mbj_comeseeus_2013

SUMMER VACATION EDITION

‘Come See Us’ tourism, meetings & conventions in Mississippi

Spring 2013

OUR FAVORITE COURSES » Inside look at golf in Mississippi and the MBJ awards for best in class Why do

big city

transplants love living in Mississippi

MORE ONLINE » View the digital edition of this magazine to gain access to more photos. Scan box or go to msbusiness.com/digital-editions

Hungry?

We have state’s best desserts

We Are Pearl River Resort Vegas with Sweet Tea!

Look no further than Pearl River Resort, for the ultimate Mississippi casino resort experience.

With over 2,700 slots, 75 table games, two award-winning golf courses, a relaxing spa and excellent dining options, we have everything you need for the perfect getaway.

Visit Pearl River Resort and experience the thrill of big city gaming with a true Southern charm.

Call us today at 1.866.447.3275 for more information on our bus programs.

Follow us!

Pearl River Resort • Choctaw, MS • 1.866.44PEARL (1.866.447.3275) • www.pearlriverresort.com • A development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

» CONTRIBUTORS » LISA MONTI: Lisa Monti is a freelance writer/

photographer/blogger in Bay St. Louis. A USM grad, she has hosted a radio show and co-written a travel book about Mississippi. Most recently, her work for Success Magazine was recognized in min’s Editorial and Design Awards for “excellence in content and design among consumer and b-to-b media brands.” » LYNN LOFTON: A freelance writer living in Gulfport, Lynn Lofton is an honor graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi where she wrote for the Student Printz and was editor of the Communication Journal. She has 40 years of writing and public relations experience.

True Venue We know it’s true. You want a change from the predictable—a unique place to stage meetings and events. Mississippi offers excellent options:

» BECKY GILLETTE: A free-lance writer\photographer whose work has been published in about 50 magazines and newspapers nationwide, Becky Gillette’s articles have appeared in Ladies Home Journal, Organic Gardening, Utne Reader, E, The Environmental Magazine, Builder, BioScience, In Business, Mississippi Business Journal and Furrow. She received the 2008 Special Achievement Award from Sierra Club for work done to expose formaldehyde poisoning in FEMA trailers and other buildings. She was named Mississippi 2008 Small Business Journalist of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

resorts on the beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, quaint town squares for a quiet place to reconnect the team, exciting entertainment to add to the meeting’s offerings, places to discover our authentic Southern culture.

Now, that’s motivation for

» DERYLL STEGALL: After a nearly 20-year career with one company where he did seemingly everything except photography, Jackson native Deryll took the risk and opened Stegall Imagery.

Today, the Ridgeland studio is booming.

you to Find Your True South in Mississippi.

» MELINDA DUFFIE: A personal trainer in the Jackson area, Melinda Duffie has been writing about the fitness industry for many years, including in multiple publications across Mississippi.

» TYLER RAYBURN: A musician, craftsman and photographer, Tyler Rayburn also builds guitars and practices the culinary arts at his studio near Water Valley. He has traveled extensively and recorded with numerous Southern road bands. » MIKE CHRISTENSEN: Mike Christensen is a 32-year newspaper veteran who has covered professional baseball and other sports in Jackson since 1984. He is a copy editor/writer for AgFax Media, a free-lance writer and maintains a blog (allmississippibaseball.blogspot.com). Mike is a Georgia native and a graduate of Augusta College, the University of Georgia and the University of Southern Mississippi.

MBJ STAFF ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com

CLAY CHANDLER Staff Writer clay.chandler@msbusiness.com

VIRGINIA HODGES Account Executive virginia.hodges@msbusiness.com

ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com

STEPHEN McDILL Staff Writer stephen.mcdill@msbusiness.com

TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com

FRANK BROWN Staff Writer/Special Projects frank.brown@msbusiness.com

TAMI JONES Advertising Director tami.jones@msbusiness.com

WALLY NORTHWAY Senior Writer wally.northway@msbusiness.com

MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Account Executive melissa.harrison@ msbusiness.com

TED CARTER Staff Writer ted.carter@msbusiness.com

ASHLEY VARNES Account Executive ashley.varnes@msbusiness.com

‘COME SEE US’

CHARINA RHODES Administrative Assistant charina.rhodes@ msbusiness.com MARCIA THOMPSON-KELLY Business Assistant marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com

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EDITION SUMMER VACATION

CONTENTS

e See Us’ ‘Com , meetings & conventions tourism

in Mississippi

Spring 2013

OUR FAVORITE COURSES

Âť Inside look at golf in Mississippi and the MBJ awards for best in class

big city

transplants love living in Mississippi

MORE ONLINE

Is there really something different about Mississippi that convinces transplants from bigger cities that this is exactly where they want to live. We ask a few why they love Mississippi.

LET’S TRAVEL 9

Why do

Âť View the digital edition of this magazine to gain access to more photos. Scan box or go to msbusiness.com/digital-editions

6 Welcome, y’all

10 Destinations

Hungry?

We have state’s best desserts

Summer vacation season is almost here, and Mississippi has plenty to offer all across the state. We take a look at five areas that might make good vacation destinations.

ÂťThe cover Mississippians love their golf, and “Come See Usâ€? takes a look at seven of the best places in the Magnolia State to play a round.

LET’S MEET 32 Conventions

Conventions occur all over the state, but we take a look at four popular areas and give you ideas on what to do before, during and after the convention.

36 Weddings It wouldn’t be spring and summer in Mississippi without taking time to travel to a wedding. Look inside for a peek at some of the more popular wedding spots.

21 It’s different Whether it’s a restaurant with a coffee pot on top or a ghost town, there are plenty of unusual ways to spend your vacation in Mississippi.

Cover shot courtesy of Fallen Oak Golf Club in Biloxi. More on Fallen Oak on Page 53.

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CONCERTS, SPORTING EVENTS, TRADE SHOWS, BANQUETS, WEDDINGS

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â&#x20AC;&#x2122;COME SEE USâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

CONTENTS Fashion: Swimsuits 40 60 Swimsuit season is here, and one thing is important in

LET’S PLAY

making this year’s choice — color is key.

42 7 Best golf courses Mississippi pro golfer Randy Watkins tells us his choices for seven state courses you need to play.

54 Braves

LET’S EAT

63

64 Seafood

The Braves are a great bargain for family entertainment, and their season opens April 4.

Looking for some top-notch seafood on the Gulf Coast? We’ve got a few suggestions.

56 Music

70 Lunch

Mississippi has a rich musical history, and now big acts are discovering the state’s many venues

Next time someone suggests “Let’s Do Lunch,” check our five suggestions from across the state.

59 Neshoba County Fair

75 Desserts

It comes around every year, but most people don’t realize how much preparation goes into the fair.

You may gain weight just looking at the pictures of these five desserts.

REFRESH. REVAMP. RELAUNCH. P.O. Box 1100 | Raymond, Mississippi 39154 | Phone: 601.857.7100

eagleridgems.com

‘COME SEE US’ – Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

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COME SEE US

Welcome

Renada Skannal, 26, grew up in California, but has moved to Mississippi twice.

Stephen McDill / Mississippi Business Journal

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’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

to Mississippi,

Y’all ...

Big city transplants find jobs, welcoming attitude

By Lynn Lofton

I

S THERE REALLY something different about the South and Mississippi in particular? As the country becomes more homogenized, is the Magnolia State retaining its slower, more genteel pace? We pride ourselves on being warm and friendly. Often transplants from big cities and other parts of the country tell us that’s exactly what they like about living here.

Navin Barot, M.D., moved to Gulfport from Chicago two years ago for a job opportunity with Memorial Hospital. “Southern hospitality is real,” he said.

“Mississippi is a warm place temperature wise and the people have warm hearts.”

A native of India, he lived in Pennsylvania 10 years and Chicago 15 years. His initial reaction to the Gulfport hospital recruiter was negative about moving to Mississippi. But, the opportunity with Memorial convinced him to change his mind. “Mississippi is much better than what people outside the state think,” he said.

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

“People are much nicer in terms of their human interaction and acceptance. It’s beautiful here and there’s no snow.”

Barot is a gastroenterologist and is single.

Southern food is much more to his liking than food he’s had in other parts of the country. The spiciness reminds him of Indian food.

Biloxi resident Lori Beth Susman moved to Mississippi in 1994 from Laughlin, Nev., and is a native of Las Vegas. She moved here for a job opportunity after the legalization of gaming. An employee of M2 Media, she is the editor of Jackpot! and Mississippi Gaming News.

“I did find Mississippi friendly and laid back.

I met people who were warm and welcoming and others who were not so welcoming, especially if they were against gaming,” she said.

Susman experienced culture shock in the differences between Nevada and Mississippi. An example is not being able to buy anything at any time as she was accustomed to doing in Las Vegas.

See MISSISSIPPI, Page 8

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COME SEE US Mississippi

Continued from Page 7

Susman was also surprised when a visit to a bank soon after moving here brought up a question about her Jewish faith. A bank teller asked if her Star of David diamond necklace was a zodiac sign. “I explained that it’s a religious symbol and she said she’d never met someone of the Jewish faith,” Susman said. “I told her she probably had but didn’t know it.”

Karin Hagstrom moved to Hattiesburg from New York City five years ago at the encouragement of her parents who relocated to the Hub City from California to be involved in the polymer science arena at the University of Southern Mississippi.

“I started Posha Beauty, a healthy line of skin care products, with a lot of support from the university,” Hagstrom said.

“I pursued my passion in the beauty industry in L.A. and New York, but the business is coming along great here.”

Hagstrom likes the people of Hattiesburg and their rich personalities, and she too feels Mississippi often gets a bad rap.

“People are so enriching; it makes up for the lack of entertainment,” she said. “People ask how you’re doing and are not too busy to reach out to you.”

Twenty-six-year-old Renada Skannal grew up in California and lived in Sacramento, Fresno and Oakland and has moved to Mississippi twice. She first moved here in 2004 for a job opportunity.

“I enjoyed it. It was refreshing to be around the kind of people you find in Mississippi,” she said. “They’re more genuine; they’re friendly and wave to you.

Everyone you meet doesn’t have a chip on their shoulder.”

Skannal, who works in customer service for Shelter Insurance in Byram, returned to California because her family needed her there. However, she came back to Mississippi and lives in Jackson where she hopes to buy her first home. “I feel safer here, and I can work and reap the rewards from my labor,” she said. “I passed the test to be a licensed property and casualty producer. I’m attending Hinds Community College and hope to go to a four-year university.”

As a scholar and the director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, Ted M. Ownby has a difficult time with the idea that people in the South are especially

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Karin Hagstrom / For the Mississippi Business Journal

Karin Hagstrom, owner of Posha Beauty, a healthy line of skin care products, went from New York to Hattiesburg five years ago, and feels Mississippi often gets a bad rap. “People are so enriching; it makes up for the lack of entertainment,” she said. “People ask how you’re doing and are not too busy to reach out to you.” friendly because he doesn’t see how friendliness can be measured or compared. “I suspect that if people move to the South hoping to find friendliness, a lot of them are likely to find it,” he said, “but I suspect it is more common for transplants to be looking for life smaller in scale, more face-to-face, or things with a slower pace.”

Regarding culture shock, Ownby says some transplants are put off by things such as residences with signs that say “This house protected by Smith & Wesson” and are not always positive when asked which church they attend. “While some transplants are happy to see clear signs of being welcomed, others feel like

parts of Southern culture can be cliquish and hard to get to know,” he added.

The Oxford resident assumes the popular reasons for moving to Mississippi include getting a specific job, being close to family members or finding something specific such as climate or a type of music or affordability. “In Oxford, a lot of people move to take university jobs or to be close to what a university offers,” he said. “I assume that people who come looking for those things can find them although they find some surprises as well. And of course what I hope is that welcoming people doesn’t just mean inviting people to fit in – instead it should mean listening to newcomers and learning what they can contribute.”

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

s ’ t Le l e v a r T In this section Five destination areas: » Jackson » Gulf Coast » Vicksburg » Natchez » Tupelo Something different: » Giant coffee pot » Landrum’s » Ghost town of Rodney » State archives » A couple of zoos » Masters on exhibit Advice » Traveling with social media » Don’t forget that workout

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, and lives on in a statue in front of City Hall.

Courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

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LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS

THE GULF COAST

Courtesy of Libby Graves / National Park Service

Pelicans and other bird life are part of the attraction on Ship Island, about 12 miles off the Mississippi Coast.

Nature and man-made make Gulf Coast a great visit

By Becky Gillette

T

HE MISSISSIPPI Gulf Coast is one of the most diverse areas of the state, chock full of tourism attractions ranging from numerous casinos with top notch entertainment to the popular Biloxi Shrimping Tour, the Biloxi Schooner sailboat cruises, charter fishing trips, the Ohr-O’Keefe Art Museum and the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center children’s museum in Gulfport.

Just buying fresh shrimp direct off the boat at one of the harbors is a treat, but the Biloxi Shrimping Tour allows visitors to see the many other types of sea life found in the nutrient rich waters of the Mississippi Sound. Colorful guides entertain as well as educate people about the rich marine life diversity of the Coast.

And with miles and miles of bayous and beaches, there is no shortage of water-related activities. Want to paraglide? How about taking a turn on a jet ski? Another possibility is seeing the wildlife and plants of the Pascagoula River, the largest un-

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Want more? » McCoys River & Marsh Tours, http://mccoyrivertours.com, 228-219-4583. » Gulf Islands National Seashore Mississippi District, (228) 875-9057, www.nps.gov/guis/miss.htm. » Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, 386 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, (228) 374-5547.

Special Events: » Garden Club Pilgrimage: www.gulfcoast.org/visitors/events/index.cfm?EventID=3028

» Gulfport Music Festival: www.gulfportmusicfestival.com. » Bay Bridgefest: www.gulfcoast.org/visitors/events/index.cfm?EventID=1678

» Blessing of the Fleet & Fais Do-Do: www.gulfcoast.org/visitors/events/index.cfm?EventID=96

» Biloxi Seafood Festival: www.biloxi.org/Events/Biloxi_Seafood_Festival.html.

» Cruisin’ the Coast: www.cruisinthecoast.com. dammed river in North America, by taking a trip on one of the most pristine river swamps in the U.S. with

McCoy’s River & Marsh tours.

A highlight of visiting the Coast is getting on the Ship Island Ferry and taking a trip across the Mississippi Sound to beautiful, clean Ship Island.

“Just the trip out to Ship Island is really nice,” said Susan Blair, chief of interpretation, Gulf Island National Seashore. “People really enjoy seeing the bottlenose dolphins, the pelicans and all the other bird life that are part of the joy of going to an island 12 miles off the coast. It is a great place to get away from the mainland, and enjoy the beaches and beautiful, clear Gulf waters. You can rent beach chair umbrellas, kickback and enjoy the day walking, beach combing and swimming. Those who are history buffs will appreciate a tour of Fort Massachusetts and learn a bit about the island’s history.”

A lot of good things have been happening on the island, said Ship Island Ferry Capt. Louis Skrmetta.

“The beaches are really looking great this year,” Skrmetta said. “The Mississippi barrier islands are constantly shifting and this year the Gulf beach has built back from the last season. We

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS have a lot of shelling and birding activity, especially in the spring. A lot of shells wash in over the winter, and spring birds come in. Ship Island is a wonderful family experience. It is a great way for families to bond. The island is a very clean environment with clear, clean water and air.”

There are two childproof and kidfriendly ferryboats more than 100-feet long with climate control seating available. Visitors can bring their own food and drinks, or they are available for purchase onboard or at the island.

The Davis Bayou headquarters of GINS in Mississippi include a Visitor’s Center, walking paths with great views of the bayou, interpreter programs such as learning how to identify birds, and bayou marsh boat tours. This year a Davis Bayou Blueway has been created to encourage people to kayak or canoe on Davis Bayou.

“We want to get people out and enjoying nature so we have been using this new initiative called ‘Let’s Move Outside’ to get people outside exercising and enjoying different recreational activities in the park to stay healthy,” Blair said.

Speaking of healthy, there are boardwalks along the beach that are very popular with tourist and visitors alike for biking, jogging and walking, and the new high-rise Highway 90 bridges between Biloxi and Ocean Springs and between Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis also are popular as a safe and scenic place for exercise.

For families with children, don’t miss The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport. Have fun exploring a tree house village or playing cashier ringing up sales at a grocery store for kids. There are more than 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space housed in a 1915 schoolhouse with features like a science room that encourages hands-on fun with features such as a tornado tunnel and colorful kaleidoscope.

“Families can spend a full day exploring interactive exhibit areas aimed to educate about the unique qualities that define South Mississippi,” said Sonja Gillis, director of marketing and public relations at Lynn Meadows. “A day spent on its grounds and in its exhibits will leave each visitor with a greater understanding of both our common history and the singular past that makes the Gulf Coast of Mississippi a rarity in the United States.

Courtesy of Marsh Boat Tour

Horn Island is one of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s barrier islands.

After exploring the museum’s exhibits, explore your creative side with a cooking class in our Viking kitchen or hands-on art facilitated by our staff artist. If you’ve always wanted to star on Broadway, try your hand at a monologue in the spotlight at our WINGS Performing Arts & Educa-

tion building.”

Another attraction not to miss is the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum on the beach in Biloxi. The futuristic buildings of the museum are an apt tribute to George E. Ohr, known as the Mad Potter of Biloxi.

In addition to Ohr’s unique style of pottery, the museum hosts traveling exhibits by well-known artists. The buildings on the campus itself, designed by famed architect Frank Geary, are an awesome tourist attraction.

There are great Gulf Coast casinos including the Beau Rivage Casino & Resort, one of the largest and most upscale hotels in the region, the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel, and Island View in Gulfport. To get discount coupons at the casinos and tourist attractions on the coast, visit the website for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Contention & Visitors Bureau, www.gulfcoast.org.

Government Street in Ocean Springs has a lively night entertainment scene, and that area is also well stocked with unique shops. On the other side of the Coast, Bay St. Louis also has a great historic shopping district. There are two major malls on the Coast, Edgewater Mall in Biloxi and Singing River Mall in Pascagoula. And discount shoppers will enjoy a stop at the Gulfport Premium Outlets at the intersection of Highway 49 and Interstate 10.

Courtesy of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Casino gaming is a popular attration on the Gulf Coast.

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

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LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS

JACKSON

Courtesy of Mississippi Children's Museum

The Mississippi Children’s Museum has five themed galleries focusing on health, literacy, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), cultural arts and Mississippi heritage.

There’s plenty to do in the Capital City for all ages

By Becky Gillette

J

ACKSON DEFINES THE “bright lights” of the big city by virtue of being not only the largest city in Mississippi by far, but a center for government, history and culture. Highlights of a visit can include touring the impressive Mississippi State Capitol and taking in a variety of museums and historical attractions.

“The ‘City with Soul’ is steeped in literary history,” said Marika Tackett, manager of communications and public relations, Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Pulitzer Prize winning author and Jackson native Eudora Welty worked in and wrote about her beloved Jackson all her life. Enjoy a tour of her garden and home, one of the most intact literary house museums in the world.”

Tackett also recommends a tour of actual locales in Kathryn Stockett’s The New York Times best-selling novel “The Help,” a major motion picture filmed in Jackson. Music lovers will enjoy exploring Jackson’s Blues Trail with 11 descriptive markers, and history buffs can visit Civil Rights movement

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Want more? » Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau, 111 East Capitol St., 601-960-1981, www.visitjackson.com. » Mississippi Museum of Art, 380 S. Lamar St., 601-965-9900, www.msmuseumart.org/ » Mississippi Children's Museum, 2145 Highland Drive, 601-981-5469, www.mississippichildrensmuseum.com. » Jackson Zoo, 2918 W. Capitol St., 601-3522580, www.jacksonzoo.org. » Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, 2148 Riverside Drive, 601-354-7303, www.mdwfp.com/museum. » Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive, 601-432-4500, www.mdac.state.ms.us/departments/museum. sites in the city by following the four driving tours on the Mississippi Freedom Trail.

