Rural Mississippi and Windsor Ruins

Dad, Bryn and I packed our weekend bags and set off bright and early on Thursday morning for a little adventure through rural Mississippi.

We drove all over Southern Mississippi before arriving at our first destination and lunch spot, The Old Country Store in a little town called Lorman.

I think this place is sort of a destination in itself. It's sort of in the middle of nowhere, and I can't imagine just driving down the highway and deciding to stop there. You have to have heard about this place!

Step inside and it's a blast from the past. An old man was sitting at one table playing DJ, choosing all kinds of oldies (Dad pointed out most songs were from his high school days!). It looks like an antiques shop with vintage merchandise lining the walls.

It's an all-you-can eat buffet serving good, old-fashioned southern soul food - sweet potatoes, black eyed peas, turnip greens, corn bread, and not to mention their famous fried chicken!

We loaded our plates and before we knew it the dining room was being serenaded by none other than the owner himself (much to Bryn's embarrassment).

We finished off lunch with homemade peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream (which was eaten up before I thought to take a picture!) We each got a signed place mat that tells the story of the restaurant...quite the experience, let me tell you!

After lunch we hit the road again for our second destination: The Windsor Ruins. Windsor was a grand southern plantation in its glory days. It survived the Civil War only to be burned to the ground by accident, thanks to a careless cigarette. All that's left of the mansion are some ghostly pillars in an over-grown kudzu forest.

We wandered around the ruins for a bit, snapping photos and then set back out on the Natchez Trace headed for Natchez. The Natchez Trace is a scenic road that runs from Natchez, MS all the way to Nashville, TN. It's a beautiful drive dotted with historic markers, trails and picnic spots.