First impressions of Mississippi

A week ago, Mississippi became the 36th state I've visited, and soon it will become Barb's and my new home. I have to say right out front that Tennessee and Mississippi are two of the last lower 48 states I would have ever expected to live in. I don't like heat and humidity, and so ironically we are heading from the Mid-South to the Deep South. And there are some notable differences between the Magnolia State and my home Mt. Rushmore state (sometimes call "The Sunshine State") of South Dakota. We left for Mississippi after Barb got off work -- about 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 11. Leaving late at night allowed us to get through the Memphis metro area without fighting traffic tie-ups. We drove about two hours that night, stopping in Grenada, MS along Interstate 55 for the night. The only thing that impressed me about this leg of our trip was the continual line of airplanes flying into Memphis International Airport. From our view on the interstate it resembled O'Hare, with plane after plane queued up in a long line for the landing. I assumed this was due to the fact that Memphis is the hub and home base of Federal Express. We left Thursday and drove through intermittent rain -- a pattern that would be followed for our return trip as well. Like Tennessee, Mississippi is covered in trees. When we moved to Tennessee in November we noted the absence of flat land and abundant grain fields. Trees grow up right up to the edge of the road. And in Mississippi, they grow right up to the edge of the interstate, giving one an almost claustrophobic feeling. We arrived in Pascagoula early that afternoon and drove around town to become acquainted with what will be our new home. The city of approximately 25,000 has a gorgeous city park (appropriately named "Beach Park") that overlooks the Gulf Coast. We were amazed at how easily accessible and quiet this area was. The park sits across the street just a few feet away from the beach. The park is equipped with play equipment, fountains, picnic tables and the like. Then there are benches that overlook the beach area, where only 3 or 4 persons were sunning themselves or playing in the waves. We were surprised by the solitude. After sitting on a park bench and gazing out at the Gulf, we walked across the street to a pier that jutted about a quarter-mile out into the Gulf. It's a serene and settling feeling that was marred only by the smell of rotting garbage in the trash cans along the way, and the fish remains from someone's filleting efforts at the end of the pier. Some of the largest, most gorgeous houses I've ever seen are located along this drive with a breathtaking view of the Gulf Coast. Many are now built on supports to keep them above flood waters. Hurricane Katrina had lasting effects on this city, as 92% of the city experienced flooding in its aftermath. Along with the beautiful antebellum homes, we saw old oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Like other cities, Pascagoula has its not-so-pretty neighborhoods, but in general it is a stunningly beautiful area, rated as one of Outdoor Life's top 200 best towns in America. And this from the city's own Web site: "Pascagoula has a deep and rich history as a European settlement that goes back over 300 years. The name is taken from a band of peaceful Native Americans (Pascagoula means “bread eaters”) who inhabited the area in the 1500’s. Pascagoula was part of the French colonial empire for over half a century dating from 1699 when Pierre Lemoyne D’Iberville claimed her for the Sun King, Louis XIV, until the English occupation from 1763 to 1781. Through the centuries, Pascagoula has been a home, hideaway, respite, or inspiration to such interesting folks as the pirate Jean Lafitte; the infamous Copeland Gang; “Old Hickory” Andrew Jackson who camped here prior to the Battle of New Orleans; Jefferson Davis and Ulysses S. Grant were both stationed here in 1848; General (later President) Zachary Taylor who was an early developer of the city and laid out several of her streets still in use today." Sounds like a great adventure for a couple of Midwestern natives, doesn't it? We thought so. More in my next blog.