Jackson isn’t just about places, but the people who make it special. Jackson is home to a multitude of world-class painters, sculptors, dancers, actors, architects, photographers, filmmakers,

musicians, and other artisans.

“Shoppers and collectors find their work in galleries and charming shops and on a variety of city stages,” Tackett said. “And speaking of the ‘City with Soul’… don’t forget fine, home-grown gospel, blues, jazz and rock ’n’ roll found all around the town. Live music and year-round festivals enliven your senses and recharge your soul.”

Downtown Jackson is a great place to stay at either one of the new or historic hotels. If you get hungry walking around, there is no shortage of great places to eat “Southern fusion,” fresh Gulf seafood, barbeque and soul food.

A visit downtown wouldn’t be complete without stopping at the largest art museum in the state, the Mississippi Museum of Art. Home to a permanent collection of more than 5,000 works of art, MMA also hosts traveling exhibits such as the 2013 spring/summer exhibition, Old Masters to Monet: Three Centuries of French Painting from the Wadsworth Atheneum.

A favorite spot for visitors and residents alike is the museum’s Art Garden at the MMA, a 1.2-acre public

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS green space.

“The Art Garden breaks down barriers between the neighboring arts organizations and serves as the nexus of a cultural district that empowers creativity, expression, and synergy in the arts community,” said Julian Rankin, MMA public relations coordinator. “The Art Garden features a welcoming lawn, seasonal foliage, native garden beds, permanent art installations, soothing fountains, and outdoor terrace dining. This versatile, open, outdoor space is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.”

For families, be sure not to miss a visit to the new Mississippi Children’s Museum that opened in early 2011.

“Children learn through play and discovery while visiting and often times don’t realize just how much they have learned,” said Elaina Jackson, MCM director of development and marketing. “MCM is a 40,000-square-foot facility with five themed galleries focusing on health, literacy, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), cultural arts and Mississippi heritage.”

Families are encouraged to interact with the exhibits together. Everything is hands-on and engaging. Museum educators provide innovative programs that extend the learning and provide new ways to have fun.

“MCM exhibits and programs combine Mississippi content with an understanding of how children learn best while addressing the specific needs of our children,” Jackson said.

In its first two years, MCM has had more than 550,000 visitors.

Another treat for families is a visit to the Jackson Zoo with its 120 species and 776 animals, including many endangered species. New baby animals are born frequently. A new Sumatran tiger habitat was completed in 2010. (See more on the zoo on Page 26) Another long-time Jackson favorite for combining learning with fun is the Russell C. Davis Planetarium, a hemispheric theater whose Sky Shows programs have been entertaining and inspiring visitors for more than 25 years.

Just as the planetarium makes astronomy fun, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science highlights the wonder of the natural environment in a way that is kid friendly. In addition to aquariums that showcase the diversity of Mississippi aquatic life, there are interactive exhibits such as the Rainforest Adventure where

Courtesy of Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau

The revitalized Fondren neighborhood has become a popular, trendy area of Jackson, full of shops and boutiques.

Courtesy of Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum

The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum recreates a 1920s-ear Mississippi town, offering dozens of attractions as well as meeting facilities. visitors are introduced to scientists and the ways they study rainforests. Children role-play as research assistants on a series of problem-solving adventures. Kids can climb a nine-foot kapok tree, explore a gorilla nest, build a model insect, identify endangered species and become a research assistant through assignments, costumes and props.

The MMNS has an outdoor native plant garden and trails, and is located within another major Capitol City attraction, LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, a 305-acre park that provides camping, fishing, picnic spots, nature trails, a golf course and a

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

driving range. The City of Jackson was originally named LeFleur’s Bluff after the French-Canadian explorer Louis LeFleur who established a trading post on the banks of the Pearl River in the late 1700s.

And if you want to envision a bygone era, walk the grounds of the re-created 1920s-era Small Town Mississippi at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum on Lakeland Drive.

There are dozens of attractions on the museum grounds including everything from a 150-year-old farmstead to a general store, schoolhouse, cabin and veterinary office.

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LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS

NATCHEZ

S.B. Durkin / For The Mississippi Business Journal

Mansions like Dunleith are big attractions for the Natchez Pilgrimages.

Step back into another era of the antebellum South

By Becky Gillette

V

ISITORS TO NATCHEZ can come expecting to spend some time in the Old South, perhaps touring an historic home, or listening to a guide dressed in a hoop skirt tell stories of the past in Natchez.

“So many people say they just can’t believe they have never been here before,” said Connie Taunton, executive director, Natchez Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It kind of has the flavor of a little New Orleans with rich antebellum charm. There are walking trails along the river and Under the Hill, and going down St. Catherine’s Street takes in several different communities. Our trails along the bluff are absolutely beautiful. There is nothing like a sunset on the river in Natchez on the bluff of Under the Hill.”

Many visitors to Natchez choose to stay in one of the historic bed and breakfast properties. The city has nearly 200 B&B rooms ranging from extremely elegant rooms that come with a five-course meal at the home to something more quaint and casual.

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Want more? » Natchez National Historical Park, Melrose/Montebello Parkway and 210 State Street, 601-442-7049, www.nps.gov/natc. » Natchez Trace, www.scenictrace.com. » Natchez Pilgrimage, 401 High St, 601-4466631, www.natchezpilgrimage.com.

There is also a good selection of modern hotel properties in Natchez.

Special events such as the Spring Pilgrimage and the Fall Pilgrimage, Blues Fest and the spectacular Mississippi River Balloon race the third week in October are particularly good times to visit. The Spring Pilgrimage features a profusion of spring flowers, and tours of homes and other historic buildings led by docents dressed in costumes.

“We have other events in the evening time such as Southern Exposure, a comedy\satire of the Natchez Pilgrimage,” Taunton said. “Some actors portray homeowners and some tourists. It is really funny. Then we have a sterling tribute to the African

American experience by the awardwinning Holy Family Church Choir that is held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Holy Family Church. Of course, you don’t want to forget about Historic Natchez Tableaux going on for years where young and old alike are dressed in costume for this event that tells the history of Natchez in song and dance.”

This is also the 75th anniversary of the inaugural of the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic National Park Service road that follows a Native American trail believed to have been in use for 2,000 years. There will be a march along the parkway from Natchez to Nashville, Tenn. by people re-enacting Expedition Natchez 1813 on April 12-21.

The Natchez National Historical Park includes the Greek Revival mansion Melrose, the antebellum estate of John McMurran, a lawyer and state senator who was a planter in Natchez from 1830 until the Civil War. It also includes the downtown home of a free African-American barber and diarist William Johnson. Also included in the park, although not open to the public,

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS

S.B. Durkin / For The Mississippi Business Journal

As part of the 75th anniversary of the Natchez Trace, there will be an Expedition Natchez 1813 re-enactment march April 12-21 from Natchez to Nashville. is Fort Rosalie, the site of a fortification from the 18th Century, built by the French, and later controlled by England, Spain, and then the U.S. Walter Tipton, general manager of the Natchez Convention Center, said many of the regular annual events in Natchez this year will be enhanced as a result of this being the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. There are several great events themed around the anniversary this year.

Most of the programs are free to the public or very low cost.

Tipton encourages visitors at any time of the year not to miss tours of the antebellum homes because the architecture and history of each house are fabulous. In addition to those antebellum homes, there is a photo gallery behind the Presbyterian Church called “Natchez in Historic Photographs”.

“It is unique,” Tipton said. “That is where I take VIPs who are in town.”

Other highlights he recommends are having a meal on the riverfront at the Magnolia Grill restaurant, restaurants at the Isle of Capri Casino or the new Magnolia Plus Casino, or other options.

“Just being on the Bluffs with the new trails project that we have is something I like for people to experience,” Tipton said.

“Then, of course, there is nightlife around here at the Under the Hill Saloon and other local venues like the Corner Bar. There is nightlife to be found.”

He also highly recommends a stop at the Natchez Welcome Center, which has

S.B. Durkin / For The Mississippi Business Journal

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily and admission is free. There is a museum on the property with artifacts and other information on the tribe that was the original inhabitants of the area. displays from the National Park Service.

That is a stop to see in and of itself. Then consider a visit to the Grand Village of Natchez Indians, the main ceremonial center of the Natchez Indians between 1682 and 1729.

Another historical attraction in the area is the historic Jefferson College, the second-oldest military school in the nation after the U.S Military Academy at West Point, which has its own Welcome Center. The school that began in 1802 was also the first institution of higher learning in Mississippi. Several buildings are open to the public.

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For families with children, or people who want plenty of room for walking, jogging or bicycling, there is a 150-acre historic park called Duncan Park in the middle of town. The owner of an antebellum home called Auburn donated the land for the city park.

“It is a big park, so if you have a 4-yearold who needs to run around and burn up some energy, they have some great places to swing and climb,” Tipton said.

For a visitor’s guide or to get discount coupons for lodging, meals and entertainment, visit the CBV website at www.visitnatchez.org or by calling 800-647-6724.

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LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS

TUPELO

Courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau

About 50,000 people visit the birthplace of Elvis Presley every year.

Elvis is King, but there are more reasons to visit

By Becky Gillette

W

HILE A VISIT to Tupelo wouldn’t be complete without visiting the many attractions associated with being the birthplace of Elvis Presley, there are plenty of other reasons to spend time exploring the city that is the economic and cultural powerhouse for the Northeast part of Mississippi.

Neal McCoy, executive director, Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Tupelo truly has something for everyone, from weekend family getaways to the Buffalo Park & Zoo and the HealthWorks! Interactive kid’s museum, to some adult weekend fun experiencing the birthplace of the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll” and hearing live music at one of the many live music venues all around town.

Any time is a good time to visit, but Tupelo particularly draws a lot of visitors for special events like the Gumtree Arts Festival, the Blue Suede Cruise car show, the Elvis Presley Festival, and the award-winning Tupelo Film Festival.

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Want more? » Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau, 662841-6521 or 800-533-0611, www.tupelo.net. » Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum, 306 Elvis Presley Dr., 662-841-1245, www.elvispresleybirthplace.com. » Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo, 2272 Coley Rd, 662-844-8709, www.tupelobuffalopark.com. » Tupelo Automobile Museum, 1 Otis Blvd, 662-842-4242, www.tupeloautomuseum.com. » Tupelo Historic Tours, Mobile: 1-662-8711348 or 800-572-6084, www.tupelohistorictours.com.

“We also have some new festivals like our Third Annual Don’t be Cruel Bar B Q Duel that was featured on the hit TV show ‘BBQ Pitmasters’ and our two new festivals this year, the Tupelo Craft Beer Festival and the Art Rocks Tupelo weekend featuring an arts filled weekend with theater, classic concerts, ballet, and visual arts,” McCoy said.

“We consistently hear that our visitors find Tupelo to be authentic, clean, and most of all, the people are hospitable.

Tupelo has a great Americana feel to it with a convenient, walkable downtown, but also features top retail chains at the Mall at Barnes Crossing.”

McCoy has trouble when asking to pick a favorite attraction in Tupelo. It is like asking him which of his children is his favorite. “It’s impossible because they each have a unique appeal and anyone can find something interesting here in Tupelo,” he said. “Don’t believe me. Come see for yourself.”

The most visited attraction in Tupelo is the Elvis Presley Birthplace and with its new expansion, it is a mustsee for anyone that is passing through or staying for a while. Some new Elvis attractions have been added in the past year including a larger-than-life statue of Elvis in the Fairpark District, where Elvis played homecoming concerts in 1956 and 1957.

Proceeds from that first concert went to open his birthplace to the public, and a create park for neighborhood kids, said Stephanie Coomer, deputy director, Tupelo CVB. “The new statue has been very popular,” Coomer said. “It is based on the

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LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS famous photo by Robert Marshutz shot at the Tupelo Fair in 1956. Fans lovingly call it ‘The Hands’ because you see all these hands reaching back up toward from him from the crowd. We had a local Mississippi artist, Bill Beckwith, do the sculpture. It is facing east towards his birthplace. Over his right shoulder you can see Tupelo City Hall, and the hardware store where his mother, Gladys, bought his first guitar. The base of the statue has commemorative bricks bought by fans from all over the world to pay for the statue. This was a joint effort of the CVB and the Elvis Presley Fan Club.”

About 50,000 people per year come through the Elvis Presley Birthplace, with many of those people having come from a visit to Elvis attractions in Memphis.

“We see a growing trend that the people who are visiting Graceland are also going to Tupelo, understanding how close it is to Memphis,” Coomer said. “It gives them a unique perspective to see the birthplace and how tiny the small tworoom house he was born in is. When you see that, you can appreciate Graceland for the true mansion it was in Elvis’ eyes.”

Elvis, considered one of the best known names in the world, lived in Tupelo for 13 years. Coomer said it was in Tupelo that he was first exposed to gospel music, blues and country music that he eventually combined into his own unique style of music.

New Elvis attractions include a 20minute film shown at the Elvis Birthplace 135-seat theater.

Other popular attractions include the Tupelo Auto Museum. Coomer said a lot of people come to Tupelo just to see the 120,000-square-foot exhibit that has an automobile representing each decade, and an audio box that tells the history of each car. The exhibits include cars tied to Elvis, including ones he bought and gave away — something he was famous for.

The auto museum also includes a collection of 33 Elvis movie posters.

“People like to go there and get their picture made in front of the movie posters,” Coomer said.

The $6 million collection includes a Lincoln previously owned by Elvis Presley, other movie and celebrity vehicles, Hispano Suizas, a Duesenberg and many more rare brands and American favorites.

“It has Liberace cars, one of the cars used in the movie Amazing Race, and some other really fun, wonderful cars that

Courtesy of Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau

The Tupelo Auto Museum dedicates 120,000 square feet to vehicles representing every decade. It also includes cars that have connections to Elvis Presley.

are really indicative of our pop culture,” Coomer said.

Another fun place to hang out is the Tupelo Buffalo Park, which is particularly popular during the warmer months.

In addition to a Monster Bison Bus tour to see the buffalo up close, visitors are often also greeted by a camel, giraffes and zebras. There is a petting zoo at the park, and camping at the Chickasaw Indian Village.

Also popular are the Tupelo Historic Tours, guided walking tours that provide education and recreation. And if you like

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things that are spooky, The Ghosts of Tupelo’s Past tour starts in downtown Tupelo at the old Lee County Courthouse.

All guides are dressed in period costumes including Southern Belle hoop skirts and Civil War Confederate uniforms.

The Battle of Tupelo — the last major engagement of the Civil War in Mississippi — is commemorated at the National Park Service Tupelo National Battlefield on Tupelo's West Main Street. The 1864 battle was among the bloodiest in the state. The site includes a cannon, a marker with text and maps outlining the engagement.

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LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS

VICKSBURG

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau

Cannons along the bluffs in Vicksburg are a reminder of its Civil War heritage, a history that will be celebrated this year as the city marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Vicksburg.

Historic Vicksburg marks 150th anniversary of battle

By Becky Gillette

T

HIS IS DEFINITELY a great year to visit historic Vicksburg on the Mississippi River.

“We have a large number of events planned for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Sesquicentennial, with events commemorating the Siege of Vicksburg starting in April with the Heritage Fair and continuing until the anniversary of the Vicksburg surrender on July 4,” said Laura Beth Strickland, Vicksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau marketing and special events manager.

“Vicksburg is a great place to bring your family to learn a little piece of American history, enjoy educational museums and check out the wonders of the mighty Mississippi River.”

The National Park Service has chosen Vicksburg to host a Sesquicentennial Signature Event scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, which will include free concerts by the U.S. Navy Band, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and the Jackson Mass Choir Band, as well as living history presen-

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Want more? » Vicksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, 3300 Clay St., 601-636-9421, www.visitvicksburg.com. » Vicksburg National Military Park, 3201 Clay St., 601-636-0583, www.nps.gov/vick. » Lower Mississippi River Museum, 910 Washington St., (601) 638-9900, www.lmrm.org.

» Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, 1107 South Washington, 601-638-6514, www.biedenharncoca-colamuseum.com. » Southern Cultural Heritage Center, 1302 Adams St., 601-631-2997, www.southernculture.org. tations, the re-dedication of the Iowa monument, and the Shadows of the Past cemetery tour.”

Michael Madell, superintendent, Vicksburg National Military Park/Vicksburg National Cemetery, said the 150th anniversary of the Civil War in general, as well as the Vicksburg campaign, mean the National Park Service is offering a lot of special programming, including more living history programming.

“We are also trying to do some special things that we hope will attract a broader audience in the park,” Madell said. “We will continue to remember and tell the stories of the soldiers and troop movements, which is central to the story of the military park, but we are trying to do other programming including telling what life was like for regular citizens who just happened to be trapped here when the military was here.”

Also of note is the role of African Americans in the war. It was actually in the Vicksburg campaign where the Union Army used black troops for the first time. Madell said that success convinced President Lincoln that black soldiers could be effective in battle.

There will be a major focus on the Mississippi River this year. “That is what made Vicksburg so important, a natural feature that made it so impenetrable,” he said.

Vicksburg also has a number of other museums and family-friendly attractions. Be sure to visit the Children’s Art Park, view the Riverfront Murals, and make time for the Old Depot Mu-

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LET’S TRAVEL: FIVE DESTINATION AREAS seum and Lower Mississippi River Museum. The river museum has an outdoorscaled model of a section of the Mississippi River, which is the thirdlargest watershed in the world. This interactive flood model allows visitors to see how different factors can change a river by allowing visitors to alter the river’s course and control the water flow by opening and closing dams and other river features.

Downtown attractions well worth the time include the Yesterday’s Children Antique Doll and Toy Museum and Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum.

Vicksburg has a unique place in the history of what is now considered the number one selling product in the world, Coca Cola. In 1894 a candy merchant and soda fountain operator named Joseph Biedenharn decided to put Coca-Cola in bottles, and delivered it to sell in rural areas outside of Vicksburg.

“It was the first time Coca-Cola had been sold in bottles,” states the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation.

“Mr. Biedenharn created a totally new concept of marketing the beverage and established the cornerstone of the independent network of franchise bottlers who now distribute bottled Coca-Cola all over the world.”

Today 1.8 billions servings of Coca Cola products are served per day in more than 200 countries.

Another popular activity not to be missed in Vicksburg is taking a tour of one of its historic homes. Tour Homes include Ahern’s Belle of the Bends, Anchuca, Annabelle, Baer House, Bazsinsky House, Cedar Grove Mansion, The Corners, George Washington Ball House, Martha Vick House and the McNutt

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau

Joseph Beidenharn’s store, where he first bottled Coca-Cola in 1894, is a popular spot for tourists.

House. There are also two historic churches open for tours, Christ Episcopal and Church of the Holy Trinity.

Historic cemeteries include the National Cemetery, the second-largest National Cemetery in the nation, the Cedar Hill Cemetery and the Vicksburg City Cemetery where the Confederate soldiers are buried that is also known as Soldier’s Rest. There is also an African-American cemetery, Beulah, and the Jewish Anshe Chesed Cemetery.

Monthly theater productions are held at the Parkside Playhouse, the Strand Theatre and the Coral Room Theatre. There are also more than 75 events per year hosted by the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation, which is housed in the St. Francis Xavier Convent and Academy, in one of the most architecturally and historically significant city blocks in down-

town. The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the diverse cultural heritage of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Mississippi Delta, and the American South.

There are four choices for visiting a casino, Ameristar Casino, DiamondJacks Casino, Lady Luck Casino and the Riverwalk Casino. Other entertainment includes concerts and shows at the Lady Luck Arena and Vicksburg Convention Center and Auditorium. There is blues music at the Ameristar Bottleneck Blues Bar every Friday night, and at LD’s Kitchen every Tuesday night.

Other nightlife offering include karaoke at the Biscuit Company, and live bands at the Ameristar Cabaret Lounge on Saturday nights, Beechwood on weekends and Lady Luck Lone Wolf on weekends.

Courtesy of National Park Service

The USS Cairo has been on display at Vicksburg National Military Park since 1985 .

