Should you’re looking for a street journey that sparks dialog lengthy after the journey is over, the fast, two-hour drive from Oxford to Corinth, Mississippi, delivers on each stage. Alongside the route, households will encounter literary landmarks, pivotal Civil Struggle websites, a storied school campus, and the form of small-town hospitality that invitations you to decelerate and embrace the previous.
Oxford: A Spirited School City Steeped in Phrases
Oxford will allure you with its conventional, very walkable city sq. anchored by the stately 1872 Lafayette County Courthouse. From morning espresso to night cocktails, locals and guests alike linger right here — buying, debating literature, and, in fact, speaking soccer.
Named after Oxford, England, the city was based with nice literary aspirations. Literary giants William Faulkner, John Grisham, and Tennessee Williams every left their mark right here, lending the city an mental curiosity that continues to this present day.
No go to is full with out a while at Sq. Books, extensively thought-about one of many best unbiased bookstores within the South. Unfold throughout three areas — Sq. Books, Sq. Books Jr., and Uncommon Sq. Books — the expertise invitations you to browse curated cabinets, learn employees suggestions, and settle into cozy corners. It’s straightforward to think about Faulkner himself peering over your shoulder, urging you to find your subsequent nice learn.
Simply steps away, Neilson’s, the South’s oldest division retailer (opened in 1839), continues to impress generations of customers. From clothes to residence décor, the shop is as a lot a dwelling museum as it’s a retail vacation spot.
Rowan Oak: Inside Faulkner’s World
A brief drive away lies Rowan Oak, Faulkner’s residence and the place he wrote his Nobel-prize profitable novels. The home, stored a lot because it was throughout Faulkner’s lifetime, gives an intimate glimpse into the creator’s thoughts. What a thrill to see his desk and typewriter! (Admission is $5, money solely.)
Owned by the College, take the Bailey Woods Path from the home to the campus, particularly stunning within the fall.
Ole Miss: The place Historical past, Youth, and Objective Converge
Statue of hero James Meredith on the Ole Miss campus.
The College of Mississippi, affectionately referred to as Ole Miss, infuses Oxford with a youthful vitality. Strolling the picturesque campus, it’s straightforward to think about future prospects. Even youthful kids needs to be inspired to see school as an attainable subsequent step, strolling by way of school rooms the place studying shapes lives.
One of the vital highly effective stops is the statue of James Meredith, who built-in the college in 1962 beneath federal safety. His braveness opened doorways for generations of African American college students. Meredith later graduated from Ole Miss and earned a legislation diploma from Columbia College, and his legacy stays a cornerstone of the campus’s identification.
Greek life thrives right here, with practically 30 sorority and fraternity homes lining the streets, whereas Vaught-Hemingway Stadium fills with greater than 68,000 followers on recreation days — a sea of purple, navy, and powder blue.
Singing the Blues on Campus
The Blues Assortment at Ole Miss.
Blues lovers ought to head to the J.D. Williams Library, residence to the world’s largest archive, together with B.B. King’s private assortment. Curated by Greg Johnson, the gathering reveals Mississippi’s great affect on American music. Johnson shared that Mississippi has extra Grammy winners than another state: “As the primary college to have a Blues Assortment, college students get uncovered to blues on campus and perceive the roots of so many fashionable genres.”
Don’t miss the Residing Blues Journal marker (now produced there) known as “Documenting the Blues,” honoring the publication that continues to doc the style’s legacy.
The place to Keep and Eat in Oxford
The Graduate Lodge, close to City Sq., in Oxford.
Keep close to all of the motion at the Graduate, steps from the Sq.. The resort blends collegiate type with consolation, welcoming college students and friends alike. Seize espresso at Cabin 82, then head to the rooftop Coop for sweeping views and craft cocktails.
Different family-friendly lodging embody The Inn at Ole Miss with a seasonal out of doors pool or Tru by Hilton, which incorporates complimentary scorching breakfast and free wifi.
