Mississippi 2024 Trip Report (Days 3 and 4)

Written by ceddammit

Day 3:

Unlike the night before, I remembered to take my bedtime pills last night. So, I haven’t had any Parkinson’s-caused walking trouble today. However, because of the damage I did yesterday, I woke up today with an aching hip. Luckily, one of my morning meds is meloxicam, which fights joint pain. Once the meloxicam took charge, there was no more hip problem.

So, I picked up where I left off yesterday, partway through the driving tour. I spent quite a bit of time on this driving tour yet took very few pics. One place I wish I had gotten out of the car and done some serious photographing is the Natchez city cemetery. This place is HUGE, and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen so many different styles of plots / markers / headstones all in one cemetery. If you’re ever in the area (and you’re into that kind of thing), definitely give this cemetery a look. If you’re not into that kind of thing, look at these pictures instead:

No, this was not a government building, it was a mansion…
…and it was just his city mansion; he had one on his plantation, too.
This mansion was named Cherokee – in honor of the Jeep.
This mansion is Stanton Hall.
Wrought iron around Stanton Hall
Detail of Stanton Hall
This place looks pretty good. From the front, anyway.
The side of the house shows some serious DIY scars.
Historic homes in Natchez, Mississippi (photographed January 19, 2024)

Last, but absolutely not least…I went to church! Yesterday, the Longwood tour guide mentioned that the Saint Mary’s Cathedral was a place she highly recommended seeing. She also mentioned that this Cathedral has been designated a basilica, which sealed the deal for me. Catholic Churches always have cool architecture, but the basilicas take it to a whole different level! So, check out what I saw when I got churched up:

You are about to be eaten by a three-eyed monster!
A clock tower? In a steeple? What is this, a church or city hall?
Late afternoon sun shining through the stained glass windows…
…projects the stained glass colors across the room onto the wall.
The Catholic vaulted ceilings rule my architectural world.
I think this spot is called the cockpit.
I can see its organ (tee hee).
East wall of Saint Mary’s Cathedral
West wall of Saint Mary’s Cathedral
Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Natchez, Mississippi (Photographed January 19, 2024)

With a gospel song in my heart and bats in my clocktower, I left Natchez and headed north for another Mississippi River port city: Vicksburg, which has four riverside casinos. I went to Bally and promptly lost yer life savings fer ya.

Day 4:

On the fourth day, I just got some work done, then played video games on my laptop.

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