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Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau

Children enjoy the Art Park at Catfish Row. www.msbusiness.com

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LET’S TRAVEL: WEEKEND GETAWAYS

What can a family do to make the weekend fun?

By Becky Gillette

Y

OU DON’T HAVE TO have a week off to take a vacation.

Plenty of opportunities exist in Mississippi for great weekend recreational activities ranging from enjoying the great outdoors at one of the Mississippi State Parks to visiting an attraction such as the Windsor Ruins near Port Gibson.

Here are a few hints for a fun weekend: » Visit one of the Mississippi State Parks (601-432-2400, mississippistateparks.reserveamerica.com) Be sure to make reservations ahead of time especially for the warmer months when camping is popular. State parks offer fishing, swimming and boating, many opportunities for viewing birds and other wildlife, and hiking and biking on nature trails. Mississippi State Parks are conveniently located along most major travel routes in the state. » The Pat Harrison Waterway District also has many recreational opportunities throughout the state, and offers cabins as well as camping site rentals. (www.phwd.net, 1-800-748-9403) » Windsor Ruins, Port Gibson/Alcorn. Visit the spooky remains of the mansion built in 1859-61 on a plantation that covered 2,600 acres. The mansion was used during the Civil War as a Union hospital and observation post, which prevented it from being burned by Union troops. But while it survived the war, it didn’t survive a party guest who left a lighted cigar on the upper balcony causing a fire that destroyed everything except 23 of the columns, balustrades and iron stairs.

From the Natchez Trace Parkway, take Mississippi Highway 552 at milepost 30.

Go west and follow the signs. » Dizzy Dean Gravesite, Bond. Dizzy Dean was considered “one of the most colorful personalities ever associated with the sport of baseball.”

In addition to pitching in the major leagues for 12 seasons, he was also a baseball commentator. To get to the gravesite, go one mile north of Wiggins,

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turn east on Pumping Branch Road and follow the signs to the Bond Cemetery.

Enter by the far gate and look for the grave in the middle section of the first third of the cemetery. Look for the baseballs left on the grave to honor the baseball great. » Natchez Trace Parkway. (www.nps.gov/natr) Get out on the Natchez Trace for a slow, scenic road trip that has plenty of opportunities for recreation and education at sites ranging from short nature walks to visiting one of the seven Native American mound groups. The National Park Service maintains nearly 39,000 of the Natchez Trace Parkway's 52,000 acres in a natural condition. The Parkway forms an almost continuous greenway from the southern Appalachian foothills of Tennessee to the lower Mississippi River. » Carousel horses and Meridian Railroad Museum.

The Around Town Carousels Abound outdoor public art project includes more than 50 brightly decorated carousel horses created by local and regional artists, each with their own theme and story. The location and description of each horse are available at the Meridian/Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau or by calling 1-888868-7720. While in town take time to visit the Meridian Railroad Museum (www.meridian-railroadmuseum.org), which is open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1805 Front Street, Meridian, next to the beautifully restored Union Station. Call 601-485-RAIL. » Katrina Sculptures. Artist Martin Miller of Fort Walton Beach donated his time for three years to create the remarkable Katrina Sculptures along U.S. 90 in Mississippi that were made from the trunks of trees killed in Hurricane Katrina. The pelicans, soaring eagles and playful dolphins that are symbols of hope — and making the best from a bad situation — have become a popular tourist attraction. A guide to the sculptures can be found at www.marlinmillergallery.com/.

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LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

COFFEE, ANYONE?

A metal replica of a coffee pot has been a Brookhaven icon since the 1920s.

Photos courtesy of Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce

Coffee Pot Topped Restaurant was South’s first fast food spot

By Becky Gillette

B

EFORE THERE WAS McDonalds, there was the Coffee Pot Topped Restaurant. Back in the 1920s when First Street in Brookhaven was the major thoroughfare between Jackson and New Orleans, a 15-foot tall metal replica of a coffee pot was put on top of a restaurant to draw in customers.

The Coffee Pot Topped Restaurant has another claim to fame. It was the first fast food restaurant in the South and one of the first in the country. It predated McDonalds by a couple of decades.

According to the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce, the Coffee Pot Restaurant was built by J. J. Carruth, and operated by his sons Lester and Bubber. In addition to being one of the first restaurants to offer ready to serve meals, for a time it also doubled as the Greyhound Bus Station.

“It is definitely a landmark,” said Kay Burton, program director, Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce. “It was located on a major route of travel during those early years before the interstates were built. The Coffee Pot is just a very cool

Brookhaven hopes to convert the old restaurant below the coffee pot into a visitors center. symbol of the past. It is very important to a lot of citizens of Lincoln County. It is a unique icon, part of our history.”

It is still common to see visitors stop to crane their necks looking up at the huge coffee pot and to take pictures.

“It is an attraction, no doubt,” Burton said. “A lot of people are of a generation

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that likes retro.”

Burton has a menu from the early days of the restaurant when you could get coffee or root beer for eight cents, a slice of pie for 10 cents and a plate lunch would set you back only 50 cents. The early owners had a building behind the restaurant that served as their home.

Although no one seems to remember the name, in the 1930s a “famous pianist” played on the roof next to the Coffee Pot for 24 hours to promote the restaurant.

Today the building underneath the coffee pot is no longer occupied by a business, but Burton and others in town hope that one day the building will be available for purchase and repurposed into a visitor’s center. The local historical society is interested in helping preserve the landmark.

“Ever since I moved here in 1991, it has always fascinated me,” Burton said. “That is true of most of the locals, too. In fact, we call our local chamber of commerce volunteers Percolators. It is my dream one day for it to be our visitor’s center if the private owner would ever sell it. I would love to see it used in some capacity to promote our area.”

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LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

GHOST TOWN

Photos courtesy of Mississippi Development Authority

The Rodney Presbyterian Church was built in 1832 and still shows wounds from a Civil War cannon ball.

Rodney history dates back to early 1800s

By Becky Gillette

A

T ONE TIME, Rodney, now

known as the Ghost Town of Rodney, was home to about 1,000 residents, 35 stores, two banks, a hotel with a ballroom and the state’s first opera house. The town had its beginnings in the early 1800s, and was once considered an apt spot for the state capital.

One of the most unique engagements of the Civil War occurred in what is now known as Rodney, which is located near Port Gibson in the Mississippi Delta.

In September of 1863, months after Vicksburg had fallen to the Union forces, union sympathizer Rev. Daniel Sumner Baker was preaching from the pulpit of the Rodney Presbyterian Church and invited Capt. W.W.H. Fentress and 20 seamen of the Union gunboat “Rattler” to attend worship on the morning of the 12th.

“During the service, 15 Confederate scouts surrounded the church,” said Presbyterian minister Michael Herrin, who has written a history of the Rodney Presbyterian Church. “Their leader, Lt. Allen, appeared at the door and demanded the surrender of the Navy men. Several shots

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Where’s Rodney?

To find Rodney, take Highway 533 from Fayette to Aldridge Road. Pass the Natchez Trace, then road turns into Travelers Rest Road, which leads to Rodney. were fired, but only one sailor was slightly injured, apparently by his own ensign’s bullet. Most of the Union men in the church were captured, but one escaped capture by hiding under the hoop skirt of an elderly lady who sat in one of the back pews.

“Capt. Fentress then requested that a message be sent to his gunboat for clothing for his men, and Lt. Allen agreed. But as the sailors were being marched out of town, the gunboat began shelling the town – at least one shot hit the church, and it can still be seen there today, mortared in place.”

One account says the crew of the “Rattler” became the laughingstock of the nation, for it was the first time a small cavalry had captured the crew of an ironclad gunboat.

Herrin said the Rodney Presbyterian Church came back to life after the end of

the Civil War. But it was about this time that the mighty but fickle Mississippi River abandoned Rodney, moving its course by more than a mile to the west.

That ended the role that Rodney had as a bustling port town in the 1840s and 1850s, the busiest river port between New Orleans and St. Louis serving as a port of call for the Natchez and Robert E. Lee steamboats, and many other vessels.

“To make matters worse, in 1876 the Natchez, Jackson and Columbus Railroad laid down its rails through Fayette instead of through Rodney,” Herrin said. “The town thus entered a slow, inevitable decline.”

The church that has its roots dating back to the Bayou Pierre congregation organized in 1807 was in use as a place of worship until the mid 1950s when the congregation had shrunk along with the town. There were worship services held in the church until the mid 1950s, and in 1966 the last remaining members of the congregation voted to sell the building to the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The Mississippi Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s has preserved Rodney Presbyterian Church as their state shrine.

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LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

TRACKING TIME Landrum’s Homestead and Village grew from desire to keep historical heritage alive

By Becky Gillette

I

F YOU WANT to take a walking tour of pioneer history, come see a re-creation of a late 1800s settlement at Landrum’s Homestead & Village.

When Landrum’s first opened in 1984, they had no idea that their settlement would one day include 70 buildings.

Thomas and Anne Landrum just wanted to demonstrate how important it is to preserve Mississippi’s heritage.

“We didn’t really envision this when we started,” said Deborah Landrum-Upton, who along with her parents and brother, Bruce, runs the family business. “The homestead came out of our furniture business. We manufacture handcrafted pine furniture. We carry the furniture, plus gifts and accessories. My dad said that there are children today who have no idea how our forefathers lived, how they built homes and how they took care of themselves. So he started a family project to show them how people used to build. He brought in a portable sawmill and sawed up logs to build a cabin.”

Things grew from there. They thought it would be fun to have a water-powered gristmill. Then it seemed like a good idea to start a blacksmith shop with tools Thomas Landrum got from his father.

Every homestead needed a barn, so a barn was built for the farm animals.

Now the buildings and displays include a general store, a barbershop, a one-room schoolhouse, and a chapel for weddings.

Some buildings were restored, and others were built from scratch. There is a forestry exhibit that goes along with their nature

Where’s Landrum’s?

Located at 1356 Mississippi 15, Laurel, Landrum’s Homestead & Village is open year around Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for major holidays. For more info, call 601649-2546 or visit www.landrumscountry.com. trails and a fire tower. And barnyard animals like chickens and turkeys can often be found wandering the grounds.

There is something for people of all ages. There is an Old West laser shooting gallery, a mystery house, a trading post, a maze and quite a collection of antique farm tools and equipment. Wagons rides are popular, as is panning for gemstones.

“We never had a master plan,” Landrum-Upton said. “We just did things of interest to us. We just keep going forward and expanding. It is a project you can’t put a ‘the end’ on. It is continually growing and changing. Our goal is to increase the desire to learn, develop a sense of wonder and intensify the appreciation for one’s heritage.”

One popular event is Christmas at the Landrum’s Homestead, which is held each year the Saturday after Thanksgiving. There is live entertainment, people doing arts and crafts demonstrations, and re-enactments.

“It is just a great family day,” LandrumUpton said.

A fun annual festival is the April Pinefest Celebration that third Saturday in April that includes a Confederate soldier encampment, entertainment and demonstrations.

The nicely landscaped grounds are popular not just for school field trips, but for

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Photos courtesy of Landrum’s

Landrum’s Homestead and Village now includes 70 historic buildings. weddings, receptions, private parties and family reunions.

“It is just a great place for an adult or child to come,” said Landrum-Upton. “We raised our children here in the business, and now they also work here. We are still focused on the family. The welcome centers do a wonderful job promoting us to tourists coming in. We have had people from all over the world. It is unique the people we have met. It has just been a really educational experience for us, too.”

The Landrums enjoy the feedback they get from visitors. For older people, it often brings back memories of their past.

One recent visitor said: “We all need to get back to the basics, grow a garden and know how to repair things, My father knew how to do all this.”

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LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

OUR PLACE IN HISTORY

Frank Brown / Mississippi Business Journal

The William F. Winter Archives and History Building is on the corner of Amite and North streets in downtown Jackson.

Archives holds state’s documented past

By Frank Brown

I

T COULD BE THE closest thing to time travel in Mississippi.

Genealogists know the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for its abundance of books and census, family and civil war records. Lawyers are familiar with its state Supreme Court records. And historians are familiar with, well, its history.

It’s the repository of Mississippi’s documented history, but many Mississippians don’t realize the state archives is open to the public.

“A lot of people don’t realize they can use the archive because they think it’s just for government use,” said Anne Webster, head of reference services at Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

The William F. Winter Archives and History Building at 200 North St. in Jackson also holds items that anyone with a sense of history might find interesting.

For example, one of the newest additions to the Media Room is outtakes of news film from WLBT-TV in Jackson. The tele-

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Where’s History?

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is headquartered in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building at North and Amite Streets in Jackson. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Winter Building is closed on official state holidays and for occasional Saturday events, such as parades. For information more, call 601-5766850, email webadmin@mdah.state.ms.us, or visit http://mdah.state.ms.us. vision station donated 520,000 feet of unaired film from 1954 to 1971.

“Some of the film is silent, and some has sound,” said Webster. “But it comes from a time when there was lot of civil rights activity in the state.” The footage has been cataloged, indexed and converted to digital display. Clips can be ordered and are priced by footage, said Webster.

“We have a lot of high school and college annuals that people have donated, and

sometimes we get them at estate sales if we happen to see one,” said Webster.

“We have scrapbooks of all kinds. They are usually political, but some are Civil War scrapbooks.

“Every now and then, we get a scrapbook that someone compiled,” said Webster, opening a box she had brought up from basement storage and displaying a dark red binder with large block “M.”“This is from Mississippi State University in 1922. It even has a picture of Dudy Noble in here.”

Noble was baseball coach at MSU during most of the 1920s through the 1940s.

The Reading Room, where no ink pens are allowed – only pencils – contains the most valuable of the archives documents.

Items are kept in cool storage in the twofloor basement – a white, antiseptic-like area full of shelves of boxes, containers and books, and rows of files and drawers.

It is home to some of Webster’s favorites.

“Over the years, people have written to us over the years and sometimes they become donors,” she said. “That happened a few years ago with a wonderful Civil War

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT collection from a gentleman named Colin Humphreys from England. His initial request was for information, but one thing led to another, then he said he would like to donate some Jefferson Davis letters and Civil War letters.”

The letters and post-war letters are mostly between George Dotson and his wife about relatives and the trials and tribulations of husbands off fighting. Some of the letters are to Jefferson Davis, the first president of the Confederacy.

The basement also contains the works of Alfred H. Stone, a lawyer, legislator and state tax collector who Webster said wanted to write a history of the African-American race.

“He didn’t write the history, but he did write thousands of pamphlets from the 1800s to the early 1900s. He covered slave trade, the abolitionist movement, Frederick Douglas speeches and more.

Frank Brown / Mississippi Business Journal

Anne Webster, head of reference services at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, displays and early map in the state collection.

With that, she carefully unfolded the acid-free paper that surrounded a stack of pamphlets and started sorting thorough the thin 5-by-7 pub-

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

lications until she came to the one she was seeking.

“Here it is,” she said. “A pamphlet on the Douglas’s speech at the 21st anniversary

of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1883.

“In some cases we have items that aren’t necessarily Mississippi, but they affected Mississippi.

“We have old maps and photos, a lot of which have been digitized already, and people can purchase copies of them.” Some of the photos and maps are also available on Flickr.com, and some in the online catalog at the website.

And then, there’s Dunbar, whose portrait hangs over the information desk in the Reading Room.

“That’s Dunbar,” said Webster, as the basement elevator doors opened and closed on their own. “Dunbar Rowland was the first director of the archives (in 1902), and we always swore he was a ghost at the old Charlotte Capers building. Sometimes we think he came over to the new building with us in 2003.”

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LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Courtesy of Hattiesburg Zoo

Courtesy of Jackson Zoo

American alligator at the zoo in Hattiesburg.

Orangatangs at the Jackson Zoo.

ANIMAL HOUSES Zoos have changed in Hattiesburg, Jackson

By Mike Christensen

I

F YOU HAVEN’T been to the zoo in Jackson or Hattiesburg in the last few years, you might consider planning a trip. Much has changed.

You’ll still see lions and tigers and bears, oh yes – but in Jackson, you can view tigers in a whole new way. In fact, the entire park will look different from just a year ago.

In Hattiesburg, they’re tinkled pink – pink being the operative color of their newest exhibit.

Both zoos have added splash pads and polished up their carousels. Their trains are still running, the cafes and gift shops freshly stocked. And let’s not forget the animals. Chimpanzees and zebus and fishing cats and well … you’ll just have to see for yourself.

As the old Simon and Garfunkel ditty goes, “It’s all happening at the zoo …”

The Jackson Zoo, which has been around since 1921, has undertaken a major rebranding campaign, said Angela Shepard, the zoo’s director of public relations and development.

“It’s a clean, new look,” Shepard said.

“We want to emphasize the great parts of the zoo.”

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Zoo details » Jackson Zoo: The zoo is at 2918 West Capitol St. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4.50 for children ages 2 to 12. The Jackson Zoo is open daily (with a few exceptions) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. » Hattiesburg Zoo: The zoo is on a 12-acre tract inside Kamper Park. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday most of the year. (Winter hours are 10-4, Friday-Sunday.) Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and military personnel and $3 for kids 2-12.

Some 30 exhibits have new, brighter and more colorful signage, the work of Ridgeland-based design company Mad Genius. The plan, Shepard said, was for everything to be completed for Zoo Day on March 9, which was a launch party of sorts for the new season.

The zoo’s entrance was recently renovated, in part to make it more distinguishable, and the splash pad for kids was added last year.

The tiger exhibit has been extensively reworked, expanding from roughly 800

square feet to about 8,000 square feet.

“It’s a great place to view them now,” Shepard said.

Also undergoing renovation are exhibits featuring the fishing cat, the Amur leopard and the gibbon.

The Jackson Zoo is home to over 140 different species and almost 500 animals. The most popular exhibit, Shepard says, might be the chimpanzees.

“Mostly because everyone loves Mojo, our 4-year-old chimp,” she said.

Mojo’s birthday party, held on March 2 this year, is a main event on the Jackson Zoo calendar.

The Sumatran tiger also draws a lot of attention, as does Ronnie the rhino.

“We hear a lot of people talking about the African Savanna exhibit,” she said. “There are about 10 different species in that exhibit, and you can see the different animals interacting with each other. People like that.”

The Jackson Zoo attracts more than 176,000 people per year, Shepard said.

They also host some 30,000 kids per year for various educational activities.

Special events, such as Zoo Brew on April 19 and Boo at the Zoo in October, are scheduled throughout the year.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $4.50 for

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT children ages 2 to 12. The Jackson Zoo is open daily (with a few exceptions) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Things really started happening at the Hattiesburg Zoo when it came under management of the Hattiesburg Tourism and Convention Commissions, in partnership with the city, in 2009.

“Since that time there has been a very aggressive effort to make the zoo a viable tourism attraction for Hattiesburg,” said Kristie Fairley, marketing director for the zoo. “A lot of new projects were implemented, and that’s continuing to be the case.”

The Hattiesburg Zoo kicks off its new season with a Birthday Bash, this year scheduled for April 13.

“That’s when we unveil the next new thing,” Fairley said.

The new thing this year is a flamingo exhibit, hence the

Courtesy of Hattiesburg Zoo

A jaguar at the Hattiesburg Zoo. “Pretty in Pink” theme for the Birthday Bash.

An exhibit featuring the zebu — a species of cattle native to the jungles of south Asia — is also expected to be a popular draw this year, Fairley said.

Two years ago, the Hattiesburg Zoo opened its splash pad. “We wanted to give parents another reason to bring the kids out in the summer,” Fairley said.

They also cut the ribbon in 2011 on a refurbished carousel, which was moved inside the zoo grounds and spruced up by a local artist.

Last year’s new thing was “Touch Africa,” a petting zoo that allows visitors to get up close and personal with the animals. The backside of the zoo, which had been inaccessible to the public for some 10 years, was reopened last year and new pavilions were built.

Also added recently was a mining sluice, sponsored by a local jeweler, where kids can pan for “jewels.”

Annual highlights on the Hattiesburg Zoo calendar are a Valentine’s Day event, Zoo Boo in October and Zoo Lights in December.

