April Roadtrip, Day 7, Natchez to Vicksburg

Day 7

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

    One last look at the view...

    I'd love to know who thought this style of mini fridge was a good idea.  That blue light stays on constantly.  Thus, the room never actually gets dark.

    One of the things that made Natchez what it is, it just happens to be the southern terminus of an old Native American trail.   The northern end is outside Nashville.  I did the whole thing many years ago.  Such a pleasant drive.

    Natchez Trace Parkway runs 444 miles and began thousands of years ago as a game trail.  When the early Native Americans came here, they started using it, too.  Early French explorers were the first to map the trail.  Today it's a scenic drive run by the Park Service. 

 

      Imagine a long drive, no red lights or stop signs.  Just this...

    

     The first stop along the way is the second largest Native American Temple Mound.  Unlike domed mounds, this has a mostly flat top.  Built by the Mississippian tribes, it was in use from about 1300 to 1600.

   Some size perspective...

     The base of the mound covers eight acres. As an added bonus, atop the main mound are more mounds.

     There's also a set of burial mounds much further on this road that date back to 200BC.  I'm not going that far on this trip.

     When Windsor Mansion was completed in 1861, it was the largest private home in the state and overlooked a 2,600 acre cotton plantation.  Early in the war, Confederate troops used the upstairs balconies as an observation point.  Federal troops did the same two years later.  This is all that's left after a fire burned it to the ground in 1890.

    Recently, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History completed an eight year project to shore up the columns.  You can read more about the ruins and the work that was done here:

     The roadtrip rule of non chain places for lunch brought me to Utica, and K's Kitchen.  The menu was pretty limited.  The burger was big and dripping with barbecue sauce.  Delicious.

    From here it was onto Vicksburg for the night. 

    I had already toured the battlefield, so I went off to find something different,  Catfish Row Park.  It's your typical park, but with murals painted on the levee walls.  The murals depict the city from its first residents until today.

    The brewery of the day was Key City Brewing.  Great staff and some creative beers.

   My home for the night was the Waterview Casino and Hotel.  The place is huge.  I wound up asking a staff member where to find check in.  Nice room, and the view...

    There was music playing on the PA outside as I unloaded the car, "Everybody wants to change the world.  Nobody wants to change themselves."  Deep.

     After dropping my stuff in the room, it was off to the hotel's back patio for sunset.