What does the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, a Dentzel antique carousel, and graves of Gypsy royalty have in common?
All three are located in Meridian, Mississippi. This eclectic mix of sites are some of Meridian's more interesting locations dating back to the Golden Age.
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Mississippi Gulf Islands National Seashore: Exploring West Ship Island's Fort Massachusetts6/28/2019 
Fort Massachusetts is located on West Ship Island, 12 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast; it is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Once known only as Ship Island, Hurricane Camille in 1969 cut the island in half, creating East and West Ship Islands. The US Army Corps of Engineers began reconnecting the islands in 2018, so they will be one island again one day.
The barrier islands of the Gulf Islands National Seashore create a buffer between the mainland and the Gulf of Mexico. It is a critical habitat for shorebirds and sea turtles, making West Ship Island an excellent location for birding and nature photography. The water around the island is typically crystal clear, with visibility as much as 12 to 14 feet deep, so the island is also an excellent destination for swimming and fishing. With something for everyone, it makes for a fun family day trip while sneaking in a little history at the old fort. 
Located just outside of Lorman, Mississippi and a short distance off the Natchez Trace Parkway is the ghost town of Rodney, Mississippi. Not much is left of this early nineteenth-century river settlement that is richly steeped in early American history. It is now all but forgotten and only visited by the most adventuresome travelers.
I first fell in love with an old black and white photograph of the Rodney Baptist Church many years ago placing Rodney Ghost Town high on my bucket list of places to photograph in Mississippi. Let me just say, it didn't disappoint! 
On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, two one-mile stretches of beach make up the largest nesting colony of Least Terns in the United States. This Important Birding Area right along the Gulf of Mexico contains sections of five beaches: Biloxi Beach, Gulfport East, Gulfport West, Long Beach, and Pass Christian. This puts the Least Tern within the most populated area for beach-goers along the Mississippi coastline. Situations such as this make biologists suspect that humans and the family pet are the number one reason the Least Tern population is declining.
I was not aware of this Important Breeding Area until I visited Biloxi several months ago to photograph the birds wintering there. Nesting Least Terns quickly became a priority on my birding bucket list. 
Travel back in time on the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway. This All-American Road travels from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, and clips the northwestern corner of Alabama along the way.
The Parkway was a long time coming; it officially opened in 2005 after being under construction and planning for 67 years! President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Natchez Trace Parkway into law on May 18, 1938, establishing it as a unit of the National Park System and officially protecting this historically significant highway of the Old Southwest. Seven segments of the Old Trace are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This scenic drive roughly follows and commemorates the historic Old Natchez Trace and is jam-packed with over 10,000 years of history! Along the way, you can hike preserved sections of the Old Trace, read historical markers telling the stories of the people back in the day, see historical buildings, Indian ceremonial and burial mounds, and breathtaking scenic overlooks; there are rivers, lakes, swamps, picnic areas, hiking trails, and campgrounds. It’s not a road you can drive in a day or even a week if you wish to see it all. This is a pleasant, leisurely drive through beautiful country with a maximum speed limit of 50mph. Relax, take your time, and enjoy the drive. |