SENIORS ENJOY MISSISSIPPI



Seniors Settle Into Natchez

2869632563_6e351e978bThe winners of the 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards for the Best Southern Small Towns are in. The contest, sponsored by USA Today and 10Best.com selected Natchez, Mississippi at #5. Incidentally, Natchitoches, Louisiana was #1.

Natchez, pop.16,000, is the county seat and only city of Adams County, Mississippi. So let’s go for a visit to Natchez and see for ourselves what makes it so special. This senior learned that Natchez is the oldest settlement on the Mississippi River and it has more antebellum, historic homes than any other place in the country.

Those homes alone would make a visit to Natchez worthwhile to my wife and me. We enjoy visiting old historic cities like Natchez. Established by French colonists in 1716, Natchez was one of the most important European settlements in the lower Mississippi River Valley.

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Seniors Enjoy National Historical Park

The area around Natchez was loaded with early platform mounds that exist yet today. By the late 17th and early 18th century, the Natchez (pronounced “Nochi”), descendants of the Plaquemine culture, occupied the site.

The locals like to say that “Natchez is what you love about the south.” You’ll understand exactly what this means once you immerse yourself in the rich, vibrant history and culture of this charming southern city.

Natchez National Historical Park, popular with senior visitors, commemorates the history of Natchez, and is managed by the National Park Service. The Park celebrates the rich cultural history of Natchez and interprets the pivotal role the city played in the settlement of the old southwest, the Cotton Kingdom and the Antebellum South.

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A tour of the Natchez City Cemetery provides a glimpse back in time to the early days of historic Natchez, revealing the rich and colorful tapestry of this early southern city. Many of those who built the magnificent antebellum homes are buried there.

Seniors Also Enjoy Antebellum Mansions

Few cities offer and in-depth look at the past and present Southern lifestyle like Natchez. Walk in the footsteps of  Southern belles, cotton barons, Civil War soldiers, and Civil Rights pioneers. Senior visitors may visit a variety of antebellum homes like Longwood, also known as Nutt’s Folly, that is an historic antebellum octagonal mansion.  

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Folks of all ages enjoy the local museums for historical tidbits about the Natchez Indians or daily life in antebellum Natchez. From biking the Natchez Trace Parkway, visiting Longwood Plantation and St. Mary Basilica, there’s a vast array of Natchez attractions for every interest.

Enjoy bird watching, tour an ornate historic cemetery, meander through a walk-able downtown, and enjoy watching amazing sunsets over the Mississippi River. Stop at the Natchez Visitors Center that sits at the head of the Mississippi River Bridge. Its a great place to “get the feel” of Natchez featuring a 20-minute movie about city history viewed in a large comfortable theater.  -jeb

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