October 27, 2014. Day 7 on Natchez Trace. Antebellum Natchez

CAMPGROUND:  Second night at Natchez State Park

LOCATION: Outside the city of Natchez, in SW Mississippi

WEATHER:  Hot and muggy. Highs in lower 80s

We wanted to take a hike in the park, so we had to plan around  these signs...

The ranger said the nature trail was safe, except for ticks.  It quickly turned into a jungle, with spider webs with huge spiders in them, hanging directly in our path.  We got covered with webs, spiders and thorns.  Good work-out!

We drove into the city of Natchez.  It is full of well-preserved mansions from the 1800s.  We learned that before the Civil War, Natchez had more millionaires per capita than any other city.  

We had lunch at a Natchez icon, Fat Momma's Hot Tomales.  We split their famous Gringo Pie, and I had their "Knock-You-Naked" margarita.  George had a porter from a Mississippi brewery. 

We spent some time at the visitors center.  It overlooks the Mississippi River.  This bridge crosses over to Louisiana.  The valleys are full of kudzu, the ubiquitous Southern plant that might take over all the land.  It grows a foot per day.

 

We went to a pub that features craft beers from the South.  It is appropriately called (for us) The Camp.  It is in a part of Natchez called Natchez Under The Hill.  This is where the river men arrived with their goods to sell.  It was the raunchy part of town, as compared to the genteel mansions above, on the hill.  The pub is a former whore house,famous for its shootings.

We drove by another famous Southern-style restaurant called Mammy's. It is politically incorrect, with a black Mammy-shaped building which you enter through her hoop skirts.  

We saw muffalettas advertised in a small grocery store, so bought one for dinner.  

DINNER:  We warmed the muffaletta slices in the George Forman.  It was pretty good, but not as good as the ones in New Orleans.