“Zoo Lights was an event that we brought back, new and improved, in 2012,” Fairley said, “and it was an enormous success. Way bigger than we had anticipated. We’re looking forward to that again.”

Behind the scenes, the zoo is opening a new animal hospital, part of an ongoing effort to receive accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

“That’s important for a zoo,” Fairley said, “and we’re working hard toward that.”

The Hattiesburg Zoo draws over 100,000 visitors per year, a figure that is on the rise, Fairley said.

The zoo features more than 80 species on its 12-acre tract inside Kamper Park. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday most of the year. (Winter hours are 10-4, Friday-Sunday.)

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and military personnel and $3 for kids 2-12.

Haven’t been to the zoo in a while?

Maybe it’s time, as the song says, for “a light and tumble journey” to Jackson or “a fine and fancy ramble” to Hattiesburg.

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

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LET’S TRAVEL: SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Courtesy of Mississippi Museum of Art

Courtesy of Mississippi Museum of Art Courtesy of Mississippi Museum of Art

The Beach at Trouville (1870). Oil on canvas by Claude Monet

Self-portrait (1887). Vincent Van Gogh

Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil (1873). Oil on canvas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

THE MASTERS Jackson hosts exhibition of French artwork

By Lynn Lofton

A

WORLD-CLASS exhibition of three centuries of French paintings at the Mississippi Museum of Art is expected to draw large crowds from the state and beyond. “Old Masters to Monet: Three Centuries of French Painting from the Wadsworth Atheneum” will be on display from March 23 through Sept. 8.

The museum is the only one in the Southeast that will host this exhibition. It is the 13th presentation in the Annie Laurie Swaim Hearin Memorial Exhibition Series, which was established in 1989.

The exhibit consists of 50 masterpieces from the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Conn., America’s oldest public art museum. “The Mississippi Museum of Art is honored to be one of the select venues to host this important exhibition,” said Betsy Bradley, director of the Mississippi Museum of Art. “In keeping with our mission of engaging Mississippians in the visual arts, this exhibition provides a rare opportunity for our visitors to come face to face with some of the most historically valued French paintings held in any museum collection.”

Relationships years in the making and Mississippi’s reputation with outstand-

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Museum of Art The Mississippi Museum of Art is located at 380 South Lamar St. in Jackson. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Admission to the exhibition is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for students. It’s free for museum members and children under 5.

601-960-1515 or 866-843-9278 www.msmuseumart.org ing exhibitions in the past are among the factors that contributed to the state’s hosting of this exhibition.

“These blockbuster exhibitions – and exhibitions in general and of all sizes – are often years in the making,” Bradley said. “Our museum has established a reputation of excellence through past exhibitions of important artworks of Mississippi artists and of international artists and art movements. The work by our curators and staff toward building relationships with other museums and lending institutions yields the possibilities for these types of exhibitions.”

Past exhibitions, “The Orient Expressed: Japan’s Influence on Western Art” and “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” each welcomed more than 30,000 visitors.

“We feel this exhibition will have a

tremendous broad appeal,” Bradley said.

“It is rare that many of us ever have an opportunity to view such works in person without having to leave the state.

We are excited at the prospect of hosting many new and returning visitors to the museum, the city and the state, which should in turn have a positive impact on Jackson’s downtown economy and the hospitality industry in particular.”

She says all the museum’s exhibitions represent important pieces to the large puzzle of the narrative of art history, but “Old Masters to Monet” is unique because some of the most well known artists of the past centuries are represented. Those include Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Claude Monet, artists who are near mythic figures in the cultural consciousness of Western art.

French artists of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries are represented. Perhaps the most exciting group of works in the exhibition is the selection of the Impressionists. No picture better captures the essence of this popular school than Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s famous painting of his friend Claude Monet at work in the garden of their rented home at Argenteuil in 1873. There are also two paintings by Monet.

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S TRAVEL: ADVICE

SOCIAL MEDIA It’s changing the way tourism is marketed

By Lynn Lofton

E

LVIS DOES A LOT of heavy lifting for the tourism effort in Tupelo and people everywhere got to vote on T-shirt colors for the upcoming Tupelo Craft Beer Festival. Foodspotting is being used on the Coast to post photos of dishes from local restaurants that visitors might like to try. These are a few of the ways tourism organizations are using social media to communicate with visitors and potential visitors. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram are being used as part of the increasingly important role of technology to connect people from around the world to Mississippi.

“Whether answering questions, posting visitors’ photos or sharing announcements about upcoming events, we use social media to engage visitors in an informal dialogue about what they want to see and do in Mississippi,” says Jennifer Span with the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Division, “and to gain valuable feedback about those attractions, events and more.”

Social media has become a valuable tool for promoting giveaways, presenting of-the-moment insight about attractions such as the Mississippi Blues Trail, she added. At out-of-state trade shows, state tourism officials can demonstrate to the folks back home how the state is promoted by using live feed and uploaded videos.

Neal McCoy, executive director of the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau, says his organization uses Facebook to inspire people to visit Tupelo and uses Twitter to interact with them when they arrive. “A lot of international Facebook participation is with Elvis enthusiasts because it’s more affordable,” he said. “Elvis is alive in Tupelo and does some heavy lifting around here. We’ve had 77,000 likes on the My Tupelo account.”

The Tupelo Sports campaign has

signage asking visitors to use its hash tag to respond to restaurant specials as a way of engaging local eateries with visitors once they’re in the city.

“Social media allows us to have an indepth strategy with the way we go about talking with people – not at them,” McCoy said.

The Madison County CVB Executive director Mary Beth Wilkerson said, “These social media channels allow us to share destination content and communicate while building relationships with past and future visitors. It has been effective for our marketing efforts, particularly for promotions, festivals and events.

“When people see interesting, creative content via social media, they are likely to explore to find more information and possibly visit. It is a quick and easy way to distribute information and it’s very cost effective.”

She adds that cross promotions with CVB partners via Facebook is Madison County’s most popular use of social media.

Like other tourism organizations, the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB uses a variety of social media. Facebook and Twitter are the most active accounts, and a Foodspotting account is the newest. “We currently have 24 sightings with Foodspotting, but it will be more active soon,” said Taryn Pratt Sammons, social media specialist/media relations manager.

She says the Coast CVB gets positive feedback, especially to contests run on Facebook and Twitter. “We receive comments on our pictures and status postings, and even get requests for additional information,” she said. “We love hearing about people’s trips here

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

The Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau uses Facebook to inspire people to visit, then uses Twitter to interact with them when they arrive. and their favorite part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It’s also great to read the excitement they have when they are about to visit. We have a good following from locals and visitors. When our office can’t answer a question right away, a local – who we like to think of as a brand ambassador – will answer for us.”

The Jackson CVB uses social media sites to engage and interact with visitors, attractions and restaurants and to promote events throughout the city, according to Marika Cackett, manager of communications and public relations.

“We monitor Facebook and Twitter and use it to engage our followers,” she said. “For example, when a convention is in town, we follow their hash tag and use it to ask questions about visitors’ plans, and we offer suggestions for dining and exploring Jackson.”

Cackett says a broad range of people and ages are using the Jackson CVB’s social media.

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LET’S TRAVEL: ADVICE

No need to take a vacation from exercise

H

AVE YOU EVERY started an exercise program and then had to stop because you went on vacation? Or, maybe you wanted start an exercise program but decided to put it off because your vacation was coming up.

Life always happens where we all have things come up that require us to change.

Most of us are averse to change; however, it is inevitable. The key here is to plan how to exercise during your vacation. Don’t think that you have to maintain a “program” like you would if you were at home. You can successfully augment your strength training and cardiovascular exercise in any fitness facility. You can incorporate different physical activities too. You can go to the gym and play tennis, for example.

These days it is easy to find fitness facilities and other physical activities at vacation destinations. Think of it as a way to experience something new and fun at the same time. Maybe you had already thought about trying a new activity such as biking or scuba diving. This will give you that opportunity to try it out and find out if you enjoy it or not. Consider plan-

ning activities as a family experience if you have children. This will give your children an opportunity to have some fun and learn something new too.

Guidelines to follow when planning your vacation: » Climate – Consider the normal temperatures of the place that you are traveling to. » Length of stay – How long are you going on vacation? This will help you develop a “schedule” of activities and determine what is available during your stay. » Place – The options include a hotel, condo, house, apartment, or ship. Sometimes packages are available that will actually include area activities and attractions. » Amenities and area activities – This will help you to know what is available for you to do such as fitness facilities, bicycle riding, golfing, water skiing, swimming, scuba diving, rock climbing, walking, and running.

Some activities are seasonal and may not be available during your stay. Check to see if there might be physical or age requirements as well. Purchasing packages might be a budget friendly option here. » Recommendations – It is always a good

idea to check out “consumer reports” on places to stay and things to do. Check with your friends, colleagues and internet feedback to help you make the best choices so that your experience is pleasant.

Melinda Duffie » Clothing or gear requirements – What equipment or clothing do you need to buy to prepare you for your vacation? Your gear or equipment may be supplied or available for rent too. This will allow time to get what you need and help with your packing.

Now you are ready to plan your vacation.

Make your reservations as soon as possible with the place you are staying as well as your chosen activities to insure your time is locked in.

Remember vacations are meant to be fun so plan it to be just that! You might just find another way to have fun and get some exercise at the same time.

Jackson’s Melinda Duffie is a fitness columnist for the Mississippi Business Journal.

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’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

s ’ t Le t e e M

There’s more to conventions than business, so here are tips to help you make the most of your leisure meeting time. ’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

In this section Conventions: » Biloxi » Jackson » Philadelphia » Tunica Wedding venues: » The beach » Chapel at Small Town » Riley Center » Monmouth Plantation

The Geyser Falls Water Theme Park at Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia is popular getaway spot for convention-goers and visitors at the resort.

(Photo courtesy of Pearl River Resort)

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31

LET’S MEET: CONVENTIONS

BILOXI

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Convention venues on the Gulf Coast include the Mississippi Coast Convention Center, which has 400,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space.

By Lisa Monti Before the convention: Conventions and resort destinations are a natural match and the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been playing host to visitors for generations. And after more than a decade of casino gambling, the Coast has grown into an even more popular destination for meetings, conferences, trade shows and conventions. There are almost 13,000 hotel rooms to accommodate guests.

The 26 miles of beaches and the many winding waterways are among the natural attractions that bring visitors to the string of coastal communities with their own personality.

Boating, fishing, swimming, water skiing and visiting the barrier islands are available all year.

And if you don’t catch your own fish, you can certainly order fresh seafood at the many local eateries that prepare favorites like gumbo, poboys or spicy boiled specialties. Fine dining fare also is easy to find at top local restaurants as well as in the casinos.

The championship golf courses are an attraction all on their own and offer some of the best play anywhere in the South.

Shopping at malls, outlets, the casinos, art galleries and in historic downtown districts is top notch, whether you’re looking for clothing, jewelry or original artwork.

During the convention: Meeting and convention venues on the Coast include the newly expanded and renovated Mississippi Coast Convention Center which has 400,000 square feet

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For more info » Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center, 2350 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS 39531, 228-594-3700, www.mscoastcoliseum.com. » Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, 2350 Beach Blvd Suite A Biloxi, MS 39531, 228-896-6699, 888-467-4853. of exhibit and meeting space overlooking the water in Biloxi. It’s the only such beachfront property in the Southeast, said Janice Jefferson, director of sales and marketing.

“The resort type atmosphere on the Gulf Coast is one of our selling points,” she said. “It enhances the fact that we have such a beautiful space and good weather all year round. In the summertime, people can bring their family for a vacation as well.

We’re a perfect setting.”

The state-of-the-art facility has flexible meeting space and a serviceoriented staff to serve anywhere from 50 people up to 5,000, Jefferson said.

The facility draws from the surrounding states of Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia and also hosts various state association meetings. “We’re also looking to go after national conventions as well, now that we have expanded,” Jefferson said.

All of the meeting space is conveniently located on one level and an onsite catering company services all of

the events in the building. State-ofthe-art telecommunications and audio visual services are available, and there are 3,000 parking spaces and a detached garage. The facility includes a large arena for concerts and other entertainment.

Some casinos offer large venues for meetings, including Beau Rivage with 50,000 square feet of space and IP Casino Resort Spa with 37,600 square feet. Smaller venues are available at area hotels.

After the convention: The Mississippi Coast has “all the flavor of New Orleans but it’s more affordable,” Jefferson said. “And with a hometown feel.” That’s a big part of why the Coast has been a popular destination resort and family playground for decades.

The inventory of attractions includes historic sites such as the last home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and the Infinity Science Center with high-tech NASA exhibits and special events.

A dozen casinos offer Las Vegasstyle nonstop gaming along with top name entertainment, elegant and casual dining, exclusive shopping and quality hotel accommodations.

The arts thrive on the Coast, with unique museums such as the Frank Gehry designed Ohr-O’Keefe Museum in Biloxi and the newly expanded Walter Anderson Museum in Ocean Springs. Local artists create paintings, pottery, photography and other fine works that are sold in galleries and gift stores along the Coast.

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S MEET: CONVENTIONS

JACKSON

By Lisa Monti Before the convention: Jackson, Mississippi’s Capital City, is strategically located in the center of the state and it has all of the cosmopolitan features a visitor would expect from a dynamic metro area of half a million population.

“Jackson is a fresh destination to explore 25 unique museums and attractions, nine exciting outdoor attractions, over 200 enticing restaurants, hundreds of annual events and festivals, three historic cultural districts, innumerable visual and performing arts, hot sports action, and cool nightlife,” said Marika Cackett, director of marketing and public relations with the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Performing arts include the opera and symphony, ballet and pops concerts, along with fine art museums and galleries. Night spots showcase talented local

Photos courtesy of Jackson Convention Complex

The Jackson Convention Complex has 330,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space.. musicians playing blues and jazz and visitors can also enjoy touring companies and special concerts. Eudora Welty’s House and Garden is among Jackson’s literary sites found throughout the city. And you can tour locales where the movie “The Help,” based on Kathryn Stockett’s New York Times best-selling novel, was filmed.

For more info » Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau, 111 E Capitol St Jackson, MS 39201, 601-960-1891, www.visitjackson.com.

For history lovers there are loads of historical sites as well as an authentic look back at an earlier time at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum and the Smith Robertson Museum highlighting African-American cultural artifacts. Mississippi Children’s Museum welcomes young visitors to its 40,000square-foot learning experience in Lefleur’s Bluff State Park.

Dining in the Jackson metro area is a blend of Southern specialities and international menus, reflecting the city’s diverse population. Any of your favorites can be found in Jackson’s many restaurants and cafes.

Among Jackson’s long list of attractions are the Davis Planetarium, the Jackson Zoological Park, the Mississippi Crafts Center, Mississippi Museum of Art, and the Old Capital Museum.

During the convention: The Jackson Convention Complex, which opened in 2009 is the cornerstone of the city’s convention district.

“It features 330,000 square feet of flexible exhibit, ballroom and meeting space,” said Micah Allen, director of sales and marketing.

The complex offers first-rate amenities, state of the art technologies, resort quality service and inhouse catering, Allen said. It is a LEED certified building, as established by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Jackson Convention Complex is owned by the Capital City Convention Center Commission and is managed by SMG. There are also meeting facilities in local hotels and at facilities including the Mississippi Coliseum with 6,500

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

permanent seats, The multi purpose Trade Mart with 67,140 square feet of space, the Russell C. Davis Planetarium with meeting space for 200 and Thalia Mara Hall, with seating for 2,500.

After the convention: When it comes to sports and recreation in and around Jackson, visitors will find all of

The Jackson Convention Complex offers in-house catering. their favorites, from collegiate competition to golf, hiking and even a museum dedicated to sports.

College sports can be found on the campuses of Belhaven University, Jackson State University, Millsaps College and Tougaloo College. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum honors the state’s best athletes and coaches, including such stars as Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Arching Manning and Brett Favre.

Among the many parks in the Jackson metro area is LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, with 500 acres, nature and hiking trails, a nine-hole golf course with driving range, a swimming pool and tennis courts. Fishing and camping are also featured in the park.

The 50-square-mile Ross Barnett Reservoir is a short distance from Jackson and offers popular water sports and prime fishing.

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LET’S MEET: CONVENTIONS

Courtesy of Pearl River Resort

Pearl River Resort has 40,000 square feet of meeting space with flexible breakout rooms and a 75,000-square-foot arena for exhibits and trade shows.

PHILADELPHIA

By Lisa Monti Before the convention: Philadelphia and Neshoba County have that rare combination of small Southern town charm, beautiful natural resources and all of the amenities that come with a casino resort. The accommodations, convention facilities, recreation and annual events appeal to visitors and meeting planners.

Among the attractions The Neshoba County Fairgrounds, open all year, is home to “Mississippi’s Giant Houseparty” every summer. The headquarters of the Choctaw Tribal Council is part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian Reservation, along with a museum, crafts store and the Pearl River Resort with its golf courses, water park and casino gaming.

The area offers beautiful parks and playgrounds and historical churches and homes. Kaye Rowell, tourism director for Philadelphia/Neshoba County, said the historic downtown “has several businesses unique to our area, plus home grown restaurants and gift shops.”

The Philadelphia-Neshoba County Historical Museum showcases and preserves the area’s past. History also can be found on a must-see stop at Williams Brothers General Store, established in 1907. The general store sells everything from groceries to grain.

Peggy’s Restaurant has been serving lunch for more than 40 years and the

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For more info » Pearl River Resort, 13541 Highway 16 West, Choctaw, MS 39350, 866-447-3275, www.pearlriverresort.com. fried chicken is not to be missed.

During the convention: Pearl River Resort marketers say they can offer convention and meeting planners the best of both worlds: a professional meeting environment plus gaming, spa, salon, golf, dining and shopping all in one place.

Pearl River Resort consists of the Silver Star Hotel & Casino and Golden Moon Hotel & Casino. The two properties have nearly 2,500 slot machines, 67 table games and 8 poker tables, 11 restaurants and a full spa.

There is meeting space in the Silver Star Convention Center and at Golden Moon, away from the gaming area and in a smoke-free business environment.

The resort’s central location is another big draw.

“Being in the center of Mississippi, associations in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana have an easy drive for their attendees. Most of them can get here in three to five hours with no problem from either end of their state.

This is a great selling point in this economy,” says Terry Watkins, associ-

ation sales manager. “We have over 40,000 square feet of meeting space with flexible breakout rooms and ballroom and a 75,000 square feet arena for exhibits or trade shows and approximately 1,100 hotel rooms.”

The resort hosts professional meetings and conventions, family reunions, seminars and other gatherings.

After the convention: Golfers and families can take advantage of two of Pearl River Resorts most popular features: the championship golf courses and the large water park for all ages.

The award winning Dancing Rabbit Golf Club at Pearl River Resort keeps golfers coming back. The Azaleas and The Oaks courses, designed by Tom Fazio, have been named among the best in the nation.

“We have corporate golf groups that come back year after year from all over,” said Dixie Smith, corporate sales manager. “Several of these groups are from Texas. They know great golf and travel all over but can’t say enough about the Dancing Rabbit Golf course.

It rivals the best in the country.”

The Resort also is home to Geyser Falls Water Theme Park, a 23-acre family amusement center with 13 waterslides, a wave pool and a lazy river.

Clearwater Key beach offers pools and white sand beach over eight acres, along with The Beach Club restaurant for dining.

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LET’S MEET: CONVENTIONS

TUNICA

By Lisa Monti Before the convention: Convention delegates and meeting attendees have ample possibilities for recreation and relaxation when they visit Tunica and the surrounding area.

Visitors can take in significant historical sites, the famous Blues Trail, quality museums, beautiful parks, top notch shopping and even enjoy a memorable Mississippi Riverboat excursion. Everything is near at hand, starting with Memphis, just a 30minute drive away.

