Vidalia, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississipp

 

March 24th to April 4th:

After a very busy few days in Houston, we are off for a 10 day visit to Vidalia, Louisiana and sister city, Natchez, Mississippi just across the river.  But first, a 2 night break in Lake Charles to catch our breath.  We have been to this park before.  It's not fancy, but convenient and has large sites, plus lots of room for dog walks.

River View RV Park is a beautiful park right on the banks of the Mississippi River, and it has become one of our favorite stops.   The sites are large and level.  There are beautiful views of the river and lots of green space for dog walks.  Natchez is only minutes across the bridge with lots of history to explore, and Vadalia has all our shopping needs.  

Site 99

So, where did the 10 days go??????

Our time here was slow and relaxed.  We had long walks with the pups in the park and along the levee, some wonderful home grilled meals, and some casual pub lunches and shopping in Natchez.  There is soooo much history in this area.  Rather than try to cram it all in with one visit, we take it in a little each time.  

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson promoting "Shop Local" at the Canal Street Market.

Canal Street Market, located in an unassuming historic building.

"Canal Street Market is a small upscale specialty grocery store. We offer breakfast items, chicken salad, soup, bread, and desserts daily. We carry certified angus beef upper choice steaks, wild-caught fish, and a variety of other specialty meats and desserts."

We bought some really delicious pastries from the market, as well as fresh seafood and this:

One of the several dinners we grilled, this one seafood from the Canal Street Market. 

We had so much excellent food and craft beers while visiting Natchez.  One afternoon we spent some time along the riverfront, while another afternoon we checked out the Natchez Brewing Company up on the bluffs.

Historically, Natchez had two distinct areas:  the "Under the Hill" section along the riverfront, and the "Upscale Antebellum" area on the bluffs overlooking the river.  Historically, Under the Hill is where the docks were located and the area was the hangout of river men, prostitutes and drunkards.  Today it is a tourist area of shopping and dinning, and where the Viking River Cruises dock, among others.

One afternoon we visited the Camp Restaurant and the Under the Hill Saloon, both along the lower riverfront, and had great visits at both places.  Under the Hill Saloon does its best to maintain that old time vibe, but they do not serve food.  While chatting with other patrons at the bar, who were all local, we met Ronnie.  Ronnie was an interesting "character" who had developed a spicy rub for grilling.  We later found some at a local grocery store and just had to buy a jar to try.  

The Under the Hill bartender recommended we try the nearby Camp Restaurant for lunch, where the only seating available was at the bar.  We had a great lunch there!!

Trip Advisor photo of the Under the Hill Saloon.  

Bar at the Camp Restaurant.

Back in the Fall of 2022 we had visited Natchez for the first time.  We visited the National Park Visitor Center and discovered a section of books written by a local author, Greg Iles.  I bought one, and have become a fan of Greg Iles and his historical fiction novels about the area's culture ever since.  He still owns a residence here, called Edelweiss and rents it out as a guest house.  The house is often featured in his novels.  At a tourist souvenir shop, that was a huge collection of his books.  I bought his latest, Southern Man.  At 950 pages this book is going to take awhile.  (June 2025 edit note:  I just finished the book.  At 950 pages it's a slog.  That said, it is one of the most fascinating historical fiction novels I have ever read about southern culture and race relations.)

Natchez has become one of our favorite cities to visit, and River View Park is a great place stay.  The river views are never ending with the barge traffic, and the night lights on the bridge crossing the river are beautiful.  We were even treated to a thunder and lighting show one evening.

Now, on April 4th, it's time to move on.  Next post:  Meaher State Park on Mobile Bay in Alabama.

Our previous blog post from Houston is here:  Houston Rodeo.