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Delta Travel Diary

Next door to Tunica, stretching north to Memphis, is a place with a rhythm and action all its own. DeSoto County Mississippi is one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation. It doesn't take me long to figure out why.

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DeSoto County Museum

Mississippi Heritage in Hernando

I start out in the oldest town and county seat, Hernando, at the DeSoto County Museum. I'm reminded that the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto first saw the Mississippi River when he arrived in this area in 1541. Another exhibit celebrates a contemporary resident, Mr. "Great Balls of Fire," Jerry Lee Lewis, who lives nearby in Nesbit.

It's Thursday, so there's a free bluegrass concert at the museum tonight. I decide to check out Hernando's historic Town Square and have dinner before I return for pickin' and grinnin'. More charming than I could imagine, the Square is home to the Courthouse where best-selling author John Grisham formerly practiced law.

Aromas draw me to Timbeaux's On the Square, where I savor a sophisticated entrée of Mississippi cracked corn grits with jumbo Gulf shrimp, Tasso ham, sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach in a Creole butter pan jus. I can't wait to tell my friends (self-described food snobs) about Timbeaux's. I do so the next morning, when I call to share another find-Arkabutla Lake.

Championship Mississippi Golf in Olive Branch and Southaven

Next, I turned toward Southaven, a city bustling with families who want a community lifestyle close to a major metropolitan area. There's never a dull moment around here - not with the RiverKings hockey team in town October through March, the nation's largest youth baseball complex, hosting numerous national events all summer, including the Dizzy Dean World Series.

Desperate to remain somewhat within my budget, I am delighted to find 72 holes of championship Mississippi golf, spread among four distinctive, beautiful courses here in Olive Branch and Southaven. Checking them out, I have still another idea. Maybe I'll suggest to my brother-in-law that DeSoto County Mississippi is the perfect place for our entire family to gather for our reunion this year.

Knowing my sister's favorite sport is shopping, I'll tell her about the antique and gift stores along Main Street and Stateline Road in Southaven. In fact, there are boutiques and antiques all over DeSoto County, and nearby Olive Branch certainly has its share.

As peaceful as the name implies, Olive Branch has a magnetism that makes it the fastest-growing city its size in the nation. I visit the Old Towne area, thriving with merchants and businesses, for a glimpse of what the original business district must have been like in the early 1900s. A weekend may not be long enough for my sister's visit because she could spend all of her time at The Shack Antique Mall and the other specialty shops. I find it hard to resist walking inside each just to make sure I don't miss something I'm meant to have.

I'm amazed that the largest importer and grower of fine bonsai in the U.S., Brussel's Bonsai Nursery, is in Olive Branch. European and American bonsai masters gather here for their convention over Memorial Day weekend. With bonsai hand-chosen by owner Brussel Martin, the Bonsai Nursery is fascinating. The staff is extremely friendly and helps me select a Green Mound Juniper to begin my own bonsai growing experience.

Timbeaux's On the Square

Sailing on Arkabutla Lake

One of the best sailing lakes in the nation, the 40,700-acre Arkabutla is alleged to be the second windiest body of water between Chicago and the Gulf Coast. Its frequent regattas attract sailing enthusiasts from all over. And as one of the top five crappie fishing lakes in the country, Arkabutla's perfect for an old pole-fisherman like me. The locals say it's also filled with bass and catfish. With swimming, camping and nature trails all right here, I could spend every weekend at Arkabutla State Park.

A Romantic Retreat in Nesbit

Heading north on I-55, I set out for Horn Lake, where Elvis Presley once owned a ranch, rode horses and even honeymooned with Priscilla at the cottage that is now a flower shop. Stopping by Nesbit (maybe I'll run into Jerry Lee Lewis), I come upon Bonne Terre Country Inn, where romance clearly is as alive as the King's legend. With a quaint chapel and picturesque setting, Bonne Terre (French for "good earth") is a favorite site for weddings. The antique and art-filled Inn has fine dining and spa services that make it perfect for a couple's getaway. I'll mention DeSoto County's relaxing B & Bs to my brother-in-law, who is looking for a special anniversary surprise for my sister.

Hotels

To underscore how rich Mississippi's music tradition is, tiny Nesbit also is where Gus Cannon, a banjo and bluesy jug-band player, is buried. Cannon wrote "Walk Right In," the song that became a No. 1 folk hit in 1963, back in the 1920s. A blues guitarist of the same era, Joe Callicott, is buried in the same area. And Walls, a small town up Hwy. 61 from Tunica, is the final resting place of Memphis Minnie, Lizzie "Kid" Douglas Lawlers. Memphis Minnie, born in 1897 and considered by many to be the best female blues singer ever, was elected to the Hall of Fame in the first W.C. Handy awards in 1980.

Shopping

Desperate to remain somewhat within my budget, I am delighted to find 72 holes of championship golf, spread among four distinctive, beautiful courses here in Olive Branch and Southaven. Checking them out, I have still another idea. Maybe I'll suggest to my brother-in-law that DeSoto County is the perfect place for our entire family to gather for our reunion this year. Something tells me I'll be back soon, one way or another.

The next stop on my road trip is Tunica.

www.desotocountytourism.com/
662-393-8770

Mississippi Delta Tourism Association
P.O. Box 68 - Greenville, Mississippi 38701
Toll Free: 877-DELTA MS