Don’t Stop Heading South: How to Explore Vicksburg, Mississippi

I listened to the silvery chorus of cicadas as I drove past the kudzu-covered outskirts of Vicksburg, Mississippi. They say the Delta—the fertile, diamond-shaped flood plain between the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers—is the Most Southern Place on Earth. And if the South had a primordial sound—the Eternal Om of Dixieland, if you will—it would be the nocturnal hum of insects. 

Even after several days here, I couldn’t quite figure out whether Vicksburg was inside or just outside the Mississippi Delta—that moist Mesopotamia immortalized as the nursery of the blues, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll. The Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers are notorious shape-shifters, so perhaps the Delta’s boundaries are more a matter of opinion than rigorous cartography. I prefer Mississippi writer David L. Cohn’s poetic take: “The Delta begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg.”

I threw on a Muddy Waters playlist, and just after 11 p.m., I found my destination: Klondyke, an old gas station turned honky-tonk. Earlier in the evening, the bartender at Key City Brewing, Sophia—a flaxen-haired belle with an accent like auditory honey—suggested I check it out. “Google will say it’s permanently closed, but it ain’t,” she assured me. “Just keep drivin’ until you see old-fashioned pumps and neon lights.” After a somber afternoon in Vicksburg National Military Park, a country dive seemed like the perfect antidote.

I ordered a Bud Heavy and took a seat at the bar next to an engineer who had recently relocated from California. Vicksburg reportedly has more PhDs per capita than any other city in America, thanks to the massive presence of the Army Corps of Engineers. On my other side was a lineman clad in camo who had spent the week in Biloxi constructing power lines. Sophia was spot-on; this bar was a gem. 

A woman was singing Buckcherry on the karaoke machine, but I hollered for “Mississippi Queen” until the DJ finally gave in. To my horror, the bartender—a country gal who looked like she could kick my soft Brooklyn ass six ways to Sunday—insisted I get up and sing. Hell, I thought, I’ll dedicate the performance to the gracious city of Vicksburg and to Sophia—two Mississippi Queens if there ever was one.

What to Do in Vicksburg

Vicksburg, halfway between Memphis and New Orleans, has long been a bustling entrepôt on the Mississippi River—that twisting, muddy snake with its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico and its tail buried in the prairie. As I recalled from eighth-grade American History, the Siege of Vicksburg—a hellish, 47-day Union assault on the heavily fortified city—was a crucial turning point in the Civil War. The fall of Vicksburg split the Confederacy in half, allowing the Union to control the Mississippi and block supply lines from Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Vicksburg National Military Park, the battlefield where the bloody siege unfolded, draws half a million visitors each year. Before touring the grounds, stop by the Visitor Center to watch a 20-minute film about the siege and its aftermath. Ranger-guided tours via vehicle are the best way to cover the park’s 1,800 acres of rolling hills, woods, and monuments—check online for tour schedules. If you opt for a self-guided tour, download the National Parks Service app for audio guides to the sites.

Find sweet espresso succor at Highway 61 Coffeehouse, then spend the morning perusing the antebellum architecture, quirky shops, and galleries of Washington Street. Echoes of New Orleans, 200 miles downriver, reverberate throughout Vicksburg, and Washington Street’s wrought-iron balconies wouldn’t be out of place in the French Quarter. Also like New Orleans, open-container laws don’t bind Vicksburg, so grab an icy refresher for the walk from Daiquiri Hub or Key City Brewery.

For those inclined to games of chance, a handful of handsome riverboat casinos adorn the Port of Vicksburg. The floating casinos—as large as Carnival cruise liners—also boast hotel rooms, fine dining, and music venues. I am not much of a gambler, fortunately (?), but I enjoyed walking around Ameristar Casino for the people-watching and views of the sunset over the river. The bar on board had an impressive selection of flashy bourbons, too.  

Like Santa Fe or Boulder, Vicksburg, with its charming ambiance and relaxed pace of life, is an artist’s haven.  Washington Street has a clutch of excellent galleries, and H.C. Porter Gallery offers both an aesthetic treat and deep dive into Mississippi’s Blues history. H.C Porter travels throughout Mississippi to capture the wizened faces of aging bluesmen. 

Speaking of the blues, Vicksburg has markers throughout its streets that commemorate important events and people in blues history. Willie Dixon, called the poet laureate of the Blues, hails from Vicksburg. If you’re in town in the fall, catch Porchfest, a laid-back musical celebration held annually where local musicians jam on their porches

Where to Eat in Vicksburg

Vicksburg is right across the river from Louisiana, and Cajun delicacies like gumbo, boudin, and fried okra are easy to find here. Main Street Market Café, located inside a historic home near downtown, is famous for its gumbo—a bit lighter than what you’d find in New Orleans but laden with andouille sausage, tender chicken, and toothsome okra.

Don’t Stop Heading South—that is, to 10 South Rooftop Bar, a rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown Vicksburg. Order a Mississippi craft beer, such as Fly Llama from Biloxi or any of Key City’s offerings, and soak up panoramic views of the water.10 South claims their chicken sandwich is world famous, and after eating it, I agree that it should be. The bird is pounded thin as a flapjack, fried to crispy perfection, and garnished with homemade pickles, spicy aioli, and fresh lettuce. 

Walnut Hills serves classic Southern comfort fare—soul food—in the charming ambiance of a 19th-century Victorian home. If you’re hungry, order the meat-and-three, a quintessential Southern diner dish consisting of protein like fried chicken or meatloaf and sides like collards, black-eyed peas, and mac-n-cheese. Ask for the homemade pepper vinegar sauce made with fresh chili peppers preserved in white vinegar—it makes the collards sing.

Anchuca infuses down-home southern cookin’ with Michelin-level finesse and delicacy. After a charred steak or roasted salmon filet, order the trifle, bourbon-infused layers of cake, custard, and fruit—a dessert as delicious and naughty as Scarlett O’Hara’s  post-coital giggle. After supper, grab a glass of wine and explore the marvelous gardens and architecture of the mansion, a Greek Revival gem once owned by Joseph Davis, Jefferson Davis’s brother. 

Where to Stay in Vicksburg

For an architecture nerd like me, staying at Oak Hall bed-and-breakfast was like being a kid in a candy shop. The façade of the mansion, built in 1910, is in the Mission Revival style, but throughout the property you’ll find Italianate and Greek Revival designs and embellishments. Elizabeth and Don, Oak Hall’s current owners, loves to talk about the building’s history and general Vicksburg trivia. 

Each room in Oak Hall, once a family home, is unique, but all are quiet, spacious, and comfortable. I stayed in the Blues Room, a suite adorned with photos of Mississippi bluesmen and a small library of blues history books. I would never claim to be a genuine Blues Man, but I definitely learned a lot about them at Oak Hall.

Johnny Motley has written for The Daily Beast, Matador Network, Cool Material, and more. He’s on Twitter @johnnymotley and Instagram @motjohnny.