Begin the day at A Large Dangerous Breakfast and also you received’t be hungry for lunch. Belief me, the parts are that massive, providing Southern favorites like shrimp and grits, biscuits, and BIG hash browns. When you’re in the identical buying middle, cease in Chicory Marketplace for natural juices, meals, and specialty coffees. Have dinner at Metropolis Grocery that showcases refined Southern delicacies. Saint Leo, simply off the Sq., impresses with wood-fired Italian dishes — the Brief Rib Ragu is unforgettable.
A Large Dangerous Breakfast to begin your day.
Head to Corinth: The Crossroads of the South
Named after the traditional Greek metropolis, Corinth as soon as stood on the intersection of two important rail traces. Corinth’s location made it one of the strategically vital areas of the U.S. Civil Struggle. Each Union and Accomplice forces fought fiercely for management, incomes it the nickname “The Crossroads of the South.” Right this moment, Corinth’s preserved downtown and welcoming locals make it straightforward to discover on foot.
For these driving an RV, it’s free to park your automobile in a single day on the Crossroads Museum through Harvest Host.
Strolling Via Civil Struggle Historical past
Climb on the railcar and fake to drive.
Start on the Corinth Civil Struggle Interpretive Middle, a part of the Shiloh Nationwide Navy Park in Tennessee, the place historical past unfolds by way of multimedia displays and considerate design. Exterior, a symbolic water characteristic traces troop actions, its light movement connecting previous and current in a deeply shifting approach.
Just a few blocks away, the Crossroads Museum occupies the city’s historic prepare depot. Children can climb aboard a railcar, whereas adults discover displays celebrating railroads, native tradition, and wartime historical past. Close by, a shiny purple caboose and Civil Struggle cannon make good photograph opps.
An Genuine Style of the South
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- A slugburger and fries, a Corinth custom.
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- Abe’s Grill is the place to get to know the locals.
Corinth’s most well-known dish is the Slugburger, a Melancholy-era traditional named for its five-cent worth (“slug”). Right this moment, it’s a beloved native custom. Strive one at Borroum’s Drug Retailer and Soda Fountain, the oldest working drugstore in Mississippi. Pair it with a milkshake and discover the small in-house museum curated by proprietor Camille Borroum Mitchell, one among Ole Miss’s first feminine pharmacy graduates.
One other must-stop is Abe’s Grill, a Corinth establishment for greater than 50 years. Open weekdays till early afternoon, Abe’s serves hearty breakfasts, juicy burgers, and beneficiant hospitality. Seize a counter seat, admire the partitions filled with memorabilia, and benefit from the feeling of being welcomed like household.
Coca-Cola, Tradition, and Braveness
Coca Cola is an All-American favourite.
The Corinth Coca-Cola Museum, housed in a restored Nineteenth-century constructing, is a fizzy time capsule crammed with classic bottles, indicators, and memorabilia celebrating the long-lasting model. Children will love the soda fountain and searching on the outdated signage.
Maybe probably the most shifting web site is the Corinth Contraband Camp, the place practically 6,000 previously enslaved individuals started their journey to freedom. Managed by the Nationwide Park Service, the positioning honors those that constructed houses, discovered to learn, earned wages, and fashioned a neighborhood. Many males later joined the U.S. Coloured Troops, shaping the course of the battle. Strolling the grounds, the tales of resilience and hope linger lengthy after you permit.
Find out about post-Civil Struggle historical past at Corinth Contraband Camp.
A Easy however Memorable Mississippi Street Journey
From Oxford’s literary soul to Corinth’s hard-won freedom tales, this Mississippi street journey gives households excess of sightseeing — it gives perspective, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of America’s previous.
For extra info, take a look at the official websites for Oxford and Corinth.
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Mira Temkin is a Chicago-based journey author who focuses on multi-gen and skip journey for households. Her tales cowl locations throughout the globe with an emphasis on studying in regards to the world. Her tales have appeared in Orbitz, Travelocity, Discover.com, and extra. She might be reached at [email protected].
