Mississippi is a nice state. That's not what I was expecting when we set out, but Mississippi is a nice state. The first impression doesn't do much to overcome the stereotype. We were greeted by a Welcome Center, absurdly flying a Confederate flag. It was masquerading as a nice, non-controversial state flag, but it was a Confederate flag nevertheless. Don't you miss the 19th century?
The time-warp continued as we drove into the town of Corinth, where a gigantic Confederate battle flag flew above a much smaller American flag, over some storefront dedicated to selling "Dixie memorabilia". Parking lots had gigantic SUVs sporting "Bush/Cheney '04" bumper stickers. One of the more ridiculous read "Veterans against Veterans for Kerry". A huge yellow and black billboard screamed "Saturday is the Sabbath / Sunday Laws = Mark of the Beast". We were most definitely below the Mason-Dixon line. I don't want to sound too negative, though. Aside from the politics and an apparent nostalgia for slavery, Mississippi is a nice state.
We drove down for a friend's wedding, and managed to stop by the highpoint on the way. Woodall Mountain is easily visible for several miles around, and is obviously the highest point in the area. A drive past a funeral home and a lake-shore subdivision leads to a short gravel road that climbs to the summit, which is crowned by radio towers.
Apparently, the highpoint used to be in pretty bad shape, with litter and broken bottles and other assorted trash. But congratulations on the excellent job some people have done to clean it up. A small USGS marker stands on the actual highpoint, and a few feet away is a nice picnic table. While at the top, we ran into a highpointing couple from Louisiana, on their way to Alabama later that afternoon. But I would have to content myself with only one highpoint on this trip.
We headed on down the road, stopping for lunch at a delicious BBQ shack called the Little Pig. I'd recommend it for any hungry travellers in the area. After a heaping serving of pulled pork, fried okra, mashed potatoes and cornbread, we set off for Meridian, where we'd spend the rest of the weekend. The countryside was verdant and rich, with slender pine trees lining the road, and hawks soaring on the thermals in the summer heat. The more we saw of the state, the more of an aberration Corinth seemed. No gun-racks, no Confederate flags in pick-up trucks, a state just as good as any other.
And when that sea of red starts creeping across the Deep South this November, threatening to swamp us with four more years of George W Bush, I'll remind myself that I liked every single Mississippian that I actually met. Maybe that will help.
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| This way to Woodall Mtn | Joe and I at the highpoint | Hybrid at the highpoint | Mississippi BBQ... mmmm |