River Views

Here are some vantage points for a

spectacular view of the Mississippi River.

D The gazebo, Bluff Park in Natchez

D Observation deck, Mississippi River Museum, RiverPark in Tunica

D Overlook, Louisiana Circle, Vicksburg National Military Park

D Road above the USS Cairo Museum, Vicksburg National Military Park

D Observation tower, Great River Road State Park, Rosedale

Through the centuries, the river has been both

the lifeblood of the land and its nemesis. Fields of

corn, cotton, rice and soybeans stretch for miles

through the Mississippi Delta, flourishing in the

fertile soil nourished by thousands of years of

flooding. Those same floods devastated the lives

of the people. From the challenges of the land

and river came one of Mississippi’s greatest

legacies, blues music. Powered by hardship and

hope, it plays in casinos, clubs and juke joints

up and down the river and across the state.

The Delta’s blend of cultures shows in its

cuisine, which ranges from catfish to the hot

tamales served at restaurants and holes-in-

the-wall throughout the region—at Doe’s

Eat Place in Greenville, Solly’s Hot Tamales

in Vicksburg, the White Front Café in

Rosedale, Hicks Tamales & BBQ Shop in

Clarksdale and Teal’s Onward Store in Rolling Fork. You see it also in the festivals that

celebrate the food along with the land and the music. Once experienced, it’s never forgotten.

Tunica’s RiverPark and Museum

The RiverPark and Museum in Tunica tell the story of the Mississippi River. A path on

the grounds winds nearly two miles through a wetland forest. Exhibits in the museum

tell about the Native Americans who lived here, the first European explorers to stand on

its banks and the reasons the

Mississippi Delta is one of the

most fertile agricultural areas

in the world. One video exhibit

recalls the devastating flood of

1927. Another describes the

music known as the blues.

From the observation deck you

can look out over the river. Or you

can see it aboard the Tunica Queen,

which offers an hour-and-a-half

cruise. The elegant riverboat’s

open decks allow you to discover

up close the awesome beauty

of the “Father of Waters.”

Festivals Along the River

• March: Italian Festival of Mississippi, Cleveland; Natchez Spring Pilgrimage, Natchez

• April: Crosstie Arts & Jazz Festival, Cleveland; Rivergate Festival, Tunica; Riverfest, Vicksburg

• June: Delta Jubilee, Clarksdale

• August: Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, Clarksdale

• September: Natchez Fall Pilgrimage, Natchez; Highway 61 Blues Festival, Leland

• October: Natchez Fall Pilgrimage, Natchez; Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival,

Clarksdale; Pinetop Perkins Homecoming, Clarksdale; Delta Day Festival, Tunica

1) Mississippi River, Vicksburg

2) Observation deck, Mississippi River Museum, Tunica

3) Bluff Park, Natchez

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