Mississippi Holidays 2024 & 2025

Mesmerising Mississippi: the home of the delta Blues, fried catfish, juke-box joints and the mighty river from which the state takes its name. Difficult to spell if you don't know how but, with its captivating countryside and rich history, quite capable of casting quite a different type of spell - the sort that everyone who chooses holidays in Mississippi finds it's all too easy to fall under. 

Driving the state's rural byways will put you right in touch with the Magnolia State. Head along the Natchez Trace Parkway and you'll follow an old trail used by the Natchez tribe through kudzo-draped lowlands, thick forests and cypress swamps. Roll along Highway 61 and you'll follow the route taken by Mississippi blues legends like Muddy Waters and BB King north to Memphis. And take the road south and you'll finish up on the beaches of the Gulf Coast. 

In between there's a whole patchwork of places to discover. Natchez is the spot for graceful antebellum mansions and a real taste of the Old South. Echoes of the Civil War are found everywhere, but especially at Vicksburg and Corinth. There's the homes of literary greats like William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams and Eudora Welty to visit. And everywhere seems to have a music connection - Clarksdale for the blues and Tupelo as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, for starters. 
 
It doesn't have to be all high-brow though, and when you fancy a change of scene, you can visit the museum devoted to local lad and Muppet creator Jim Henson in Leland, hike through one of six national forests or go kayaking on the tranquil Pascagoula River. Then, if you're felling lucky, you can hit the casinos of Tunica and the Gulf Coast - because holidays in Mississippi do both sides of the coin.