“You can’t mention Tunica without mentioning Memphis,” said Bill Canter, director of marketing and sales for the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau. » Tunica Convention and Memphis, of Visitors Bureau, 13625 U.S. course, is the 61, Tunica Resorts, MS, home of Elvis 888-488-6422, and other music tunicatravel.com. legends plus world-class barbeque, among other dining options.

Tunica also offers day trips to the Mississippi Delta, known for its blues music, past and present. Cities such as Clarksdale, Cleveland and Greenwood keep the Delta’s musical traditions alive and well. Indianola is the hometown of B.B. King, recognized the world over as a blues legend. Fans of Mississippi writers will want to visit the Greenville Writer’s Exhibit, William Faulkner’s home in Oxford or Willie Morris’s hometown of Yazoo City. And the cities of Corinth and Tupelo are steeped in Civil War history.

During the convention: Tunica attracts conventions and meetings from Dallas to Chicago, Atlanta to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, said Canter. “My bread-and-butter market area is from Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, northern Alabama and up into southern Missouri. Fifteen or 16 years ago, there were not a lot of opportunities in the northern part of Mississippi for meetings. Basically everybody went to the Coast. We have provided an alternative location.”

Now, thanks to the casinos, Tunica

More info

Photo courtesy of Mississippi Development Authority

The Tunica River Park gives visitors the best view of the Mississippi River. has more than 6,000 hotel rooms. Harrah’s has a 560-room hotel connected by breezeway to a full-service convention center. The ballroom seats up to 1,350 people in a theater or reception setting; the banquet setting accommodates 900. Harrah’s offers full banquet service and presentation facilities.

Gold Strike Casino has 30,000 square feet for meetings and other functions, including a 9,000-squarefoot grand ballroom and four meeting rooms ranging from 400 to 1,200 square feet.

Sam’s Town also hosts conventions, trade shows and banquets and has meeting and banquet facilities for up to 1,500 people. Full service catering is provided by the property’s catering staff.

In addition, the Tunica Arena near the

town center is enjoying success hosting rodeos, trade shows and meetings.

After the convention: There’s enough action and attractions to make you want to extend your stay in Tunica after your convention or meeting ends.

Tunica is home to nine casinos, all owned by first-class Las Vegas-based gaming companies.

Canter said many visitors who attend meetings in Tunica take advantage of the many outdoor experiences available, including hunting, fishing, golf, tennis and a unusual sporting clay challenge with various shooting obstacles. “It’s like golf with a shotgun,” he said.

Tunica also offers restaurants that serve everything from fine dining to down home specialties and full service spas, shopping and entertainment.

And nearby: The Landers Center

By Lisa Monti The Landers Center, formerly the DeSoto Civic Center, is operated by the DeSoto County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The complex, built in Southaven in 2000, includes a multipurpose arena with more than 10,000 seats, a 17,000-square-foot convention center and a 400-seat theater. The arena is home to the Mississippi RiverKings, a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

Executive director Todd Mastry said the facility hosts local and national meetings drawn from across the Midsouth and the Memphis metro area. It is six

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miles south of the Memphis city limits.

Events include trade shows, food shows, textbook trade shows and coin shows.

The facility can accommodate up to 1,000 guests for a sit down dinner and has 10 meeting rooms and 3,000 parking spaces.

Southaven is the fourth largest city in Mississippi, with a population of approximately 49,000 according to the 2010 census. That’s up from about 29,000 shown in the 2000 census.

For more on the Landers Center, 4560 Venture Dr., call 662-280-9120 or visit landerscenter.com.

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LET’S MEET: WEDDINGS

WHERE TO

Mississippi wedding venues run the gamut

By Lynn Lofton

A

NY TIME of year can be a good time for a wedding, but spring’s balmy weather is an ideal time in Mississippi with options of inside and pleasant outside ceremonies. But wedding venues are changing. They’re no longer confined to churches, gardens and private homes. Locations run the gamut and the Magnolia State has a wide variety of choices that include casual and formal.

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Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

We spotlight just a few – merely a sampling – of popular pllaces for weddings. They include the beach on the Mississippii Gulf Coast, the Chapel of Small Town at the State Agricculture & Forestry Museum in Jackson, Monmouth Plantation in Natchez and the Rileey Center in Meridian.

The Beach Drivers on Highway 90 in Haarrison County, especially during weekny ends, offten see a wedding ceremon botaking place. Sometimes it’s elab

rate with white-ribboned hurricane lamps stuck in the sand, green plants, an arch and folding chairs.

Other times it’s merely a gathering of a few people – barefoot of course in the sand.

“Now that the state no long has the three-day waitingg period to get married, we haave a lot more weddings on the beach,” said Cindy Simmons of the Harrison County Sand Beach Deparrtment. “There is no fee for a smaall wedding, but we do 5 for a permit for larger charge $5

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LET’S MEET: WEDDINGS

SAY ‘I DO’

Courtesy of Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum

The Beach, the chapel at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum and the Riley Center (right) are three popular wedding spots in Mississippi.

Courtesy of The Riley Center

weddings. We like to be called a day before the ceremony so we can make sure the beach is clean.”

She says the favorite time of day for ceremonies is around sunset when the air is filled with a golden glow. The beach across from the

Biloxi Visitorrs Cen nter is a popular n incclude a reception in spott whiich can the new spacious center.

The Chapel of Small Town For a smalll wedding that harkens back to a simpler time, the white clap-

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board chapel at the Mississippi Agriculture & Forrestry Museum is a good choice. With its cross pointing toward n-denominational heaven, the non chapel is a proud part of the museum’s ppi. Bunches of Small Town, Mississip wildflowers or old-ffashioned bouquets

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LET’S MEET: WEDDINGS of mixed blooms might be all that’s needed to accent the chapel’s quiet interior.

The 1,000-square-foot chapel seats 100 people, according to Theresa Love with the museum staff. “We have a lot of weddings here,” she said. “The words we hear most often to describe the chapel are quaint and charming. It’s just what some brides want. We also have several venues here for receptions.”

Weddings are booked on a first comefirst served basis with bookings going annually from March 1 to March 1. Many are booked a year in advance. The fee is $250 and weddings can be held Monday through Saturday between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. If the museum is closed during the ceremony, members of the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department serve as security guards.

Originally Epiphany Episcopal Church, the chapel was built in the 1800s in Carlisle. The last service was held there in 1982. The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi presented the church to the museum whereupon it was carefully

For more info » Harrison County Sand Beach Authority 228-896-0055. » Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum 601-354-6113, www.mdac.state.ms.us. » Monmouth Plantation, 601-442-5852, www.monmouth.com. » Riley Center, 601-696-2200, www.msurileycenter.com. disassembled and reassembled at the Jackson location in 1984.

Monmouth Plantation Many girls dream of a fairy tale wedding. There is no place where such a wedding is more possible than Natchez, the oldest city on the Mississippi River.

There are quite a few wedding venues among the beautiful antebellum mansions of this lovely city. One of those is Monmouth, of which the Wall Street Journal wrote “think Southern opulence.”

Monmouth, listed as a National Historic Landmark, was built in 1818 and typifies the antebellum period. It is fully restored as a grand estate house with embellishments and fine furnishings. It has been called one of the most romantic places in America and is surrounded by 26 manicured acres. Weddings can take place under centuries old oak trees draped with Spanish moss or in the Reuben L. Harper Sanctuary, which is styled as a Palladian Temple. The wedding party can arrive by horse drawn carriage as part of the fairy tale ambiance.

Weddings held in the house’s lavish parlor can be intimate or on a grand scale.

Monmouth’s events team has a host of credentials and work with brides’ families to make weddings here memorable.

The Riley Center Officially known as the MSU Riley Center, this facility is owned by Mississippi State University and is located in downtown Meridian. It was built in 1889

Award Winning d n a y ur ux L e er h W Excellence Southern Culinary M eets Business! minutes from anywhere. miles from the ordinary.

Experience a legendary historic hotel and meeting destination in downtown Jackson while enjoying the Southern Culinary Collection from the Award Winning Executive Chef Nick Wallace.

For reservations call 1-877-782-9444 or the hotel direct at 601-353-KING jacksondowntown.hgi.com kingedwardhoteljackson.com 235 West Capitol Street Jackson, MS 39201

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Whether you’re traveling for business or just a leisure getaway, the Cabot Lodge Advance Purchase Rate offers significant savings. Book your room online at least seven days in advance and choose our Advance Purchase Rate. That’s it. No special memberships, points or rewards required. Of course, you’ll also be treated to our complimentary full hot breakfast buffet and nightly hospitality reception. Planning ahead with Cabot Lodge makes your life easier – and your room at a reduced rate by paying in advance.

Njmmtbqt 800-874-4737 cabotlodgemillsaps.com Opsui Kbdltpo0Sjehfmboe 800-342-2268 cabotlodgejacksonnorth.com

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LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MEET: WEDDINGS as a grand opera house in the magnificent tradition of that era with exquisite woodwork, wainscoting and painting. It underwent a $25 million major restoration and opened to the public in 2006.

What a magniďŹ cent place for a wedding for the modern bride who wants the historic beauty of this timeless classic. Suzanne Helveston, sales manager, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Riley Center has the optimal blend of old and new with a state-of-the-art, multi-functioning facility tempered with the splendid architecture and style of a bygone era. Our grand lobby, exhibit hall and theater make a perfect setting for the ideal wedding.â&#x20AC;?

Courtesy of The Riley Center

Suzanne Helveston, sales manager, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Riley Center has the optimal blend of old and new with a state-of-the-art, multi-functioning facility tempered with the splendid architecture and style of a bygone era. Our grand lobby, exhibit hall and theater make a perfect setting for the ideal wedding.â&#x20AC;?

The coolest corporate events and the classiest class reunions have one thing in commonâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; our special event spaces! ,I \RX¡UH SODQQLQJ DQ HYHQW ODUJH RU VPDOO JLYH *DEE\ +DVW\ D FDOO DW H[WHQVLRQ WR Ă&#x20AC;QG RXW KRZ WKH % % .LQJ 0XVHXP FDQ KHOS Â&#x2021; 7KUHH GLIIHUHQW VL]HG VSDFHV DYDLODEOH Â&#x2021; 6WDWH RI WKH DUW VRXQG V\VWHPV Â&#x2021; 7KH EHVW KLJK GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWLRQ SURMHFWRUV Â&#x2021; &RPSOHWH FDWHULQJ NLWFKHQ 6HFRQG 6W ,QGLDQROD ZZZ EENLQJPXVHXP RUJ HPDLO JKDVW\#EENLQJPXVHXP RUJ

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YOUR SMALL MEETING IS A BIG DEAL TO US. *G ZPV SF QMBOOJOH BO FWFOU MPPL OP GVSUIFS UIBO UIF )JMUPO (BSEFO *OO +BDLTPO .BEJTPO 8IFUIFS JU T B CVTJOFTT NFFUJOH PS TNBMM CPBSE NFFUJOH XF IBWF UIF TQBDF UIF TUBGG BOE UIF BNFOJUJFT UP FOTVSF ZPVS FWFOU VOGPMET XJUIPVU B IJUDI

601-420-0442 Reservations: KBDLTPONBEJTPO IHJ DPN r 45": )(*

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Mississippi golf professional Randy Watkins your guide for t MBJ’s fourth an “7 Best Golf Co in the state.

Deryll Stegall / Stegall Imagery

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s ’ t Le y a l P Also in this section

f

is the nnual ourses” — Pages 42-53

Courtesy of Mississippi Braves

Mississippi Braves ................. Pages 54-55 » The Braves are one of the state’s best family entertainment options, and their home season opens April 4.

Mississippi Music .................. Pages 56-58 » If you haven’t noticed, entertainment venues across the state are hosting some pretty good musical acts.

Neshoba County Fair ..................... Page 59 » This eight-day extravaganza isn’t until late July, but planning has been under way since last year’s fair ended.

Swimwear fashion ................. Pages 60-62 » Another swimsuit season is about to begin, and this year the key is “color.”

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

7

Best Golf Courses in Mississippi

Randy Watkins knows golf, and he knows Mississippi. That’s why, for our fourth annual golf edition, the Mississippi Business Journal turned to the one of the state’s best-known pros to give us his choices for the top courses in the state.

And there few more knowledgeable about golf in Mississippi. Through his Randy Watkins Golf Group, he operates and owns Lake Caroline Golf Club, Whisper Lake Country Club and Patrick Farms Golf Club in the Jackson area.

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From 2006 to 2011, Watkins was tournament director for Mississippi’s only PGA Tour event, the then-Viking Classic (now sponsored by Sanderson Farms).

Watkins was an NCAA All-American golfer at the University of Mississippi, and played on the pro tour in the mid-1980s. He best finishes were fifth at the Magnolia Classic and seventh at the Quad Cities Open. He won the Mississippi State Open in 1992.

So flip through next few pages and see what Watkins considers the best golf courses in Mississippi.

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

Old Waverly

Shell Landing

Dancing Rabbit

Quail Hollow

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

BEST TEST

The Annandale Golf Club Madison

Annandale Golf Club is considered Nicklaus at his finest in design

Year opened: 1981 Designer: Jack Nicklaus Dues: Private club Greens fees: Private club Yardage: 7,177 yards Par: 72 Most difficult hole: No. 14 Easiest hole: No. 5 Celebrity sightings: Chris Kirk, Bill Haas, Will MacKenzie

Photos courtesy of Annandale

This Jack Nicklaus-designed course has truly stood the test of time. Built and opened in 1981, this private club has undergone very few changes in the last 30 plus years.

Other than converting from Bentgrass greens to Bermuda, the course layout and design is unchanged.

Having hosted the prestigious USGA Mid-Amateur in 1986 and constantly being ranked No. 1 in Mississippi by Golf Digest, Annandale is widely considered one of Jack Nicklaus’ finest designs.

Additionally, Annandale has hosted Mississippi’s only PGA TOUR event since 1994. With past Champions the likes of Luke Donald, Fred Funk, Heath Slocum and Bill Haas, it is truly a course for Champions. Annandale is the perfect example of a beautiful piece of land, outstanding design and consistent commitment to excellence from the Membership.

We are all very lucky to have this great “test” of golf in Mississippi.

The Annandale Golf Club

– Randy Watkins

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

BEST EXPERIENCE

Old Waverly Golf Club West Point

Old Waverly the best, both on and off the course

Old Waverly Golf Club Year opened: 1988 Designers: Jerry Pate and Bob Cupp Dues: Not available Greens fees: With member, week days $88; weekends $98 Yardage: 7,088 yards from back tee Par: 72 Most difficult hole: No. 18 Easiest hole: No. 1 Celebrity sightings: Michael Jordan, Morgan Freeman, Archie Manning and sons, Jim Gallagher Jr.

Photos courtesy of Old Waverly

If nothing else, Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point is logical. It starts with the easiest hole – No. 1 is fair and not very long – and ends with the toughest hole – a 445-yard challenge that hugs Lake Waverly.

And between those two holes are 16 more that make Old Waverly one of the premiere golf courses in Mississippi and one of the best experiences both on and off the course.

Along with a beautiful course, there’s lodging on property that includes corporate cottages overlooking the lake. And don’t forget the fabulous food.

The peak seasons are April through June and September through October. The club has a teaching center with lessons available by appointment.

Old Waverly was the home of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in 2006. In 2005 and 2006, it was named by Golf Digest as one of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

BEST RESORT GOLF COURSE

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club Philadelphia

Photos courtesy of Pearl River Resorts

Play both courses to fully appreciate the golfing beauty This 36 hole beauty is the creation of world-famous architect Tom Fazio. The majestic beauty of the rolling hills, amazing scenery and the feeling that each hole stands all alone make these courses a delight to play.

Every golfer owes it to him or herself to play both the Azalea and the Oaks Courses. Additionally, the course has a beautiful clubhouse that includes on site lodging so you can wake up at the course.

As part of the fantastic Pearl River Resort that includes: world-class gaming, beautiful hotels, first-class dining, spa and an amazing water park. This resort truly has everything for the family and is located with easy access from anywhere in the state. Be sure to add this to your bucket list.

Dancing Rabbit Golf Club Year opened: Azaleas: 1997; Oaks: 1999 Designers: Tom Fazio and Jerry Pate Dues: No available Greens fees: $75-$120 Yardage: Azaleas: 7,128 yards; Oaks: 7,076 yards Par: Both Par 72; Most difficult hole: No. 18 on each course Easiest hole: No. 2 on Azaleas; No. 8 on Oaks.

Celebrity sightings: John Daly, Trace Adkins, Michael Bolton.

– Randy Watkins

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

BEST ATMOSPHERE

Shell Landing Golf Club Gautier

Photos courtesy of Mississippi Development Authority

Clubhouse, course, service, make it a Mississippi jewel Located on the Gulf and with easy access to all the nightlife and entertainment on the Gulf Coast, this course is a “diamond in the rough” for sure. When arriving at Shell Landing you will be greeted by sweeping views of the beautiful clubhouse and world class practice facility. Once on the grounds you will be greeted and welcomed with the best service anywhere. On the course you will enjoy an interesting and challenging course that is fun for golfers of all abilities, scenic views of the back bays of the Gulf and superbly groomed and manicured greens. After play, be sure to dine in the clubhouse and enjoy the fresh seafood, delightful atmosphere and second to none service — yet another Mississippi jewel.

Shell Landing Golf Club Year opened: 2000 Designers: Davis Love III Dues: $299-$1,980 annually Greens fees: $35-$99.

Yardage: 7,024 yards Par: 72 Most difficult holes: No. 6, No. 18 Easiest holes: No. 4, No. 10 Celebrity sightings: Adam Levine, cast of Swamp People, Ray Guy, ZZ Top, Bill Engvall, Willie Nelson.

– Randy Watkins

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

BEST COUNTRY CLUB

Country Club of Jackson Jackson

Any way you measure it, CCJ the best Built in the early 1960’s, this true country club is simply amazing.

With amenities that are superior to any Club in the South, I would rank CCJ as the best against any club anywhere. From the stately clubhouse with the best food in town, to the finest locker rooms for both men and women, to the boutique style golf shop, to the best in class swim and tennis, to the New York City quality spa, to the outstanding 27-hole golf course, you cannot compare CCJ to any other facility in Mississippi. If you’re looking for the true country club lifestyle.

You can look no further. For me, it is now, and will always be “The Country Club of Mississippi.”

– Randy Watkins

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Country Club of Jackson Year opened: 1914 Designer: John Fought, re-design in 2008 Dues: Not released Greens fees: $55 during week and $75 on weekends, plus cart Yardage: 5,110 on forward tees and 7,305 on back tees Par: 72 Most difficult hole: No. 16 Easiest hole: No. 3 Celebrity sightings: Not released

Photos courtesy of Country Club of Jackson

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE

Quail Hollow Golf Course, Percy Quin State Park McComb

Quail Hollow Golf Course

Quail Hollow provides a fun, peaceful outing sure to take time to see the park while you’re there, it has outstanding fishing, camping, hiking, pavilions for family reunions or corporate retreats and also has 2 on course villas for you and your golf buddies. You will enjoy every moment in one of Mississippi’s finest facilities.

– Randy Watkins

Photos courtesy of Mississippi Development Authority

Nestled in the middle of the beautiful Percy Quin State Park, Quail Hollow Golf Course is truly a joy to play.

With nearly every tee shot having an elevated view, this beauty is fun and peaceful for all golfers.

The par 72 course is generous off the tee and fair around the greens.

If you like a peaceful, beautiful setting this course is for you. Be

Year opened: 1996 Designer: Arthur Hills Dues: Annual pass $1,300; Corporate annual pass $1,800 for two.

Greens fees: $37-$40 Yardage: 6,754 yards Par: 72 Most difficult hole: No. 16 Easiest hole: No. 6 Celebrity sightings: Saints players, particularly Michael Lewis, Jim Gallagher Jr.

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

BEST UNIVERSITY GOLF COURSE

Ole Miss Golf Course Oxford

Photos courtesy of University of Mississippi

Course that’s a pleasure to play offers a challenge The Ole Miss Golf Course is nestled near the airport in the exciting and progressive town of Oxford.

