What not to miss in Mississippi
Eudora Welty House and Garden - The house where Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eudora Welty once lived is now a Mississippi landmark.
Cypress Swamp - Treading the Natchez Trace Trail will bring you to natural wonders like the Cypress Swamp (pictured), as well as several prehistoric mounds.
Vicksburg National Cemetery - Fought between May 18 and July 4, 1863, Vicksburg marked a turning point in the fortunes of the Union Army.
Mississippi state capitol - The current Mississippi state capitol can also be explored, again by joining a guided tour of the interior.
Davis Bayou - Inland, but still within the Gulf Islands National Seashore boundaries is tranquil Davis Bayou, set near the town of Ocean Springs.
State capitol building interior - The capitol's interior is grand and lavish and overflows with marble and gilt.
Grammy Museum - Local boys Robert Johnson, B.B. King, and Elvis Presley are among the Mississippi-native musicians honored at the flashy Grammy Museum in Cleveland.
Jackson, Mississippi - Founded in 1821 and named for General Andrew Jackson, later the seventh president of the United States.
Biloxi Lighthouse - An Instagram favorite, the Biloxi Lighthouse, erected in 1848, was one of the first cast-iron lighthouses built in the South.
Old state capitol - Jackson's old state capitol building dates back to 1839.
Mississippi governor's mansion - You can't miss this downtown Jackson landmark. Completed in 1841, it's the second-oldest governor's residence in active use in the nation.
Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo - Located in Tupelo, this wonderful wildlife reserve is home to a large herd of American bison, and is the largest zoological facility in the state.
Beauvoir - Built in 1852, Beavoir, in Biloxi, became the home of the Confederate States of America's only president, Jefferson Davis, in 1877.