South Bound



Legends' Mobile Motel

We're getting ready for our annual extended winter trip. This year we are headed to Mississippi, Louisiana, with just a little slice of southeast Texas. Many of you on our Facebook FanPage indicated that you would like to see our itinerary and, as we travel, to provide our impressions and reviews of the places that we visit.

This blog is the place for both. Legends of America is our fact and information website, while Legends' Blog is where we post information as we travel, updates for our readers, and any personal thoughts. When we're on the road, most nights we will review our photos and the information on the places that we've visited, then begin to share it with you here. While we have not always, in the past, provided our first impression and reviews, we will begin to do so on this trip.

So, you see everything on the blog first, sometimes months before it ever appears on  Legends of America. Those tales often take a lot of research and tend to take off on many other paths.

Planned Route

Plans are to leave sometime next week. We've got to ensure that all is good with the "mobile motel" and also tie up some loose ends on the business side. We plan to take two days to get to Mississippi, over-nighting at a campground in southeast Missouri. Our first destination is Corinth. From there, we head across the Magnolia State via the Natchez Trace  then to New Orleans, southern Louisiana, and a small slice of southeast Texas before heading north and making our way home via Arkansas. 

That's all assuming that the weather cooperates. Dave, the resident weatherman in the family, is saying that while Mississippi and Louisiana had higher than average temperatures for January, there is an expected change in the gulf stream for the month of February, making it colder than average. Depending on how cold it gets and other weather conditions, such as rain, ice or snow, it would not be unlike us to abandon plans on a few hours notice and head in another direction. But, until and if, here are the plans for the trip.

When we travel for weeks at a time, we operate on what we call a "hub and spoke" schedule. That means, we find a campground, drop the travel trailer, and make day trips to surrounding areas for several days. The schedule is aggressive -- I load it up in order not to miss anything; but, depending on how time goes, can't guarantee we will make every stop.


Battle of Corinth

Corinth, Mississippi Area:

• Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center
• Corinth Contraband Camp
• Historic Downtown Corinth, including the Coca-Cola Museum, Borroums Drug Store, Biggers Hardware, Waits Jewelry
• Natchez Trace from Mississippi border to Collinwood, Tennessee
• Shiloh, Tennessee Battlefield
• Natchez Trace from Mississippi State Line to Tupelo, MS
• Mississippi Final Stands Civil WarInterpretive Center - Brices Crossroads National Battlefield and Battle of Tupelo/Harrisburg
• Elvis Presley Birthplace

Natchez Trace

Jackson, Mississippi Area:

• Natchez Trace - Tupelo to Jackson
• Governor's Mansion, Jackson
• Old Capitol Museum, Jackson
• State Capitol Building, Jackson
• Hinds County Courthouse, Raymond
• Raymond Military Park, Raymond
• Champion Hill Battlefield, Edwards
• Vicksburg National Military Park
• Old Courthouse Museum, Vicksburg
• Pemberton's Headquarters, Vicksburg
• Driving Tour of Antebellum Homes, Vicksburg

Ruins of Windsor

Natchez, Mississippi Area

• Natchez Trace from Jackson to Natchez
• Ruins of Windsor, Port Gibson
• Grand Gulf Military Monument Park, Port Gibson
• Emerald Mound, Natchez
• Natchez National Cemetery
• Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
• St. Mary Basilica, Natchez
• Under-The-Hill Saloon, Natchez
• Ghost Tour
• City Bus Tour
• Mammy's Cupboard

Tchefuncte River Light House

Southeast Louisiana:

• St Francisville, LA
• Myrtles Plantation, St Francisville, LA
• Port Hudson State Historic Site, Jackson, LA
• Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum & Tchefuncte River Light House, Madisonville, LA
• Camp Moore Confederate Museum & Cemetery, Tangipahoa, LA
• Louisiana's Old State Capitol, Baton Rouge, LA
• Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge, LA
• Old Arsenal Museum, Baton Rouge, LA
• Pentagon Barracks, Baton Rouge, LA
• Longwood (ghost town), East Baton Rouge Parish
• Burtville (ghost town) - South of Baton Rouge
• Bayou Goula Ghost Town, White Castle, LA

Mississippi Coast Line

Mississippi/Louisiana Coast:

• Phantom Harp of Hawes Mansion Ruins – Pass Christian, Mississippi
• Ship Island, Biloxi, MS
• Beauvoir Mansion, Biloxi, MS
• Biloxi Lighthouse
• Biloxi Historical Walking Tour
• Fort Pike State Historic Site, New Orleans, LA
• Old U.S. Mint, New Orleans, LA
• Old U.S. Custom House, New Orleans, LA
• French Quarter, New Orleans, LA - Including Jackson Square, Bourbon St, Voodoo Spiritual Temple, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, Spirit Tour, City Sites Bus Tour
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Chalmette, LA

Lafayette, Louisiana Area:

• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center, Thibodaux, LA
• Chitimacha Museum, Charenton, LA
• St. Martinville, LA
• Acadian Village, Lafayette, LA
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve - Acadian Cultural Center, Lafayette, LA
• Bayou Vermilion District, Lafayette, LA
• Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, Lafayette, LA

Sabine Pass Battleground

Southwest Lousiana and Southeast Texas:

• Sam Houston Jones State Park, Lake Charles, LA
• Old Spanish Trail - Westlake, Lake Charles, Sulphur, Vinton, LA
• Port Arthur, TX
• Sabine Pass Battleground State Park and Historic Site, TX

Central Louisiana:

• Battle of Yellow Bayou, Simmesport, LA
• Marksville State Historic Site, Marksville, LA
• Fort DeRussy, Marksville, LA
• Fort Randolph and Fort Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville, LA
• Cane River Creole National Historical Park Magnolia Plantation Complex, Derry LA

Natchitoches

Natchitoches, LA and East Texas:

• Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District
• Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, Natchitoches, LA
• Mansfield State Historic Site, Mansfield, LA
• Adai Indian Nation Cultural Center, Robeline, LA  
• Los Adaes State Historic Site, Robeline, LA
• Fort Jesup State Historic Site - Many, LA
• Pleasant Hill Battlefield, Pleasant Hill Battlefield Park Road, Pleasant Hill, TX
• El Camino Real from Natchitoches, LA to Nacogdoches, TX

Nacogdoches

Nacogdoches, Texas Area:

• Geneva, TX – Ghostown - The oldest continuously occupied town in East Texas
• St. Augustine, TX Driving Tour
• Nacogdoches Historic Town Center, Nacogdoches, TX
• Ghosts of Nacogdoches Historical Trail
• Millard's Crossing Historic Village, Nacogdoches, TX
• Old University Building, Nacogdoches, TX
• Stone Fort Museum, Nacogdoches, TX 

The remainder of route will be determined by time available. Choices are to continue through Texas for a family visit near Sherman, checking out several ghost towns along the way, and heading northeast Arkansas through Little Rock and Scenic 7 Byway to Missouri . Alternatively, we'll skip the rest of Texas and head home -- hopefully along the same Arkansas route. 

Whew!!! I'm tired just writing all this down. It's gonna be a whirlwind trip - estimating about 6 weeks. If I've missed important historical sites and you're familiar with the area, please let me know.

Otherwise, we'll "see" ya on the road.

Kathy Weiser-Alexander

Owner/Founder, Legends of America