The course provides an excellent challenge with its wide fairways and beautifully manicured greens.

With a new clubhouse and Cary Middlecoff-designed course you will find this one a pleasure to play.

Any trip to Oxford is special for its beauty and charm, amazing athletic and cultural events, playing a round at OMGC is a definite must do.

Be sure to make time to shop in the well-stocked pro shop and grab one of the best hamburgers in town.

If you like hitting your driver and are game for some challenging putts, add this one to your list of places you’ve got to play.

Ole Miss Golf Course Year opened: 1973; renovated 2008/2009 Designers: Cary Middlecoff Dues: $85-$120/month Greens fees: $35-$45 Yardage: 7,100 yards Par: 72 Most difficult hole: No. 13 Easiest hole: No. 1 Celebrity sightings: Archie, Eli and Payton Manning, John Grisham, Vince Gill, Tim Brando.

– Randy Watkins

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

Best of the rest Beau Pre’ Golf Club BEST GETAWAY COURSE

Grand Bear Golf Club BEST COASTAL GOLF COURSE Gulfport — The Jack Nicklaus-designed Grand Bear course is set among 1,700 acres surrounded by the DeSoto National Forest. The Big Biloxi River borders one side of the property, and the Little Biloxi runs along the other side. The course winds through special wetland natural habitats. It also includes a 6.5-acre lake. “Grand Bear has the feel of Augusta National and the excitement of Pinehurst, with packed pine needle rough, championship greens and deep bunkers,” said Tolby Strahan, director of golf.

Timberton Golf Club BEST OPERATED Hattiesburg — If you’re interested in playing a great course in a great location, put this one on your list. If you’re also interested in playing a course that is clean, neat, organized, well staffed and serviced, with great food and atmosphere then Timberton is the place for you. You can count on consistent conditions, service and a pleasant experience each and every time you play.

For my money, this one is always worth it.

Clarksdale Country Club BEST DELTA COURSE

Hattiesburg Country Club BEST HISTORY Hattiesburg —Home of Mississippi’s PGA TOUR event from 1968-1993, no course has the history to rival this outstanding course. Winners like Craig Stadler, Payne Stewart, Paul Azinger and Mississippi’s own Jim Gallagher Jr., speaks for itself. Walk the halls in the beautiful clubhouse and take in the history and memories most of us grew up with. And oh by the way, if you’re lucky enough to play the course you are in for a treat. It is always in near perfect condition and it’s an awful lot of fun to test your game on a course the Pro’s love so much.

Natchez — A great layout with something for everyone. Elevated tee shots, beautiful bluffs and excellent greens, Beau Pre’ is proving to be Southwest Mississippi’s best course. It doesn’t hurt that it’s in Natchez, one of our great state’s most enjoyable cities. With gaming attractions, great hotels and some of the finest bed and breakfast facilities in the entire country. If you work your schedule wisely, you can travel to Natchez during the annual Pilgrimage and enjoy looking back in time after a fun round of golf. Perfect day trip for those that are close but there may not be a better “stay and play” location than Natchez.

Tupelo Country Club BEST LAYOUT Tupelo — Having hosted many prestigious events over the years, including the Men’s State Amateur Championship many times, this layout is a beauty. Each and every hole presents a different and unique challenge and opportunity. The course has a great flow, terrific par 5’s, interesting par 4’s and perhaps the best collection of par 3’s of any course in the state. Every golfer likes to hit each club in his or her bag and this course offers that more than any other. Play this one and you will see a course that was designed perfectly for all golfers…

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Clarksdale — One of the great layouts in Mississippi and home of the finest greens anywhere. Rich in tradition, this great course has stood the test of time and remains a great test for all golfers. With gentle doglegs and unique Delta topography, I put this as one of my all-time favorites. A great country club in one of Mississippi’s most historical cities. If a fun challenge and excellent conditions are what you’re after, check this one out.”

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LET’S PLAY: 7 BEST GOLF COURSES IN MISSISSIPPI

Frank Berow/MBJ

Frank Berow/MBJ

INDIVIDUAL HONORS:

Best Golf Teacher: Dave Cowger

Best Golf Shop: Edwin Watts, Ridgeland

Learning the nuances of teaching golf is a long process, but not for everybody. Dave Cowger cut his teeth teaching under Claude, Butch and Dick Harmon, the first family of golf teachers. Dave has learned the true art through hours of practice and study. As a PGA golf professional he is comfortable and gifted to teach all golfers, whether you’re a beginner, a youngster, lady, man or Touring Professional, Dave is the ultimate communicator and motivator. His common sense approach and tried and true methods make learning or improving a fun experience. Be sure to visit him in his state of the art studio in Ridgeland, you will most definitely find the game easier and more fun.

– Randy Watkins

The Edwin Watts Golf Shop in Ridgeland is truly a destination shopping experience. It carries everything there is in golf, from clubs to balls to bags to clothes to GPS and range finders. It even has a hitting bay where you can test and be fitted for new or used clubs, a putting green for you to find the elusive putter we all search for to the largest selection of golf shoes anywhere. The shop is always staffed with well-trained and eager-to-help experts who are truly there to help you find anything and everything you need or want.

If you are serious about finding what is new or best in golf it is the place to shop. It also has an outstanding selection of equipment for ladies and for youngsters.

– Randy Watkins

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Best Service: Fallen Oak, Biloxi Part of the Beau Rivage Family, you can expect the same level of world class service you experience at Mississippi’s finest Casino and Resort. From the moment you make your tee time to the last putt on No. 18, you will feel like a king or queen. The staff and facilities are second to none. You will be welcomed at the gate, met at your car to help you unload and be lead to the golf shop, locker room or restaurant. Upon entering the clubhouse you immediately know you are in a special place. All personnel are at your beck and call, even as you play the magnificent Tom Fazio-designed course. There are literally people everywhere to serve you, the driving range, the No. 1 tee and while you play you will be thanked for playing and served with food and beverages all day long. The golf course is absolutely one of the best in the South, a “must play” course if there ever was one. If a great course, unmatched service in a peaceful setting is what you’re after, make your reservation today at the Beau Rivage and add a round at Fallen Oak to your trip.

– Randy Watkins

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LET’S PLAY: BRAVES

FUN AT THE OL’ BALLPARK

Courtesy of the Mississippi Braves

A Mississippi Braves game is one of the best entertainment bargains available for both children and adults.

Mississippi Braves’ home opener is April 4

By Mike Christensen

I

F YOU HAVE THE means, you can’t beat the suite treatment at Pearl’s Trustmark Park, home of the minor league Mississippi Braves.

The air-conditioned upper-deck boxes, which also feature outdoor seating, come equipped with a bigscreen TV, Internet access and wait staff at the ready. Rental rates start at $500 for 16 tickets.

Of course, many baseball fans like the view from behind home plate, where you can almost feel the crack of the bat. At the TeePee, those seats go for $15.

Perhaps the best bargain is the $6 general admission seating area down the right-field line. Section 124 puts you within earshot of the right fielder, and there’s a pretty fair chance a foul ball will be hit there.

Ask 10 fans and you might get 10

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responses as to the best seat in the house at Trustmark Park, which can accommodate 8,000-plus.

What fans are more apt to agree on is the quality of the baseball you’ll see.

The M-Braves are the Double-A affiliate of the major league Atlanta Braves. Double-A ball is basically two steps from the majors — and some players have even made the jump to The Show directly from Pearl.

In eight years at Trustmark Park, the M-Braves have produced almost 70 major league players, including current Atlanta stars Brian McCann, Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel and Kris Medlen.

And that’s not to mention the players who have passed through the park as members of the opposing teams. The venerable Southern League also includes the affiliates of Arizona, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Cincinnati, the Los An-

geles Dodgers, Miami, Milwaukee, Seattle and Tampa Bay. Autographs? If you want them, you can usually get them. Players are generally accessible for autographs before and sometimes after games at the far end of their dugout. Gates open an hour before first pitch, and M-Braves staff can direct you to the right spot.

The M-Braves have won one league championship — scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth of the decisive fifth game of the 2008 title series — and made the playoffs one other time.

Under first-year manager Aaron Holbert, a young 2012 club went 6277 overall (the 140-game season is split into two halves) and missed the postseason. Holbert is back this year, and it’s expected he’ll have another young club.

But the Class A Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats, the M-Braves’ primary

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LET’S PLAY: BRAVES feeder club, won the 2012 Carolina League championship. And a good number of those players could be at Trustmark Park in 2013.

The lead dog in the pack likely headed this way is outfielder Matt Lipka, a firstround pick by Atlanta in 2010 and a toprated prospect.

He was injured much of the 2012 season (.271 in 51 games) and didn’t play in the Hillcats’ postseason run. He may have to play his way onto the Mississippi club in spring training.

Other Hillcats alums to watch for at the TeePee include: second baseman Tommy La Stella (.302), first baseman Chris Garcia (.285, 11 homers), outfielder/DH Adam Milligan (.255, 15 homers), catcher Braeden Schlehuber (.270) and third baseman Edward Salcedo (17 homers, 23 steals).

Milligan and Schlehuber already have some Double-A time.

The top starting pitchers at Lynchburg were Gary Schlosser (13 wins, 3.38 ERA), Cody Martin (12 wins), Aaron Northcraft (10 wins) and J.R. Graham, who was 9-1 for the Hillcats before moving to Mississippi, where he also impressed. The hardthrowing Graham, a highly rated prospect, could be the M-Braves’ ace in 2013.

Of course, the action on the field is only part of the Trustmark Park experience.

Built in 2004-05 at a cost of about $30 million, the ballpark has all the modern amenities.

Numerous concession booths (with the usual ballpark fare) and restrooms are located around the open concourse, which has lots of room for mingling.

The large video scoreboard in leftcenter field once stood in Atlanta’s Turner Field. There is a full-service restaurant — the Farm Bureau Grill — just beyond the right-field wall, and the Bud Light Picnic Pavilion, available for rent for large groups, is located down the left-field line. The Mitchell Signs Party Terraces are also good spots for smaller groups.

The Mass Mutual Family Fun Zone includes numerous activities for kids, some of whom simply enjoy rolling down the grassy hill beyond the left-field fence.

The Extra Innings Team Store stocks all kinds of novelties, including caps, jerseys, pennants, team cards and the like.

Standing promotions include Thirsty Thursdays (with discounted beverages) and Friday night fireworks shows, and after games on Sundays, kids can run the

Courtesy of the Mississippi Braves

Trustmark Park was built in Pearl in 2004-5 at a cost of about $30 million and seats more than 8,000. The Braves average attendance in 2012 was 2,904.

Courtesy of the Mississippi Braves

Manager Aaron Holbert is hoping to get the Braves back into the playoffs this season.

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bases. Other special events are planned.

Fans should be advised that some items are not permitted to be brought into the park. These include food, beverages, folding chairs, artificial noisemakers and, unfortunately, beach balls. Umbrellas are allowed (and often needed).

The ballpark is conveniently located near the junction of Interstate 20 and state Highways 80 and 49. There is ample free parking at both the north and south ends of the stadium.

There are ticket windows at both ends of the park, and tickets also can be purchased by calling 601-932-8788 or 1888BRAVES4, or on the Internet at www.mississippibraves.com.

Opening night is April 4, the first game of a five-game series against the Mobile BayBears. The last home game is Aug. 27.

(Game times vary; check the schedule.)

The club averaged 2,904 fans per game in 2012. On most days, good seats are available.

Now you just have to decide what’s the best one for you.

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LET’S PLAY: MISSISSIPPI MUSIC

LET’S ROCK

Courtesy of Hard Rock Casino

The Hard Rock Casino is one of several concert venues in Biloxi.

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’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S PLAY: MISSISSIPPI MUSIC

Concert venues across state hosting top acts

By Stephen McDill

D

ENNIS SANKOVICH says that Mississippi is in the center of the country’s “music triangle”- that heartland full of highways and honky-tonks stretching from Nashville to Memphis and down to New Orleans.

Sankovich, the general manager of the 950-seat MSU Riley Center in Meridian, says that Mississippi’s strong claim of the popular adage “the birthplace of America’s music” puts it in prime shape to host some of the country’s brightest stars.

“The word is getting out,” Sankovich says. “Lots more artists are coming through Mississippi. It all started here.”

Since opening in 2006, the restored 1889 historic Grand Opera House at Riley Center has offered high-class entertainment including thirty annual shows from Broadway and country to gospel and pop. The Center has also hosted events in its conference center and promoted arts and education through partnerships with Mississippi State University and the Kennedy Center.

“We offer artists that exemplify their art and fit the niche of our region,” Sankovich says.

By offering block dates, bringing fees down and “routing” or working special location deals with promoters, Sankovich is able to book many acts that are traveling between shows in Birmingham and New Orleans.

“Bonnie Raitt had come here (last year) from Jazz Fest and had people wrapped around her just 85 feet from the stage like they were in her living room,” he says. Since performers are used to being on stage under the lights in front of thousands, Riley offers an intimate performance ex-

Courtesy of Landers Center

The Landers Center often uses the facilities for different tours to rehearse their concerts. The roadies and crews show up and hang all their equipment and lighting and run through an entire show to check the acoustics and other properties. perience with state-of-the-acoustics that blow many of the artists away by the end of the show.

The Landers Center, formerly the DeSoto Civic Center, opened in 2000 in Southaven, just a handful of miles south of the Memphis city limits. “We compete with the FedEx Forum in Memphis everyday,” says director Todd Mastry.

The 10,000-seat arena is attached

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to a convention hall and does very well with country music audiences.

Mastry says the most tickets they ever sold were for Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert’s “Blood, Sweat and Beers” tour last year.

Landers has also drawn crowds for ventriloquist/humorist Jeff Dunham and country acts Hank Williams Jr. and Miranda Lambert. Two more big draws for the facility are the Mid-

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LET’S PLAY: MISSISSIPPI MUSIC South Fair and Memphis RiverKings hockey season.

Mastry says he uses his many national contacts from shows he’s already done to promote the arena and attract talent.

“You get to know the promoters and agents and establish a good relationship with them.”

Landers often uses the facilities for different tours to rehearse their concerts. The roadies and crews show up and hang all their equipment and lighting and run through an entire show to check the acoustics and other properties.

“You name it, we try to make it work,” Mastry says.

On the other side of north Mississippi, the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo is always selling tickets in the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll king Elvis Presley.

“We do a little bit of everything,” says director Todd Hunt. “If you look at our population, we’ve got the smallest one compared to Southaven and the Gulf Coast.”

The arena’s connection to an adjacent convention center and Hilton Garden Inn make it an attractive meeting place for the region while the concerts tailor to predominantly country and contemporary gospel audiences.

“We travel to other venues and do site visits, trying to stay up with technology,” Hunt says.

On the entertainment side Hunt says he will know what venues work and make sure the artists match the market.

As a longtime concert organizer, Hunt says Mississippi has promoted artists even before they hit it big. There was a time when Destiny’s Child and Maroon 5 would play some of Jackson’s smaller clubs and bars.

“Kenny Chesney’s first appearance in Tupelo was in the late 90s and was canceled because of lack of ticket sales,” Hunt says.

“He returned three years later and sold the place out.”

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Courtesy of Beau Rivage

Beau Rivage in Biloxi seats 1,500 for a intimate concert or show.

Selected venue details Here’s a sneak, behind-the-scenes peek at some of Mississippi’s premier entertainment destinations and their best lineups in recent years. (For a complete list of shows and box office information, visit the venue’s website) » Mississippi Coliseum Jackson Seats: 6,500-10,000 Notable acts: Elton John, American Idol Tour, Dixie National Rodeo, Mississippi State Fair, Loretta Lynn, Bobby Rush, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 2013 Schedule: Shinedown, Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey, Buddy Guy, Bobby Bland, Bobby Rush Website: www.mdac.state.ms.us » Gold Strike Casino Resort Tunica Seats: 900 Notable acts: Lisa Marie Presley, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Charlie Daniels Band, Rick Springfield 2013 Schedule: Vince Gill, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Joan Jett, Grand Funk Railroad Gladys Knight Website: www.goldstrikemississippi.com » Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Biloxi Seats: 1,500 Notable acts: The Beach Boys, Alice Cooper, Patti Labelle, Hall & Oats, Lenny Kravitz 2013 Schedule: The Moody Blues, Vince Gill, Chicago, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Gladys Knight, Ron White Website: www.beaurivage.com

» MSU Riley Center Meridian Seats: 950 Notable acts: Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, Bonnie Raitt, Boyz II Men, Garrison Keillor, Amy Grant, Wynton Marsalis, Art Garfunkel 2013 Schedule: Jewel, Aaron Neville, Boz Scaggs, Don McLean, Vince Gill Website: www.msurileycenter.com » Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi Notable acts: Three Doors Down, Kid Rock, Chicago, Styx, LeAnn Rimes 2013 Schedule: Foreigner, Yes, Trace Adkins, Lonestar, Josh Turner, Uncle Kracker Website: www.hardrockbiloxi.com

Mary J. Blige

» IP Resort Casino & Spa Biloxi Notable acts: Toby Keith, Evanescence, Melissa Etheridge, REO Speedwagon 2013 Schedule: Gabriel Iglesias, The Doobie Brothers, Gretchen Wilson, Neil Sedaka Website: www.ipbiloxi.com

» Landers Center Southaven Seats: 10,000 Notable acts: Hank Williams Jr., Miranda Lambert, The Isley Brothers, Eric Church, Rick Ross 2013 Schedule: Luke Bryan, Mary Luke Bryan J. Blige, Rodeo of the Mid-South, Keith Sweat, Royal Comedy Tour Website: www.landerscenter.com

Joan Jett

» BancorpSouth Arena Tupelo Seats: 10,000 Notable acts: Bill Cosby, James Taylor, Tom Petty, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Reba McIntire, Alan Jackson, Michael W. Smith 2013 Schedule: Monster Jam, Ringling Brothers, Brantley Gilbert Website: www.bcsarena.com

» Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center Biloxi Seats: 8,000-11,000 Notable acts: Jason Aldean, Eric Church, The Band Perry, Hank Williams Jr., Keith Urban 2013 Schedule: Elton John, Billy Currington, Hunter Hayes, Scotty McCreery, Website: www.mscoastcoliseum.com

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S PLAY: NESHOBA COUNTY FAIR

IT’S ALL FAIR

Candace McKay / Nesoba County Fair

Horse raceing on the cabin-lined track is one of the popular events of the Neshoba County Fair that begins every July in Philadelphia.

8-day celebration takes all year to prepare

By Mike Christensen

S

O WHEN EXACTLY does Norman Price, one of the lucky ones who owns a cabin at the Neshoba County Fair, start anticipating the arrival of the late-summer event known as Mississippi’s Giant House Party?

“Well, the fair ends every year on a Saturday – it’s probably Sunday when I start thinking about the next one,” said Price, who lives in the Jackson area.

Price no doubt speaks for many of the 150,000 to 175,000 patrons who flock to east central Mississippi each year for the eight-day fair, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2014.

Fair dates for this year are July 26-Aug. 2. Admission is $15 per day, $40 for a season pass. Kids under 10 get in free.

There are about 600 cabins scattered in “neighborhoods” about the grounds, and there are almost as many RV spaces. But unless you already own a cabin or a space, you’ll have to stay somewhere nearby.

“There is a waiting list for the RV spots, and it’s a long one,” said Laura Thrash, who’s in charge of publicity and sponsorships. Cabins are even harder to come by.

Neshoba County Tourism does sponsor a hospitality cabin, where visitors can get some cold water, sit for a spell and check out what one of those coveted fair dwellings looks like on the inside.

So exactly what is the big deal about this particular fair held in this remote locale during the state’s summer swelter?

“It’s hard to describe it in a few words,” said Mark Price, Norman’s brother and one of the 20 or so family members and friends who’ll cram into Norman’s cabin for all or part of the fair’s run.

The late, great Willie Morris called it “a combination camp meeting, picnic, recital, amusement park, music jamboree, race track and political rally.”

Ronald Reagan, John Glenn and Jack Kemp are among the political figures who’ve spoken there.

