It’s not easy going fishing. Well, actually, plenty of people go fishing quite easily every day, but it’s not every day that WE can go fishing. So we were happy to have the chance in Biloxi, Mississippi. Fishing for shrimp, in fact.
Now, if we were to be truly authentic, we’d have hopped onboard one of these old fishing boats:
Ok, so our ride wasn’t quite as authentic, but it was still great fun and perfect for tourists posing as fisherpeople.
Oh all right, so we didn’t actually do the fishing. Our friendly, guitar-toting boathand did all the work, when he wasn’t serenading us with seafaring tunes. But we watched. And we learned.
Our guide told us all about shrimp, and showed us how to catch ‘em. He told us that Biloxi was the seafood capitol of the world during the late 1800s and early 1900s, thanks to all its fishing boats and processing facilities. The title now belongs to a small town just over the border in Alabama, but Biloxi still has a thriving fishing industry. Our guide also said that, surprisingly, Biloxi was untouched by the 2010 gulf oil spill. But he was annoyed with the media for (in his words) exaggerating the extent of the damage, which in turn caused real damage to the tourist industry.
We weren’t the only ones fishing. These seagulls behaved like pet dogs — they knew exactly where their next meal was coming from, and they waited patiently on the roof of the boat until the time was right.
Our guide talked about the damage from Hurricane Katrina, which raised the water to the third floor of this building near the dock. Further along the coast, we saw remnants of Katrina’s damage — lonely walls and bits of foundations.
We enjoyed the Mississippi coast, though we didn’t visit any of the casinos. Too bad, since I probably would’ve won big, like I did in Vegas.
Our route was a little funny in Mississippi, because we left the coast to visit Louisiana, then returned south of Vicksburg. We traveled along Interstates 10 and 110, and routes 61, 90, and 278. And speaking of funny routes, take a look at a map and notice how the Mississippi river separates Mississippi from Louisiana and Arkansas. At one time, the river was the boundary, but over time, the river has changed, leaving little bits of each state in the other’s territory. You really have to look at the map to appreciate it — go ahead, you’re sitting at your computer, so just use Google Maps.
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We pulled into Vicksburg hankering for some hot tamales. Luckily, we were on the Tamale Trail. Years ago, tamale shops began springing up throughout the Mississippi Delta as Hispanic immigrants arrived in the area.
In Vicksburg, Solly’s Hot Tamales has been serving tamales for over 50 years. Mr. Solly was born in Cuba, then moved with his family to the US as a child. He ran away from home at age 9, and learned a variety of skills to earn his keep, including — you guessed it — how to make hot tamales. We bought a bunch and savored them in a park overlooking the Mississippi river. Divine.
Vicksburg was the sight of a major Civil War battle that marked an important victory for Union forces.
From Vicksburg, we traveled north to world-famous Leland, Mississippi. Of course you’ve heard of it — it’s the Birthplace of the Frog!
Jim Henson grew up in the area, and legend has it that he spent many happy youthful hours playing in the local creek, where he gained his inspiration for Kermit.
Nearby is the town of Greenville, which boasts Doe’s Eat Place, a restaurant supposedly divine. We’ll never know, however, because the town’s entire population was having dinner at Doe’s that night, or so it seemed. Just checking the place out was a cultural experience in itself. The restaurant was in a quiet, residential part of town, and the building itself seemed to be an old house. On this Friday night, the traffic was so heavy, that a police officer was actually directing the cars. Parking spots were non-existent, so I hopped out of the car while Bill and the kids idled outside and gawked at all the people standing on the lawn and sidewalk.
I opened the screen door, entered the restaurant and immediately thought I’d made a serious mistake. I was smack in the middle of a very bustling, very hot, restaurant kitchen. I mean smack in the middle. I expected someone to ask me to peel potatoes. I tried to act cool, like I knew what I was doing. Oh yeah, I often hang out in busy, industrial kitchens. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice me. Unfortunately, no one seemed to notice me — or offer me a table. Finally, I spotted a door in the back that led to a room crowded with tables crowded with patrons. I managed to find a waitress, who asked if I had a reservation, then gave me a disapproving look when she heard my answer. Those without reservations would need to wait at least an hour to be seated. I carefully made my way back through the heat of the kitchen, past some delectable 4-inch thick steaks, through the crowds mingling on the porch and lawn, and toward the idling car. To add final insult to injury, my door was locked, and Bill couldn’t seem to figure out how to let me in (ah, the joys of rental cars). If there had been any doubt that we were strangers in town, it was now firmly erased.
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Why do I find southern accents contagious? A couple of days in the south, and there is a distinct twang in my voice. I don’t have this problem in New York or London. I can’t figure it out — maybe I lived a previous life as a Southern Belle. I had this problem in nearly every southern state we visited. Perhaps it’s related to an episode in my childhood, when we were driving through Oklahoma. I naively asked my mom if the people in Oklahoma talked as funny as the people in Texas. She laughed and asked a nearby stranger. “Well”, he drawled, “I don’t thank so”.
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Travel Tip! Don’t dismay if your teenager refuses to smile for family photos. As you travel, you’ll find you are not alone. Anywhere that families gather, you’re bound to overhear parents cajoling their teens with, “Come on, sweetie, smile this time. Just this once.” Don’t bother. Just be thankful they agree (albeit reluctantly) to be in the photo. And don’t ever, ever, actually call them “sweetie” in public.
31. Mississippi
A Biloxi shrimp