Natchez to Jackson

We felt really young in our motel this morning. The rest of the rooms were taken by a busload of seniors from a Baptist church in South Carolina. I should think that Hugh is half their average age (and certainly signs better)

Our first stop is at the ruins of one of the most spectacular plantation mansions in Mississippi. Windsor was completed in 1861. Building great mansions seems to have a negative effect on your life expectancy and the owner died soon after it was finished. The house survived the war but burnt down in 1890 leaving these haunting columns. This is a magical place buried deep in the forest and surrounded by verdant vegetation.

The evocative ruins of Windsor

General Ulysses S Grant refused to burn down Port Gibson because it was too beautiful. Many of these small southern towns have suffered from years of deprivation and decline during the 20^th century and I am at a loss to understand what the great general saw that was so perfect. I did however like the wacky top to the steeple of the First Presbyterian Church known more appropriately to the locals as the “Church of the Golden Hand.”

The Church of the Golden Hand

Driving across the southern states reminds you of the impact of the churches in this part of America. One passes one church after another on the route, all well maintained and thriving. No wonder that the Christian vote has such an impact on American politics and opinion.

Vicksburg stands on a bluff looking over the Mississippi. Next to Gettysburg this was the scene of one of the most important actions of the Civil War. The Union believed that wining control of the Mississippi would end the war by splitting the Confederacy and severing its main artery. Despite a string of successes, Vicksburg refused to submit. The city eventually capitulated after a ferocious siege that lasted 47 days and cost many thousand lives. We toured the battlefield and many of the monuments. We were blown over by the remains of the Ironclad gunboat Cairo, which was raised from the river Yazoo in the 1960s.

Vicksburg is the birthplace of one of the Blues’ greatest composers, Willie Dixon who was influenced by “Little Brother” Montgomery who moved into the town in the1920s

The Great Willie Dixon

Hugh practicing his Tibetan Throat Singing

The Ironclad "Cairo"

The rescued ship. Still and impressive sight!

All our guidebooks advised us to take a detour and visit the State Capital, Jackson but we were surprised how quiet and uninspiring it was. We eventually found some disappointing live country music, sung out of tune!

Special thanks to a wonderful man called Cotton who runs the bar at Walthall Hotel. He tried to find us a live music venue in the town. Cotton is 83 and tells us that he is thinking of retiring in 17 years time. What a great gentleman.

Jackson is an important town in the history of the blues, despite the fact that it is technically outside the Delta. It was the home of important Blues men such as Skip James, Tommy Johnson and Elmore James. Jackson was a regular stopping off point for many great Blues artists who played in the town and in particularly along Farish Street. It was so sad to see how run-down Farish St had become.

Cotton at the Walthall Hotel

Elvis on the toilet door of Hal and Mals Brewery in Jackson