Mississippi – The South, Steeped in History

by | March 15, 2022

If you want to tour Mississippi, you are probably already an advanced USA tourist. Because Mississippi is not one of the “A-List” states that, like Florida or California, are among the dream destinations of many travelers.

However, that doesn’t mean that this state has nothing to offer. But on the contrary. With its friendly climate, which allows a year-round season, and with its interesting landscapes shaped by water, it is an ideal destination for nature lovers and water sports enthusiasts. If you add the many historical sites and the pulsating cities with their diverse shopping and entertainment options, then Mississippi moves up the list of desirable states.

Location and geography

According to ask4beauty, Mississippi takes its name from the river of the same name that characterizes the state. Translated from the native Indian language, the name means “Great River”. Today there are hardly any descendants of the former natives living in Mississippi; almost all of them were driven out by the early settlers. The landscapes of the state are flat and shaped by the arms of the great river and also the Yazoo River. There are only a few hills in the extreme northeast. Mississippi is one of the southern states of the USA and borders the Gulf of Mexico on a narrow stretch of coast. In the north, Tennessee, Alabama is located in the east. Finally, in the west, the neighboring states are Arkansas and Louisiana.

Eldorado for water sports enthusiasts and adventurers

The state of Mississippi is comparatively poor. Measured in terms of the per capita income of the residents, it even represents the absolute bottom. This fact is explained not least by history. The swampy areas of the river delta supplied wood and allowed the cultivation of rice and tobacco on a large scale. When the subsidies failed to materialize, the economy collapsed almost overnight. It took a while to finally get to the point where cotton could be planted and become the main source of income. The large plantations were successful but inglorious. It was only thanks to the work of slaves that it was possible to maintain them at all. The plantations and their extremely wealthy owners still exist today. In the meantime, however, they are mostly managed by machines. The descendants of the Afro-American slaves still live in Mississippi, almost always in very poor conditions. The only consolation for poverty in the country is that the cost of living is also very low here.

Of course, this also benefits tourists to a certain extent. Every year nature enthusiasts, fishermen and hunters from all over the world travel to Mississippi and its river delta to pursue their hobbies. There are plenty of opportunities for the corresponding outdoor activities. Sailing, kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding, swimming, diving – there is probably no water sport that you cannot practice in Mississippi. The country is also criss-crossed by state parks, where you can also book a caravan site, and by forests. Here are great hiking tours (checklist for hiking vacation in the USA) possible, for example on the “Devil’s Backbone”. This is a centuries-old trade route that the Indians once used. You don’t have to get to know it over its entire length of around 700 kilometers! Also highly recommended: the Cypress Swam Trail near the capital Jackson. The path leads over a kilometer long through a wild swampy area on a footbridge that stands on wooden posts. In Mississippi you can also saddle up your mountain bike or go on long rides. Speaking of rides. Soldiers of fortune will also find their tailor-made territory in Mississippi. Casinos are another focus of tourism revenue.

Land of music and literature

Does that all sound like too much nature and too little culture? This is deceptive. Mississippi is not just a very musical state where you can go to a different live concert every night. The country has also produced one of the most famous singers ever. In the small town of East Tupelo, a certain Elvis Presley saw the light of day on January 8, 1935. The boy, who was to become the trailblazer for rock’n roll and an unforgettable legend, grows up to the gospel sounds of Pentecostal Church under the care of Mama Gladys and Papa Vernon. In 1948 the family moves to Memphis / Tennessee. Lovers of literature are not neglected in Mississippi either. There you can walk in the footsteps of the Nobel Prize for Literature, William Faulkner. Born September 1895 in New Albany and later lived and worked in Oxford / Mississippi for a while. If in his novels the – fictional – “Yoknapatawpha County” appears, then it is the hill country of Mississippi. Despite his different first name, Tennessee Williams is also a real son of Mississippi. He was born in Columbus in 1911.

Mississippi - The South, Steeped in History