73, Kentucky 68
Jan. 10: Mississippi State (Rupp Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 14: at LSU, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17: at Tennessee, noon
Jan. 21: Texas (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m.
Jan. 24: Ole Miss (Rupp Arena), noon
Jan. 27: at Vanderbilt, 9 p.m.
Jan. 31: at Arkansas, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 4: Oklahoma (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m.
Feb. 7: Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 14: at Florida, 3 p.m.
Feb. 17: Georgia (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m.
Feb. 21: at Auburn, 8:30 p.m.
Feb. 24: at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28: Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 2 p.m.
March 3: at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
March 7: Florida (Rupp Arena), 4 p.m.

Record: 9-6 (0-2 SEC)

Betting odds: Kentucky is a 10⅟₂-point favorite (-102) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 152 ⅟₂ points (-105).

Kentucky 77, Mississippi State 75: According to KenPom.com, the Wildcats have a 79% chance to best the Bulldogs. But that’s almost the exact percentage (80) the site listed for Kentucky to top Missouri on Wednesday. (You don’t need to remind UK fans how that one turned out.) The situation is becoming increasingly dire for Kentucky, which is 0-2 in SEC play for the first time since 2005-06. It’s 2-5 in Quad 1 games this season. And has had multiple embarrassing performances in marquee matchups (Louisville, Gonzaga and Michigan State spring to mind.) Tonight is a contest UK can’t afford to lose. And it won’t. But the Wildcats will keep their anxious fans biting their nails until the final possession, when Hubbard’s 3 clanks off the rim to help the hosts escape with a two-point win.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

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