Natchez' Under-The-Hill Saloon, Stress Reliever No. 1

Stressed out at work? Too much pressure from deadlines, quotas, and the like? I can show you a way to relieve that stress without:

• Spending tons of money
• Reading a boring self-help book

Stress Reliever No. 1 - Under-The-Hill Saloon

(Find out more about Natchez at NatchezMS.com.)

Along that very historical section of town below the bluff called Natchez Under The Hill is an oasis for the work world weary. It's the Under-The-Hill Saloon. Offering respite for visitors and locals alike, the Saloon is a rustic old building containing one of the coolest, most storied bars in the U.S.A. Old pictures and relics of times past line the back-bar, or are tacked to the ancient brick walls. Initials carved into the heavy wooden tables testify to the frequent good times had in this bar.

But more than being just a bar, it's a place where greatly diverse people have gathered for decades. Bikers and farmers mingle with business people and tourists, all forgetting their troubles and remembering the good times. Rub elbows with the regulars at the bar, listen to some live music at one of those carved up tables, or grab a seat on the porch and watch the world go by.

If sipping a cool libation in a big, comfortable rocking chair while watching the mightiest of rivers roll down toward New Orleans won't help you forget your troubles, nothing will.

But the Under-The-Hill Saloon is just one of the many "Stress Relievers" we could tell you about in Natchez. There's more to come, but you'll have to keep watching this Blog to find them all out! (how's THAT for a tease?)

Life is too short! Take that trip you've been wanting to take. Relax and have some fun instead of working yourself to an early grave.

That way, when the Grim Reaper walks by and sneers at you, you can sneer back. "Take that, you skeletal cronie!" I had FUN in life. I've seen NATCHEZ!"

"That's right, I feasted sumptuously, shopped for the finest antiques, watched the mighty river roll by, read the freedman's diary, slept where Aaron Burr, Henry Clay, and Jefferson Davis slept. Walked where Indians, flatboatmen, lawyers and other robbers traveled, and saw the place where Mark Twain's steamboat tied up for the night."

"And it was FUN!"

To see more ways to cure stress in Natchez, see NatchezMS.com.

Hoopskirts, Greek Columns, and Antiques, Oh My!

It would be great if I could just describe some of the historical wonders you'll see during Spring Pilgrimage in Natchez, and have you convinced that immediate reservations were in order.  For most of you, however, those descriptions would just make your eyes glaze over.

Looking up at Longwood

Until you're standing next to the gigantic Greek columns of Stanton Hall feeling small and completely awed, or looking up 4 floors into the unfinished rafters of Longwood, or trying to figure out how the wondrously unsupported spiral staircase of Auburn holds weight...until you're actually there, it's hard to understand.  Most historic places of any significance are like that, I think.
But history is only a part of the reason folks travel by the hundreds to Natchez during this season.  Yes, the gardens are beautiful, and the townfolk hospitable, but there's even more.

Downtown Shopping

Like to eat?  Step out the door of your B&B or hotel room and you're probably just a few steps away from rich cuisine of some sort.  And what do you want?  Barbecue?  Fried Catfish?  Sure, we've got plenty and you're welcome to it.  How about some fine, white-tablecloth dining with a great wine list?  Yes, we have that, too.  Surprised?  You shouldn't be.  If you're in a group of 20 Natchezians, most likely one or two of them are world class chefs.  No brag, just fact.
Like to shop?  Natchez has been voted one of the very best places to shop in Mississippi, even in the South.  You may never have seen so many really great antiques shops in one place.  I'm not talking curios and flea markets, but yes, we have those, too.  There are book stores, coffee shops, gift shops, clothing, and fine art shops lining Main Street, Franklin Street, and most of the cross streets between the two.

Kids take part in the Natchez Pageant

Want to see a show?  Take your choice; a Gospel choir freeing you from the chains of slavery; a Pageant that dances and sings its way through the different eras of Natchez history; or stage comedians spoofing Pilgrimage itself.  Something about the folks here, we just love to entertain.
But the part you may enjoy the most?  Simply walking to the edge of the bluff, looking out over the magnificent Mississippi River some 150 feet below, and catching sight of one of the most breathtaking sunsets imaginable.

Sunset on the Mississippi

So, did my descriptions get you thinking about it, at least?  Check out NatchezMS.com's pages full of Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Hotels, and Bed & Breakfasts, then come on down and spend a few days with us, especially during Spring Pilgrimage.  Chances are, you'll find a lot more to excite you than just a few historical wonders.