Even in non-election years such as this one, Mississippi’s governor, lieutenant governor and other state and local politicians usually speak on the Wednesday and Thursday of the event.

Many major recording stars have done shows at the fair over the years, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn, Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts and Trace Atkins. As of mid-February, the lineup for 2013 included Dustin Lynch, Greg Bates, Joe Nichols and Craig Morgan. More acts were to be announced.

Local bands that have developed a following over the years also perform.

There is a midway with amusement rides and games provided by Mitchell Bros. and Sons.

There is a flea market and craft show on Saturday. It’s held at Founder’s Square

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and includes booths for pottery, paintings, metal work and the like.

There are three livestock shows and the Miss Neshoba County pageant and an antique car show.

The Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon is also tied to the fair, ending on the grounds on the opening Saturday.

And the fair is home to Mississippi’s only licensed horse track, which has been around since 1922. Harness racing is the main event, with quarter horses and thoroughbreds also running.

But, mostly, the fair is about family and friends and fellowship, says Norman Price.

“You just do what you want to do,” he said. “You can eat and drink and talk, or you can sit in a corner and read, or you can just sleep all day.”

Price first attended the fair when he was in high school thirty-some years ago.

“I had a great time. Got a camper site in 1983. Just fell in love with it,” he said. “I had an opportunity to buy a cabin about 16 years ago, so I jumped on it. My kids have grown up going to the fair.

“It’s our family vacation. When we’re together at Thanksgiving or Christmas, we start talking about the menu for the fair. There are people we see there that we only see once a year and we get to catch up with them.

“That’s what the fair is about. Now, some’ll hate it, but most people who go just love it.”

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LET’S PLAY: FASHION

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

Tankinis, such as this suit from Freya, will never go out of style, says Arlene Goldstein of Belk’s.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS Ready or not, swim suit time is near

By Lynn Lofton

S

WIM SUIT TIME will soon be here.

Maybe men don’t mind donning their swim trunks, but women – unless they’re a size “0” – face the purchase of new swim wear with trepidation.

A plaque spotted in an Ocean Springs gift shop sums it up fairly well: “Things could be worse; we could be trying on swim suits.”

Arlene Goldstein with Belk’s department stores laughs good naturedly at that grim philosophy, but says there are swim wear styles for everyone. She’s based in Charlotte, N.C., where she serves as vice president of trend merchandising and fashion direction for Belk’s.

“This year we’re in a color cycle, and color is

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extremely important,” Goldstein said. “There are statements to be made with yellow, tangerine, magenta, touches of neon, prints and pattern, stripes and Southern customers love dots; and the styles are flattering.”

For women, bandeau tops, the bandini, the tankini, ruffles and molded bra tops will continue to be popular, she says. “Swim wear is challenging because it exposes more of your body than anything else,” Goldstein said. “We look for things that flatter us when trying on swim suits. Use your best feature and highlight it.”

Sal-Liz Lingerie in Flowood sells swim wear for women, specializing in cup specific sizing with most in bra sizes 28 to 38 and widths of D to H. This shop is also touting bright colors in

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLAY: FASHION

This Kyoto Lotus Blossom bikini is an example of the vibrant colors you will see in swim suits this summer.

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLAY: FASHION neon and patterns, along with black, which seems to never go out of style. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fringe bathing suits, retro suits of the 40s, 50s and 60s, highwaisted bottoms, strapless bandeau tops for no tan lines and swim dresses are very popular,â&#x20AC;? says sales associate Caitlin BlytheSmith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Swim dresses are selling like crazy.â&#x20AC;?

The swim dresses, she points out, are being sold to women of all age groups. This style is a onepiece, high-waisted suit with a skirt over the top. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very retro; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not skimpy and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great for cruises,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have one, and the owner of the shop, Ouida Alsup, has 1 too.â&#x20AC;?

Goldstein agrees that the retro look is in vogue this season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 40s glamour girl look is very trendy,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a generation that hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen this style. It has a high waist and bandeau top thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ&#x201A;attering for a lot of women.â&#x20AC;?

Beth Selman, a Jackson interior

designer and self-described sun worshipper, says the best thing to ever come along in womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swim wear is the ability to buy two-piece suits in different sizes for the tops and bottoms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That kind of sizing helps a lot of women get a better ďŹ t,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and makes swim suit shopping less intimidating.â&#x20AC;?

Blythe-Smith says swimsuits are never fun, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but thankfully there are many styles and colors to choose from so women can feel as comfortable as possible.â&#x20AC;?

For men, Goldstein says swim wear remains fairly classic without a lot of drastic change in style. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The prep style is still popular, but swim trunks are getting shorter and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing more adventurous colors and patterns,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are aquatic colors and motifs, and blue is an important color.â&#x20AC;?

She adds that skimpy styles for men and women are not part of Southern culture as they are in Europe and Brazil.

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swim trunks are getting shorter with more adventurous colors and patterns.

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

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â&#x20AC;&#x2122;COME SEE USâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

s ’ t Le t a E In this section Seafood » Mary Mahoney’s, Biloxi » Trapani’s Eatery, Bay St. Louis » Harbor View, Long Beach » Half Shell, Gulfport » Phoenicia, Ocean Springs Lunch: » Two Sisters, Jackson » Burger Burger, Biloxi » Weidmann’s, Meridian » Buck’s, Greenville » Romie’s Grocery, Tupelo Desserts: » Pearl’s Lemon Crunch » Crystall Grill Pies » Warm Molten Chocolate Cake » Pecan Carmel Butter Crunch » Strawberry Cream Cheese Bavarian

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LET’S EAT: SEAFOOD

MARY MAHONEY’S

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mary Mahoney’s has been winning awards for its cuisine and atmosphere since it opened in 1964.

By Clay Chandler

N

OT MANY PLACES can be considered a landmark.

Mary Mahoney’s Old French House in Biloxi certainly can.

Open since 1964, Mary Mahoney’s sits right off Beach Boulevard on Rue Magnolia and has become famous for its seafood — six of the seven signature dishes feature fresh fish and/or lobster — and its courtyard that sits under a 2,000-year-old live oak.

Though the exact date the original Old French House was built is unknown, estimates point to the mid1700s, during the French occupation of the Coast.

The restaurant retains its French characteristics, with high ceilings that are unique to the French Quarter in New Orleans. A water-tight cellar originally used to store books and furniture now serves as Mary Mahoney’s wine cellar.

National Geographic magazine has featured it as “Biloxi’s oldest house,”

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and the restaurant has been winning awards for its cuisine and atmosphere almost since it opened.

But it’s the food that keeps people coming back.

Flounder, shrimp, oysters, crab and lobster dot the lunch and dinner menu, each prepared in a multitude of ways. Forbes magazine in 2011 named Mary Mahoney’s as one its “10 memorable meals of 2011.” The dinner menu also features several cuts of steak. Its wine list is among the most extensive in all the Gulf Coast.

Mary Mahoney’s offers an intimate fine dining setting, whether it’s for two or 100. Its private banquet room is a popular spot for large gatherings like parties and corporate events.

Like everything south of the railroad tracks on the Coast, Mary Mahoney’s was decimated by Katrina.

The restaurant was rebuilt in the same place it has stood since its opening, the only exception being the café part of the restaurant. The restaurant’s reopening only 65 days after the Aug. 2005 storm was one

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mary Mahoney’s courtyard sits under a 2,000year-old live oak at 110 Rue Magnolia. of earliest signs of at least some degree of recovery in the area. It set the example for the resorts, casinos and golf courses that line the Mississippi Coast.

The restaurant’s remodeling focused on preserving its old, classic French characteristics. The natural brick walls, random-width board floors and fireplaces are still there.

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S EAT: SEAFOOD

TRAPANI’S

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Royal Red Shrimp is a favorite at Trapani’s Eatery, which re-opened last year after being destroyed by Katrina.

By Clay Chandler

I

N EARLY 2012, a Hancock County landmark celebrated a return to the waterfront in Bay St. Louis.

Trapani’s Eatery reopened after its building and pretty much everything around it was destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. Even the road in front of it was washed away.

The restaurant reopening was one of the surer signs that the beach community that was among the hardest-hit areas had put the worst of Katrina behind it.

Long-time regulars couldn’t be happier that the Gulf seafood-serving sensation is back in business.

“The only thing better than the food is the view,” said Rep. David Baria, a Bay St. Louis resident whose district includes the restaurant. “It’s right on the Bay of St. Louis. Just has a million-dollar view.”

Baria said his wife and friends recently threw him a surprise birthday party at Trapani’s, celebrated with an old college roommate whose birthday fell about the same time.

Ironically, Baria’s roommate is a Bay St. Louis who first introduced him to the restaurant shortly after it opened almost

20 years ago.

Famous for its wide range of seafood, serving up po-boys, Royal Red shrimp, fish and oysters cooked every which way and a collection of pasta creations.

The trout is Baria’s favorite. Owner Tony Trapani has developed several different sauces he uses to create a variety of trout dishes.

“And they’re all fantastic,” Baria said.

“And all the seafood is fresh. You won’t get it any fresher.”

The atmosphere at Trapani’s is what Baria called “coast casual,” highlighted by hand-made mobiles hanging from the ceiling.

Hurricane Katrina destroyed the original restaurant, forcing owners to rebuild.

They did, in the exact same spot.

“They’ve done a good job creating a similar atmosphere in a new building,” Baria said. “They really did a great job rebuilding. “It’s an iconic place. When you’re on the Coast and you start thinking about where you want to go for dinner, Trapani’s is the first place that pops into your mind. It’s a local favorite, and it’s definitely a big part of the area’s culture. I plan on continuing to go there for a long, long time.”

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Trapani’s Eatery is at 116 N. Beach Blvd. in Bay St. Louis.

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LET’S EAT: SEAFOOD

HARBOR VIEW

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Harbor View Cafe in Long Beach has been recognized by Southern Living magazine.

By Clay Chandler

O

NE OF THE Mississippi Coast’s more popular seafood restaurants is owned by a family from New Jersey.

Harbor View Café in Long Beach first opened in Pass Christian in 1994, when the Hirsch family relocated there from New Jersey. The Hirsches operated a restaurant in that state for 11 years before moving to the Mississippi coast.

The restaurant soon became a celebrated regular on the area’s worldfamous seafood restaurant circuit.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Harbor View’s menu is diverse.

Standard breakfast fare includes all kinds of omelettes, pancakes of every flavor, French toast, eggs, ham bacon, sausage, toast, muffins and grits. Lunch is when the seafood specialties appear. Po-boys topped with shrimp, oysters – or both – have made Harbor View one of the Coast’s more popular spots for the sandwich made famous in the Gulf

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South. Po-boys also come dressed with catfish, roast beef and ham and cheese. The surf and turf po-boy is dressed like a Philly cheese steak and topped with fried shrimp.

When dinner arrives, the seafood options expand further. Appetizers include shrimp and oyster starters, crab cakes and crab claws. The seafood combination platter features shrimp, oysters and catfish. Fried shrimp, fried oysters and fried or blackened catfish. Crawfish entrees dot the pasta selections.

The restaurant has been recognized by Southern Living magazine, which said the po-boys were the best on the Gulf. Coastal Living”magazine named Harbor View the “favorite seafood dive of the Gulf Coast.”

Like the rest of the Coast, Pass Christian endured catastrophic damage in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck. Harbor View was destroyed.

About six months after the storm, the restaurant reopened under the direction of its original owner and Chef Thomas Barrett, who came

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Harbor View Cafe is at 504 Jeff Davis Ave. in Long Beach. from four-star restaurant La Provence in Lacombe, La. There was one major difference, though. At the new location in Long Beach, Harbor View didn’t sit right on the water like its original location in The Pass.

That changed in January 2011, when Harbor View opened on Jeff Davis Avenue one block off the water in Long Beach.

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LET’S EAT: SEAFOOD

HALF SHELL

Courtesy of Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Half Shell serves more than just oysters, including dishes like steak and shrimp.

By Clay Chandler

T

HE HALF SHELL Oyster House has experienced a lot of growth since the opening of its first restaurant in downtown Gulfport in 2009.

From there, the restaurant expanded to Biloxi in 2011 and Sarasota, Fla., last year. In February of this year, the fourth location opened in Hattiesburg.

The Gulfport location, situated in the revitalized downtown’s historic Kremer Building, started the craze over the restaurant’s oysters. They’re charbroiled, served on the half shell, barbecued and served in the Rockefeller and Bienville style. Oysters are served with a special herbs, a seafood mixture and garnished with musrooms and New Orleans-style butter sauce.

To go with its namesake, Half Shell offers all the seafood staples, steaks, po-boys, gumbo and shrimp and grits. Menu items like the New Orleans-style shrimp and Half Shell

avocado sales used locally fresh fish and seafood. Locally sourced ingredients also help create house specialties like the seafood pot pie the shrimp and grits and the seafoodstuffed portobello mushroom.

Steaks, chicken, pasta, burgers and sandwiches round out the menu. Particularly popular is the chicken half shell Alfredo sauce, artichoke hearts, capers and sundried tomatoes. The avocado Half Shell salad is another staple, tossed with avocado, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Half Shell also rotates daily and monthly specials prepared with the same local seafood it uses for its staples and that adhere to its pedigree.

The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

The oyster house isn’t limited to dining only. All four of the restaurants feature a long, copper bar with daily happy hour specials. Customers can even belly up and watch their oysters being prepared.

Each location offers a unique at-

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Half Shell Oyster House has four locations, including 125 Lameuse Street in Biloxi. mosphere. Exposed brick and French Quarter lighting are highlighted by wrought iron railings and an architectural style unique to the Gulf South region. Each location also offers semi-private rooms for parties, corporate events, banquets, and any other kind of get-together customers can cook up.

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LET’S EAT: SEAFOOD

Courtesy of Phoenicia

Phoenicia is known for its award winning Greek- and Lebanese-style seafood.

PHOENICIA

By Clay Chandler

E

VEN BY THE standards on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Phoenicia Gourmet Restaurant in Ocean Springs served world-class seafood. Combined with a Greek neo-classical atmosphere, Phoenicia has become a Coast landmark since its opening a little less than 15 years ago.

The restaurant is known for its Greek- and Lebanese-style seafood, including Mediterranean and coconut shrimp, red snapper, tuna, crab cakes and steaks. The restaurant has won several awards just in the last few years from food critics, magazines and tourism agencies.

And Phoenicia’s patrons understand why.

“It’s definitely one of those restaurants that you won’t forget,” said Gulfport resident Jason Smith.

Smith said one of his favorite menu items is the red snapper served with lump crab meat, a staple at any seafood restaurant worth its salt.

What separates the fare at Phoeni-

cia from other places, Smith said, isn’t so much what it has, but what it doesn’t. “Some seafood restaurants tend to overdo it with the sauces and the butter, but their seafood has a good balance,” Smith said.

The atmosphere also lends itself well to dinner and drinks, Smith said, making the spot a popular place to gather with friends.

Like a lot of the Coast Phoenicia was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The restaurant had to close for six months after the storm. After an extensive rebuilding effort that included an expansion and a foray into the fine dining part of the restaurant business, It reopened in the same spot on Valentine’s Day 2006. For its contributions to the overall storm recovery in Ocean Springs, Phoenicia received the Bob and Virginia Meyer HOSA award from the Historic Ocean Springs Association.

The restaurant’s list of awards doesn’t stop there. It was also named the 2010 restaurant of the year by the Ocean Springs Chamber of Com-

Phoenicia Gourmet Restaurant is at 1223 Government St. in Ocean Springs. merce’s Main Street Tourism Bureau. Owner Issam “Sam” Habagh received the Ocean Springs Rotary Club’s “Service Above Self” award in 2011. The restaurant was recently named by New Orleans Magazine as one of the Gulf Coast’s best places to dine.

“It’s really just a great place to eat,” Smith said. “it’s certainly one of my favorite places, and I’ve been to them all.”

Also, try these ... » Old Cuevas Bistro – Pass Christian » Bacchus Food & Drink – Gulfport

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» Red Sky Crab House – Gulfport » Taranto’s Crawfish and Seafood – Biloxi

» Seafood Junction – Algoma

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LET’S EAT: LET’S DO LUNCH

TWO SISTERS

By Ted Carter

Y

OU WON’T FIND two sisters at Two Sisters Kitchen in Jackson, but you will find one of the best places to stop for a home-cooking style lunch in Mississippi.

Want to know why so many cars pack the parking lot of the nearly quarter-century old restaurant at 707 N. Congress St. each weekday afternoon? For the answer, enjoy a Two Sisters’ buffet that offers up fried chicken, red beans and rice, catfish, chicken & dumplings, country-fried steak and sides that include mash potatoes and gravy, cream corn, candied yams, steamed cabbage, fried okra and turnip greens and cornbread and angel biscuits… you get the picture.

You can’t get much closer to home cooking than cooking in an actual home. And that’s what you get at Two Sisters Kitchen, which is housed in an old fashion two-story wood-frame home once occupied by Judge Joe Penix and family. Wood floors, high ceilings, fire places, a narrow staircase and a second-story veranda leave diners “expecting their grandmother to come bustling out of the kitchen,” says owner Diann Irving Alford, a Kosciusko native and former legal secretary who opened the restaurant in 1989.

The menu of Southern home cooking hasn’t changed much over the past couple decades, though the seasoning today is selected with healthy eating in mind, Alford says. “The only thing that I have changed is that when we first opened I seasoned with pork. Now, to be more health conscious we use smoked turkey.”

And Two Sisters is careful on the salt, she adds.

“There is probably as much salt in one of my big pots as most people do in a small pot at home.”

Alford sees herself as a testament to her restaurant’s healthy cooking style. “I have lost 100 pounds eating

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Stephen McDill / The Mississippi Business Journal

Diann Irving Alford opened Two Sisters in 1989 at 707 N. Congress St. in Jackson. my food every day,” she says. “I call it my smaller plate diet.”

She is especially proud of her grease-free fried chicken and fried vegetables. The turkey (used as shortening) is not loaded up with grease like pork is,” Alford says. Any discussion of Two Sisters’ menu will lead to mention of the restaurant’s bread pudding – a top pick by Southern Living magazine. “They said the Big Easy couldn’t even rival me for my bread pudding.”

In the entrance near the buffet table, you’ll see a wall photo of Alford with Sen. John McCain, 2008 Republican presidential nominee.

That’s a memento of a trip she and her sister Carol took to Washington D.C., to do a lunch for Sen. Roger

Wicker of Mississippi. Wicker, Alford says, had got tired “of hearing about Maryland fried chicken. He said, ‘I need you two girls up here to show them what to do.’”

Wicker’s lunch guests left with a familiarly with genuine Southern fried chicken, cabbage, cream corn and angel biscuits, Alford adds.

“I think my food is comfort food.

We try to give you that comfortable home atmosphere,” she says.

“It’s good food for the money. You can get away from the office and get relaxed.”

A visitor may ask why the name Two Sisters if two sisters aren’t actually running the place?

That’s simple, Alford says. “I have two sisters.”

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LET’S EAT: LET’S DO LUNCH

Photos courtesy of Burger Burger

Burger Burger in Biloxi serves burgers and all types of sandwiches.

BURGER BURGER

By Ted Carter

I

F YOU TAKE on the name “Burger Burger,” you need to make a burger to remember.

The owner of Biloxi’s Burger Burger believes she has that part covered. The first thing to know about Burger Burger’s burger is that it’s actually a po-boy sandwich 18 inches long with a reputation that stretches back to its creation in 1947, says owner Martha Anne Ebberman.

“It’s carried on all these years,” she says of the sandwich featuring a grilled hamburger patty prepared with a mustard blend and a “secret” gravy. It comes with raw onions.

“This is our most popular sandwich,” Ebberman says.

The Burger Burger po-boy is a New Orleans import brought to Biloxi by Abbie and Mildred Brunie, owners of a popular small diner on Benachi Avenue for many years.

Ebberman, a Biloxi native and frequent customer, bought the diner and the trademark recipe from the Brunies in 1987. She kept the diner open until 1993, when she began serving Burger Burgers at an Ocean Springs restaurant.

