That will give you a sense of why I am suggesting Starkville. That real food focus is just a part of it. Mississippi State is there and it is a huge college with a focus on farming. They even make cheese at the college that they ship everywhere – and sell on campus. We are cheese makers, so this has been of particular interest to us.
Along with that, we have a large Mennonite community of farmers. Nightingale’s Pantry in West Point is a small Mennonite restaurant very well worth visiting – they sell spices in bulk, Food from the Pennsylvania Dutch area and most interestingly (at least to me) they have a tiny fabric shop with fabrics and fasteners as well as patterns for their traditional garments.
At any given time we can get true free fresh vegetables, u pick fruit, range eggs with their bright yellow yolks, beef, chickens and milk off of the farms. At this time of year you can find within a 50 mile radius of Starkville a farmer’s market on almost any day and any time. I will be interested in what others suggest, but this little area has an amazing variety for a visitor – not a tourist.
Louise – We are definitely making that part of our trip! It sounds wonderful and we can’t wait to see it and experience it! Thank you for the incredible suggestions, and for following our journey – Jim and Mary
Tupelo Visitors Center (www.Tupelo.net) interactive exhibits
Natchez Trace Parkway -Parkway Visitor Center Tupelo- The Natchez Trace, also known as the “Old Natchez Trace”, is a historic forest trail which extends roughly 440 miles from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi rivers.
The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway is a 234-mile man-made waterway that extends from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system near Demopolis, Alabama. The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway links commercial navigation from the nation’s midsection to the Gulf of Mexico. It is an outdoor enthusiasts’ paradise, from picnicking to fishing to camping and boating.
(http://fulton.itawambams.com/the-tennessee-tombigbee-waterway/)
FYI
We live just outside Tupelo in Fulton Mississippi on the Tenn-Tom waterway. We have an RV hookup and guest cottage that are available if you make it to this part of Mississippi. (Pictures available)
Other things to do in Mississippi: Visitmississippi.org
Thank you so much Sonya for such details on where to visit when we are in Mississippi. There is so much to choose from that I am thinking we will have to come back and visit the following year. And thank you for offering for us to stay. We will definitely consider that as we would love to meet the people that follow our journey! Keep in touch!
Hi,
I have followed you for years. Wonderful work you do. I sent this as an email.
A lot of people might say to go to the Delta, but Starkville, MS area is a center for small farms. You might look at their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/StarkvilleRealFood/
That will give you a sense of why I am suggesting Starkville. That real food focus is just a part of it. Mississippi State is there and it is a huge college with a focus on farming. They even make cheese at the college that they ship everywhere – and sell on campus. We are cheese makers, so this has been of particular interest to us.
Along with that, we have a large Mennonite community of farmers. Nightingale’s Pantry in West Point is a small Mennonite restaurant very well worth visiting – they sell spices in bulk, Food from the Pennsylvania Dutch area and most interestingly (at least to me) they have a tiny fabric shop with fabrics and fasteners as well as patterns for their traditional garments.
At any given time we can get true free fresh vegetables, u pick fruit, range eggs with their bright yellow yolks, beef, chickens and milk off of the farms. At this time of year you can find within a 50 mile radius of Starkville a farmer’s market on almost any day and any time. I will be interested in what others suggest, but this little area has an amazing variety for a visitor – not a tourist.
Hope to see you here.
Louise – We are definitely making that part of our trip! It sounds wonderful and we can’t wait to see it and experience it! Thank you for the incredible suggestions, and for following our journey – Jim and Mary
Things to do in Tupelo Mississippi:
Elvis Presley‘s birthplace and museum (elvispresleybirthplace.com)
Tupelo hardware where Elvis bought his first guitar( tupelohardware.com)
Tupelo buffalo park and zoo ( tupelobuffalopark.com)
Queens Reward Meadery (www.queensreward.com) Nationally recognized.
Tupelo Visitors Center (www.Tupelo.net) interactive exhibits
Natchez Trace Parkway -Parkway Visitor Center Tupelo- The Natchez Trace, also known as the “Old Natchez Trace”, is a historic forest trail which extends roughly 440 miles from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi rivers.
The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway is a 234-mile man-made waterway that extends from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system near Demopolis, Alabama. The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway links commercial navigation from the nation’s midsection to the Gulf of Mexico. It is an outdoor enthusiasts’ paradise, from picnicking to fishing to camping and boating.
(http://fulton.itawambams.com/the-tennessee-tombigbee-waterway/)
FYI
We live just outside Tupelo in Fulton Mississippi on the Tenn-Tom waterway. We have an RV hookup and guest cottage that are available if you make it to this part of Mississippi. (Pictures available)
Other things to do in Mississippi: Visitmississippi.org
Sent from my iPad
Thank you so much Sonya for such details on where to visit when we are in Mississippi. There is so much to choose from that I am thinking we will have to come back and visit the following year. And thank you for offering for us to stay. We will definitely consider that as we would love to meet the people that follow our journey! Keep in touch!