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' 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.

Cabins, The Other Accommodation

I'm finding that one of the best sources of topics for my blog comes from emails sent to my travel guide, NatchezMS.com. These emails contain the many questions from folks who are planning trips to Natchez.

Recently, Keith asked about cabins in the area. He wants to do some fishing, but he wants to be close enough to tour Natchez' attractions as well.

The Natchez State Park was the first place I mentioned. The lake is a great place to fish. Mississippi's record largemouth bass was caught here several years ago - more than 18 pounds! The MS Wildlife & Fisheries site is being worked on apparently - not very informative and with some misleading photos on the Natchez page. I sent him to the ReserveAmerica page instead.

Giles Island is the premier spot to hunt and fish in the Miss-Lou. The advantages to this sportsman's paradise are too numerous to mention in this blog. Go see the website!

Sportsman's Lodge is located on Lake Concordia, about 12 miles northwest of Natchez in Louisiana. Concordia is chock full of largemouth, crappie, bream, catfish, and even some stripers or striper hybrid. The Lodge has numerous cabins, a great pier with boat slots, outdoor grills, and a store with gas, bait and snacks.

Lakeview Lodge, on the southern tip of Lake Concordia, is one I don't know a lot about yet, but looks good from the site, and appears to be a good place for groups of fishermen.

If you're looking for something more upscale, try Cypress Shore. It's a two-story house on Lake St. John, just one lake up from Concordia, with a multi-faceted private pier, full kitchen and nice living area. Great for family vacations in the Great Outdoors!

Keith had one caveat; he wants to bring his dog. This isn't always a problem, but it's a good idea to check with the proprietor before bringing a pet to any accommodations.

I hope this proves helpful to those planning vacations in our area. Hotels here can be convenient, comfortable places to stay, but sometimes you want something just a little different.
If I've missed anybody I apologize and I welcome your reply to tell me about your place or your favorite place to stay and fish!

Busy Natchez

You'd think that in the dog days of summer things would slow down around here, but Natchez and the surrounding area are about to get very busy. Coming up are a number of festivals and events that will appeal to just about every sort of visitor.
For lovers of fine cuisine, The Natchez Food & Wine Festival is just around the corner (August 1 - 3, 2008). The weekend is full of events, including the Martha White Biscuit Cook-off, Brews on the Bluff - complete with bocce ball contest, and Saturday night's Invitation to the Natchez Table, which features celebrity chefs and antebellum homes.
The last weekend of September brings the Jim Bowie Festival and Bowie BBQ Duel to Vidalia, LA just across the river. There's live music, food, arts & crafts, and a re-enactment of the Sandbar Duel, which made the Bowie Knife famous. The festival is also the Official Louisiana State BBQ Championship.
October brings lots of fun in the air, on the bluff and in the water! The Phatwater Kayak Race takes place October 11. See the website, check out the Natchez Democrat, or watch CNN and you'll see plenty about this race down the Mississippi River.
The third weekend of October brings one of Natchez' biggest celebrations ever, The Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. Pilots race their hot air balloons in contests like "Hare & Hounds" and "The Barge Drop," the latter a contest to try to hit a target by dropping a bean bag from your ballon onto a floating barge in the middle of the Mississippi. Meanwhile, there's a festival taking place on the bluff high above the river. The grounds of Rosalie antebellum home is filled with food, drink, carnival
rides for kids, and great music for the adults. Past performers include Edgar Winter, Eddie Money, Irma Thomas, Better Than Ezra, and lots more. This year they're starting up Country Sunday for the Country Music fans.
I haven't touched on everything going on in the next few months, but you get the idea. For a calendar of Natchez area events, you can always go to NatchezMS.com and check out their Calendar of Events.