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Delta Travel Diary

muppet characters, great family vacation ideas, greenville mississippi

Greenville and the mighty Mississippi River.

Early morning and the sun is just beginning to rise behind me as I gaze in silence at the Mississippi River. A barge loaded with coal is slowly passing before me. I'm standing just outside of Greenville and, at the moment, this is the most peaceful place on earth.

True Southern Charm

If ever a city reflected most people's vision of the South, it's Greenville. Cotton, catfish, Blues. I came to Greenville hoping to devour as much of its culture, entertainment and regional cuisine as I could handle. It wasn't hard to do.

The Hwy 61 Blues Museum focuses on the history of the blues in the Delta with displays and photos that honor famous Bluesmen.

Jim Henson and the Muppet Characters

If you're trying to think of great family vacation ideas, Greenville and nearby Leland are the perfect family vacation destination. Leland produced one of the nation's great cultural icons - Kermit the Frog. The exhibit in Leland focuses on the childhood days and adult creations of Jim Henson, Muppet characters-creator extraordinaire.

Greenville Writer's Exhibit

I knew from my reading, that this place has produced some of the country's great writers. So I began at the Greenville Writer's Exhibit, which features the works of 100 published writers who have called the town home, including William Alexander Percy, Clifton Taulbert and Shelby Foote.

Indian Mounds at Winterville

Greenville's history is so rich and so broad that it has created an eclectic mix of attractions. I marveled at the Indian Mounds at Winterville that include a massive six-story-tall temple mound protruding in spectacular fashion from the flat Delta landscape. These 12 mounds constitute one of North America's most significant prehistoric archeological sites.

The nationally-recognized Doe's Eat Place in Greenville is known for its world-famous steaks and hot tamales.

Highway 61 Blues Museum

I was equally inspired by the exhibits at the famous Highway 61 Blues Museum, where I got to know the famous Bluesmen who originated from the area. Later on, I really began to explore and discovered several historic plantations and antebellum homes. The Belmont Plantation, for instance, was one of the few homes in the Mississippi Delta to escape the torch of Union soldiers during the Civil War. The magnificent Mount Holly Plantation was once owned by the family of Shelby Foote, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War historian. And the 20-room Linden Plantation is now a bed-and-breakfast inn. This is where I decided to spend the night.

Restaurants and Nightlife

But before I retired for the evening, I made a point of stopping at nationally recognized Doe's Eat Place for one of their world-famous steaks and hot tamales. Then I was off to try my luck at one of the riverfront casinos. The nightcap came at the Walnut Street Blues Bar, where I enjoyed the pure taste of live Blues played by the men who know it best. What a night!

So long Old Man River. I'm heading east. Next stop: Indianola, Mississippi.

www.visitgreenville.org
800-467-3582

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