Burger Burger moved into its current wood-frame home on Howard Street in January 2001.

Today’s Burger Burger the restau-

Burger Burger is at 1039 Howard Ave. in Biloxi. rant is much more than an elongated burger with a wide reputation.

You can get a traditionally shaped six-ounce hamburger there. “We’re known for our hamburgers. We make our own patties and they come with fries,” Ebberman notes.

For Biloxians and visitors to the coastal city, Burger Burger offers a full menu of plate lunches prepared Biloxi style.

Combined with the burger offerings, the quality of the home-cooked menu items makes Burger, Burger one of Mississippi’s best lunch spots.

Ebberman says Burger Burger’s appeal to locals comes from food preparation done in a style to which coastal Mississippi has become accustomed.

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“Everything here is from scratch,” she says. “All the meals are what Biloxians were used to eating when they were coming up.”

Burger Burger serves plate lunches Monday through Friday, with daily specials such as red beans and rice on Monday, along with butter beans and fried pork chops. Tuesday is baked chicken and meat loaf.

Wednesday’s offering is smothered liver and onions, country fried steak and shepherd’s pie. Thursday’s highlight is Italian eggplant parmesan and spaghetti as well as chicken pot pie. Friday is for seafood lovers, with special plates of fried oysters, fried shrimp and fried catfish.

The lunch plates come with vegetable sides such as steamed broccoli and carrot soufflé. Naturally, mashed potatoes and gravy can come as a side as well.

Of course, says Ebberman, “We do all kinds of po-boys.”

The lunch specials, she says, “are for people who don’t want to eat all that bread” that comes with a po-boy.

Burger, Burger also serves breakfast, a move made in the days after Hurricane Katrina when recovery workers had nowhere to get breakfast.

Many of those recovery workers still return, Ebberman says.

“When they come back down from up North, they come here.”

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LET’S EAT: LET’S DO LUNCH

WEIDMANN’S

By Ted Carter

I

F YOU’RE PASSIONATE about the hospitality business and a chance arrives to keep a 140year hospitality tradition alive, you do what Charles Frazier did.

“The opportunity came and I jumped,” says the former New Orleans restaurateur of the invitation from a group of investors to revive Weidmann’s Restaurant, a Meridian institution and dining destination dating to 1870.

After the last of the Weidmann family left the business in 2000, a new ownership sought to rebrand the downtown restaurant as a place for high-end dining. As it became obvious the conversion to haute cuisine was not a good fit for Meridian, a group of investors headed by actress and Meridian native Sela Ward asked Charles Frazier to take over the restaurant and return the menu to what Meridians and visitors had grown accustomed to over the decades. Frazier had been running Meridian’s Crescent City Restaurant at the time.

Frazier is three years into the job and is pleased that Meridians and travelers alike are experiencing Weidmann’s much the way they remember it.

“I think a big factor is all the tradition,” he says, explaining its appeal as a lunch and dinner choice.

Charles Frazier Lunch brings in an eclectic mix of older ladies having lunch dates with friends, some country club types, business people, and workers as well. “All of these people are very used to dining and eating lunch here,” Frazier says.

The lunch menu is broad.

Sandwiches and salads are all made in-house, as are the potato chips. You can get a vegetable plate that has about 18 vegetables from which to choose.

Southern influences are evident in

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Photos courtesy of Weidmann’s

Weidmann’s at 210 22nd Ave. in Meridian seats about 110 and has a small bar and lunch counter. the fried green tomatoes, collard greens, seafood and diverse offerings in the way of steak and potatoes, Frazier says.

The cuisine is Southern but Frazier emphasizes that today’s Weidmann’s Restaurant “embraces all aspects of Southern culture.”

This means some Italian foods and foods with some Cajun influences – the influences of Southern Louisiana, he says.

Weidmann’s moved to its current location at 210 22nd Ave. in 1923.

Before that, the restaurant was across from the train station.

Today’s dining room seats 110 people. A small bar accommodates about 20 people and a lunch counter has room for a dozen others. Upstairs is reserved for private dining parties with rooms that can seat 40 to 89 people.

Lunch-goers enjoy the historic sitting with original brick walls on which paintings by Meridian artists hang, along with photographs of people who dined at Weidman’s in the 1920s and ‘30s. “Mostly notable Mississippians and just famous

people who have dined here,” Frazier says.

Weidmann’s Restaurant is known for its black-bottom pie, a delightful concoction with a ginger-snap crust flared with Graham crackers and brown sugar, a dark chocolate kanash and a layer of chocolate pudding.

The bottom is a meringue layer flavored with bourbon. “I think the secret is the dark chocolate kanash,” Frazier says. “It’s sweet and then you hit the chocolate layer that has some bitterness to it.”

Weidmann’s Restaurant is frequently featured in the food pages of national magazines and more recently on CBS This Morning. “They mentioned five restaurants in a book called ‘Best Places for Everything’ by Peter Greenberg,” travel editor of CBS This Morning, Frazier says.

Frazier, who owns the operation except for the building, says he did a lot of listening to Meridian residents before taking over. From that it became obvious “people have a sense of ownership here of Weidmann’s because it is ingrained in their history.”

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S EAT: LET’S DO LUNCH

BUCK’S

By Ted Carter

Y

ES, BARACK OBAMA stopped in at S.B. Buck’s Greenville restaurant for breakfast on his way to the White House back in 2008. The arrival of the first-term U.S. senator caused quite a commotion.

Proprietor S.B. Buck greeted the future president, just as he likes to do for nearly everyone who comes through the door. But Buck got right back into the kitchen to prepare for a lunch crunch that was sure to come.

Such is to be expected when you’re running one of the top soul food restaurants in the Delta and serve as an essential stop for visitors searching for the real flavor of the region.

Buck has a lot to talk about in describing the daily lunch offerings at Buck’s. He wants to start with the side dishes.

That means greens every day – turnip and mustard – as well as cabbage, green peas, field peas, baby lima beans… “any kind of peas that are good for you,” says Buck, who opened the restaurant at 152 N. Harvey St. 17 years ago, after a nearby factory downsized him from a production supervisor job.

He continues with the sides: lots of broccoli products, including broccoli and cheese. Squash is a daily item, as are yams and cream S.B. Buck potatoes.

“We don’t cook anything out of the can,” Buck says. “Our sweet potatoes, our greens, our potatoes — they are all picked in the Delta.”

With healthy eating in mind, Buck limits salt and pepper. “We change it up with a few different herbs and stuff to get the same unique flavor out of the peas and things.”

For entrees, Buck’s offers baked chicken daily – “the way it’s cut and seasoned, we can feed it to a diabetic or anyone else,” says Buck, noting

Bill Johnson / For the Mississippi Business Journal

“We don’t cook anything out of the can,” says S.B. Buck. “Our sweet potatoes, our greens, our potatoes — they are all picked in the Delta.” concern for the increased instances of diabetes among Delta residents.

“Certain days we do roast beef.

That’s when we get real country,” Buck says. “We do baked neck bones on Wednesday, meat loaf on Monday and fried pork chops on Tuesday. We do the whole catfish on Friday – fried or baked.”

The standard lunch plate is a meat entree, three side dishes and a salad.

Dessert comes with lunch. Peach cobbler, banana pudding and cake are among the choices.

The sign out front says “Best Soul Food & Barbecue in the Delta.”

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

Barbecue has been off the menu – the smoke was hard on Buck’s eyes.

He says he is preparing to bring it back, though.

“We’re going to work it out,” he says, listing ribs, pulled pork, chicken, ham, wild game, including deer.

Future president or merely a hungry traveler, Buck’s will make you feel welcome, the owner says. “When you walk in somebody is greeting you. And someone is going to come out and talk to you before you leave.”

That someone will probably be Buck. “We want to be as friendly as we can to make sure you come back.”

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LET’S EAT: LET’S DO LUNCH

ROMIE’S GROCERY

By Ted Carter

M

ISSISSIPPIANS may know a few short cuts to Romie’s Grocery in Tupelo, but they know Romie’s hasn’t taken any short cuts in preparing and cooking the food.

Short cuts on quality don’t get you far in these parts, says Rob Lesley, who opened Romie’s Grocery with his wife, Leeann, at 804 W. Jackson St. eight years ago. They also own Romie’s Barbecue at 206 Troy St. in downtown Tupelo.

“We try to use the best quality products we can use,” Rob Lesley says of Romie’s Grocery.

“We try to stay true with what I started with – fresh greens, cabbage, battering our own chicken, battering our own pork tenderloin.”

Fresh seasonal offerings are a mainstay as well, he says. “I’ve always been an advocate of farmers’ markets. I was raised with homemade food on the table,” says Lesley, a Tupelo native, as is his wife.

Each day, lunch-goers have a choice of three meats and 12 vegetables, with the typical plate offering being one meat and three vegetables.

It’s home cooking that the Lesleys have branded with the slogan “Put a Little South in Ya' Mouth.”

“It’s food people love and it’s comforting to them,” Lesley says.

Though open less than a decade, Romie’s Grocery has established itself as one of the Golden Triangle’s premier lunch spots as well as among the top lunch destinations in Mississippi.

Economic MORE ONLINE development professionals >> View the digital edition of brought Toythis magazine to gain access ota executives to more photos. Scan box or to Romie’s as go to msbusiness.com/digital-editions part of the recruiting of the Japanese automaker.

They still come in, he said of the auto execs, but it’s usually in the evening when they come in to unwind and have a meal.

When furniture maker Ashley

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Tyler Rayburn / The Mississippi Business Journal

Romie’s Grocery strives to use the best quality products possible, say owners Rob and Leeann Lesley.

Tyler Rayburn / The Mississippi Business Journal

Rob and Leeann Lesley opened Romie’s Grocery eight years ago. needed catering for an event that would feed 10,000 people, it called Romie’s, Lesley says.

The lunch crowd is a cross-section of blue collar workers, professionals and visitors to Tupelo. “We get the whole spectrum,” says Lesley, who ran neighborhood restaurants and bars before opening the two Romie’s operations.

“I can’t say it hasn’t been a learn-

ing curve,” Leslie says. “But I feel it I what I feel very comfortable doing. I can do a catfish fry for 3,000 people and feel very comfortable.”

Catering is a big part of the operation, as is serving dinner. “The menu changes at night and we lower the lights a little,” he says.

Rob and Leeann are in the kitchen every day. “I don’t get to cook as much as I want to but it’s what I love to do.”

Romie’s Grocery was a grocery store while Lesley was growing up.

He made frequent stops there for bubble gum. “I probably bought my first legal beer there,” he says.

After life as a grocery store, Romie’s had a brief existence as a deli. When Rob and Leeann got an opportunity to buy the business, they didn’t hesitate. The first change was to restore the original name and then convert the building to accommodate about 120 people for lunch and around 200 for dinner.

They try to add a few more features every year. “We added on an outdoor dining space this year,” Rob Lesley says.

His advice to aspiring restaurateurs? “It’s easy to take the easy road.” But that’s not why you’re in the business, he adds.

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LET’S EAT: JUST DESSERTS

Courtesy of Bar-B-Q by Jim

Pearl Isby just “worked up” the recipe for her lemon crunch one day, and it has been selling ever since.

PEARL’S LEMON CRUNCH

By Lisa Monti

P

EARL’S LEMON CRUNCH has been pleasing fans of the down home dessert at Bar-B-Q by Jim in Tupelo since it was added to the menu eight years ago.

Pearl Isby came up with the down home dessert, which is a delightful combination of vanilla wafers and a custard made from Eagle Brand milk, cream cheese and lemon juice, topped with whipped cream and pecans.

“It’s rich,” said owner Jim Beane. “You can only eat two to three ounces of it. A gallon goes a long way.”

The refrigerated dessert is especially popular in summer.

Pharmaceutical salespeople love

Where is it?

Bar-B-Q By Jim 203 Commerce St., Tupelo (662) 840-8800

to buy a gallon or two and take it to customers on their sales calls.

It’s also a popular request at catered events.

“Pearl has been with me since 1999,” said Beane. “She’s always reading recipes and watching the cooking shows, saying ‘let’s try this.’”

Isby likens her creation to a lemon meringue pie but lighter on the lemon. The crust is crushed wafers, butter and pecans and the

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

filling is Eagle Brand milk, cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice that thickens in the refrigerator. it’s topped with whipped cream and crushed wafers and pecans.

“I just worked it up,” said Isby.

“Jim put it out on the line and it’s been going ever since. People liked it from the very beginning and we sell a lot of it.”

Said Beane, “We probably sell a gallon and a half a day. When we do catering jobs, it can be as high as five to eight gallons.”

No one’s ever calculated the calories in Pearl’s Lemon Crunch but Isby said her creation is rich for a reason.

“They’ve got a lot of calories in there,” she said. “You’re going to spread out if you eat a lot of it.”

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LET’S EAT: JUST DESSERTS

Courtesy of The Crystal Grill

Chocolate and coconut meringue pies at The Crystal Grill have been made with the same basic recipe since the 1930s.

MERINGUE PIES

By Lisa Monti

P

IES REIGN AT Greenwood’s Crystal Grill. They always have.

Owner Johnny Ballas said ever since his uncle bought the restaurant in 1930 its reputation has been built on pies. Lemon pies, chocolate pies, coconut pies, all kinds of homemade goodness.

So good that Chef Cat Cora paid homage to the Lemon Ice Box Pie as the best thing she ever ate on The Food Network. And that’s just one example of the national attention the Crystal Grill’s pies have earned.

Cora’s parents and Ballas’ parents went to the same church in Jackson and they visited in Greenwood on occasion. That’s how the chef became a fan of the pies.

So what makes them so good? “I

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Where is it?

The Crystal Grill 423 Carrollton Ave., Greenwood (662) 453-6530

don’t know,” said Ballas.

But when people taste a pie, “they just go crazy,” he said. A common reaction is, “This is the most decadent thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

His father took over the Crystal Grill in 1952 and Ballas has been working there since high school.

“Basically it started out as a oneroom restaurant and now we’re around 250 seats. For a town of 16,000 population that’s large but we’ve built a reputation and we draw from a large area.”

It’s common for visitors to come in during the afternoon for pie and coffee.

The Mannings have dined here and so have all the state’s governors. “We’ve got a lot of fans down in Jackson.”

The restaurant makes 50 to 60 pies a week, including about eight or nine each of the coconut and chocolate. “We don’t like to refrigerate them over night. They’re better fresh that day.”

The restaurant has used the same basic recipe for pies since the 1930s. Long-time pie maker Annie Johnson has been baking them for the last 25 years and she’s teaching a young baker the trade now.

“It hadn’t changed,” Ballas said.

“Since I’ve been here there have been four or five bakers. The older ones just pass it on and the legend lives on.”

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

LET’S EAT: JUST DESSERTS

Courtesy of The Castle Restaurant & Pub

Warm Molten Chocolate Cake has been a part of Natchez for almost two decades.

WARM MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

By Lisa Monti

W

ARM MOLTEN chocolate cake with whipped cream tops the list of dessert offerings on the menu at The Castle Restaurant & Pub at the historic Dunleith inn in Natchez. The restaurant is upstairs and the pub is on the ground floor of Dunleith’s original carriage house and stables built in the 1790s. Its name comes from the structure’s resemblance to a castle.

Executive chef Brad Seyfarth said the molten chocolate dessert has been on the menu since day one, in December 2000, and is the creation of John Martin Terranova, the Castle’s original executive chef

Where is it?

The Castle Restaurant & Pub 84 Homochitto St., Natchez (601) 446-8500

who passed away in 2002. Prior to that, Terranova served it at his previous restaurant. “It’s the same recipe that’s been in this town for almost two decades,” he said.

Terranova’s intensely chocolate recipe starts with three pounds of semisweet chocolate and includes generous portions of butter, eggs and egg yolks, powered sugar and flour. “It’s very rich,” Seyfarth said.

When everything is folded to-

’COME SEE US’– Tourism, Meetings & Conventions

gether, the dessert is refrigerated for at least four hours or overnight.

Then it’s put in ramekins prepared with butter and sugar inside before it’s served hot, covered in chocolate sauce and garnished with whipped cream and strawberries.

“Very rich,” Seyfarth repeats. “People absolutely love it.”

The chef has an unfortunate allergy to chocolate so his best review of the dessert is a close second hand. “My wife, Miranda, loves it,” he said.

The dessert garners loads of compliments from local diners and tourists from all over the country.

“We get everything from ‘it’s just as good as anything in New Orleans’ to ‘it’s the best we’ve tasted on our trip so far.’”

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LET’S EAT: JUST DESSERTS

Courtesy of Char

Pecan Carmel Butter Crunch is the top selling dessert at Char’s in Jackson.

PECAN CARMEL BUTTER CRUNCH

By Lisa Monti

P

ECAN CARMEL Butter Crunch at Char in Jackson has raised the bar for desserts in Mississippi.

It’s been named The Best nine times, said assistant manager Chad Thornton.

To be sure, Butter Crunch is Char’s top-selling dessert.

Why? “It’s sinfully sweet,” is Thornton’s estimation.

Butter Crunch is almost like a bread pudding, he said, and it’s topped off with rich French Vanilla ice cream and a cinnamonbraised apple sauce made with

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Where is it?

Char Restaurant 4500 I-55 N., Highland Village, Jackson (601) 956-9562

Granny Smiths.

“It speak for itself,” said Thornton, who ran out of words to describe the dessert. “It’s extremely popular.”

That’s saying something for a dessert that is listed after Char’s “Famous Homemade Pecan Pie” on the menu.

Still, as Thornton puts it, “Peo-

ple love our pecan pie but they die for the Butter Crunch.”

The dessert comes in full size to feed three to four people, half size and a $2 bite size.

“It’s served hot and when you put the cold ice cream on it, it melts down,” Thornton said. “We serve it in a big bowl or a plate with lips on it. The glaze is like a syrup.”

People come in on a daily basis just to get the Butter Crunch, Thornton said, and Char offers a to-go box with the ice cream in a separate foam cup to travel home.

“We have people who come in just for it,” Thornton said.

“It’s sinfully delicious, absolutely wonderful.”

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LET’S EAT: JUST DESSERTS

Courtesy of Fluer de Lis Gourmet Bakery

Strawberry Cream Cheese Babarian accounts for more than half of Fluer de Lis Gourmet Bakery’s sales.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE BAVARIAN

By Lisa Monti

H

OSTS ALONG Mississippi’s Gulf Coast have long relied on Fleur de Lis Bakery in Gulfport for special cakes to serve at their dinner parties, for holiday meals and for weddings.

The signature Strawberry Cream Cheese Bavarian is so popular that it accounts for over half the sales, said part owner and head pastry chef Jason Brewer.

Once customers taste that cake, it’s hard for them to want to try the 11 other made to order cakes. “The carrot cake, Doberge, the German chocolate, Red Velvet Cake and others are just as spectacular,” said Brewer, “but

Where is it?

Fleur de Lis Gourmet Bakery 500 Courthouse Road, Gulfport (228) 896-0005

people buy it over and over. It’s just that good.”

The strawberry Bavarian cake has roots in French bakeries of New Orleans where the previous owner learned to bake. It’s been tweaked over the years to its present state of perfection.

“Basically we take a layered yellow cake, split it and line it with fresh strawberries inside, add a thick layer of cream cheese

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mousse, another layer of cake, then more mousse, more strawberries and put toasted almonds on top.”

Brewer thinks the cake is so well liked because it’s not overly sweet.

The fresh fruit contrasts with the cream cheese in “a perfect blend.”

The cream has more of a cheese cake texture with emphasis on the creamy side.

The cake is served in a 4 ounce personal size all the way up to the 18-inch version that feeds 100 plus. Like all of the picture perfect cakes from Fleur de Lis, “It tastes better than it looks,” Brewer said.

New customers aren’t allowed to leave Fleur de Lis until they’ve sampled a spoonful of cream cheese Bavarian mousse, Brewer said. “It’s how we reel people in.”

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