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.

Stress Reliever No. 2, Horse-drawn Carriage Ride Through Downtown Natchez

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

Oh Look Mommy, Horses!

Once you're in the downtown area of Natchez, you're sure to arrive at Canal Street, which runs north and south just one block from the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.  On the corner of Canal and State Street you'll see a line of carriages, drawn by horses of good stock.  Riding around the town in one of them automatically sounds like a good idea, but then you think of how expensive they must be, and don't you have better things to do?

Well, they're not - expensive that is.  And there's really no better way to see the downtown area.  For just Fifteen bucks, not only do you get to ride around town, pretending you're antebellum royalty, but you get a great spiel, too.  Each driver is an experienced story-teller and knows each building and location's history like the back of his (or sometimes her) hand.   You'll laugh, you'll be amazed, and you'll wonder at the beauty and charm of Natchez, all while relaxing in the best seat in the house.

It's an easy-going ride that could just as easily lull you into a nap, except that you'd miss all the good stories.  And you'll be sorry when it's all over, especially when you realize that now you'll have to walk on your own, or worse yet, get back into an automobile and drive yourself.  But you're refreshed, and I guarantee you'll thank your driver/guide prodigiously.  Be generous - he really was a nice guy.

And that, my friends, is Stress Reliever No. 2.  Oh, there's more to come, but you'll just have to wait to hear the rest of them - or you could save the suspense and come on down to Natchez.  I'll bet any Natchez local has his or her own way of relieving stress that they'll gladly share with you.

Find Out More

Oh, I almost forgot!  When you want to find out more about Natchez, just log onto NatchezMS.com, the Travel and Tourism directory.

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.

The Colorful Costumes of Pow-Wow

For centuries before the first white man laid eyes on the land that is now part of the Natchez area, the Natchez Indians lived, and celebrated, and worshipped "The Great Sun." The Natchez are all but extinct now, but several village, burial and ceremonial sites have been found here. One of those is now called "The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians." It is here that the singers, dancers, and peoples of other tribes gather to celebrate a culture that will never come again.
It's a made-for-camera weekend. The dancers flail in their bright costumes, drummers beat out their heartbeat rhythm, singers chant the ancient songs, calling the people to celebrate life the old way.

This past March I was able to be there, trusty camera in hand, to take a few photos.  Enjoy the photography, but come on down yourself next year and experience this event for yourself.  Besides the music and dancing, there's also food and Native American arts and crafts for sale.  It's a fun - and maybe educating - afternoon outing that the whole family can enjoy.
It's just one more of many reasons to come to Natchez for a weekend or so.
If you'd like to see more of my Natchez Pow-Wow photos, Go to my Flickr.com Page!
And to see more about Natchez, Mississippi, click on NatchezMS.Com, The Travel and Tourism Guide to Natchez, Mississippi.

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

A Quick Note

To anyone viewing this blog, I welcome comments about the blog or things talked about in the blog, but I'd really like to hear from folks who have been to Natchez - your experiences, good or bad. When you have a good experience I can use that to promote Natchez. When your experience is bad, sometimes I can take those comments to the people responsible. I can't always promise change, but often it's a learning experience that helps us be more hospitable and attentive to the needs of visitors.
That said, if you comment just to trash the place, surely you know where your comments will end up. Just being fair.