Southern Relaxation Method - Bed & Breakfast

Click here to go to the NatchezMS.com Bed & Breakfast page.

Stress relief should be about relaxation, right?  How about sleeping in a soft bed, surrounded by beautiful furnishings, waking to the smell of bacon, biscuits and coffee, with a view of beautiful gardens out the window.  Fantasy?  No, that's a typical guest being pampered in a Natchez Bed & Breakfast.  What sets them apart from the rest?

First thing is, Historical Setting.  Practically every Natchez Bed & Breakfast is an antebellum home (built before the Civil War) or a Victorian home.  Checking into one is like stepping back in time.  The architecture historic, the furnishings authentic, so your bed may be a large, comfy, beautifully canopied, four-poster Tester.  A stay almost always includes a tour of the home, but you can ALWAYS figure on Southern Hospitality, and that brings me to the second thing...

The Second thing is - you guessed it, Southern Hospitality.  We're just naturally friendly and welcoming.  Guests don't stay strangers for long; after all, you are sleeping in our beds and eating at our tables.  You've got a question or request?  Just ask.  We consider it our privilege and pleasure, as well as a social obligation to help you feel comfortable and enjoy your time in Natchez to its fullest.  That's just the way our Mamas raised us.

So comfort and hospitality are tops, but nobody makes breakfast like Natchez.  Full Southern Breakfast, with eggs, sausage, bacon, or ham, grits, and those fine biscuits.  You've got a full day ahead of you, touring the homes, shopping, seeing the historical sites, and strolling along the bluff. You're gonna need your energy.

And that's Natchez Bed and Breakfast in a nutshell.  Stress relief?  I haven't even mentioned cocktails on the porch, coffee in the garden, or the innkeeper who becomes more of a friend than a service provider.  Spending time in one of Natchez' bed & breakfasts gets you to slow down, gives you the chance to catch your breath, and leaves you feeling a lot more relaxed.

And isn't that why you took time off in the first place?

Click here to go to the NatchezMS.com Bed & Breakfast page.

Natchez Spring Pilgrimage

It's Spring Pilgrimage in Natchez, a time when many of the antebellum homes open their doors to tours. Visitors come from all around the world to step inside these architectural and historical wonders, and hear stories about the people who built and lived in them; stories full of humor, drama, and pathos, of great riches brought by king cotton, the devastating ravages of war and the preservation of history.

I've just spent the last 3 days taking photographs at many of those historic homes, and it was a thrill.

Taking pictures was a special treat for those 3 days. The weather was beautiful, camellias were in bloom everywhere (there's one in the first picture), hostesses wearing hoopskirts and antebellum gowns graced each home, and throngs of tourists - we like to call them 'visitors' - roamed the homes and grounds.

The antebellum home Richmond was one I'd never seen before. The mansion was built in different stages and with three distinct architectural types. The front is Greek Revival, the middle is Federal, and the back, the newest portion, is 3 stories of brick.

Elms Court was another I had not seen before, though I happen to know the owners. The massive amounts of wrought iron bordering the frame of the house set it apart from all the others.

Natchez offers morning and afternoon tours, with plenty of time in between for lunch. There's time afterward for shopping and dining, too. Dining in Natchez, like most Southern towns, is a real treat, and there are plenty of restaurants to suit just about any taste.

Evenings can be spent being entertained at the Natchez Pageant, Southern Road to Freedom, or Southern Exposure.

The Natchez Pageant is a series of tableaux, or 'pictures brought to life' representing the different periods of Natchez history, beginning with the Natchez Indians and ending with the Civil War.

Southern Road to Freedom is the story of slavery - and freedom, told with music.

Southern Exposure is a theatrical spoof of Pilgrimage. Yes, we like to make fun, even of ourselves.

Combine all that with some of the most magnificent antiques shopping in the South, a panoramic view of the Mississippi River, and the kind of hospitality that makes one wish he could live here forever, and you've got what we think is the perfect vacation.

So we'd like to know, have you been to Natchez, especially for Spring or Fall Pilgrimage? What did you think? And how can we improve your experience?

What did you like best? Is there anything you didn't like?

And personally, I'd like to know what websites you looked at before you came to Natchez.

That's a lot of questions, but if you'd like to just make a comment about your experience, that's ok, too. But please, make a comment - let us know something about your experience. Better yet, take another look at the questions and answer a few of them.

You'll be helping us make Natchez a better, more fun, more interesting place to visit. And that's what it's all about!

Thanks!

Sam

See more photos of Spring Pilgrimage

>NatchezMS.com, Travel & Tourism Guide to Natchez, Mississippi