Taylor Grocery, Taylor, Mississippi
With K-Love playing on the radio and a few Cracker Barrel Restaurants strategically marked on our map, my husband and I headed out early last Thursday for a five-day road trip to Oxford, Mississippi.
Our trip had been planned for weeks. Oxford is our daughter-in-law Sarah’s hometown and the home of The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). She and our son, Logan, are both students in the MBA program there. We had been missing our kids and couldn’t wait to see them.
Our first stop was just across the Arkansas line
to eat a late breakfast and buy another birthday gift for Sarah.
It was dark by the time we rolled across the Mississippi state line. Tired and by then a bit silly, we entertained ourselves the last hour with song…
“M I S – S I S – S I P P I” (the childhood spelling song), when we saw the Welcome to Mississippi sign.
“Oh black water, keep on rolling, Mississippi moon won’t you keep on shining on me…” in response to the heavy moon that rose on the horizon before us. It was bold and full, inviting us to come closer. (Wish I could have taken a photo…it was spectacular.)
We followed that with a bad rendition of “Ode to Billy Joe,” as we crossed over the Tallahatchie River Bridge.
Over the next three days we talked, laughed, ate (and ate some more), and toured most of the city.
You can’t see it, but Ajax Diner (named one of the 10 Best: Iconic Southern Restaurants), is on this side of the square. I ate the “Big Easy, ” a strange but tasty steak sandwich that included mashed potatoes, butter beans and pickles. (Much better than it sounds.) If you get bored, you can blow toothpicks (the kind with the colored ends) with your straw, into the acoustic ceiling. (Wish I had a picture of that.)
We visited “The Square” — Oxford’s historic downtown district, shopped in the oldest department store in the south, visited Rowan Oak, the home of author William Faulkner, watched an Ole Miss football game (Hotty Toddy), and drove every back road and side street there was to drive.
Here I am with William Faulkner. He wasn’t very talkative.
This is what happens to my photos — a yellow wreaker pulls up. Oh well, City Hall is still beautiful.
We spent a long time browsing in Square Nails Bookstore. You can tell what Ole Miss fans think of Alabama.
Most of the tailgaters’ tents were for their friends, sorority sisters, etc. This one offered food to those who didn’t belong to anyone. Sadly, they were out by the time we got there.
Naturally, I took a photo of the band instead of the football team. (It’s the old twirler in me.)
I had not realized so many celebrities owned homes in Oxford. (I liked the Mannings’ best — I didn’t photograph it because it seemed intrusive…but trust me…it was large and white and stunning.)
The rolling hills, narrow streets, and historic buildings enchanted us.
The architecture, variety of flora, and sheer beauty of the campus impressed us.
The Peddle Bell Tower on the campus of Ole Miss. Thirty-six bronze bells chime on the hour. Songs are played everyday at 5 PM.
With my favorite guy on the Walk of Champions!
This is The Grove, on Saturday it was filled with tailgaters. On Sunday it was full of peace and beauty.
Best of all, we were able to spend time with our kids in the place they now call home.
Such a fun day — Go Ole Miss!
We learned that…
A low-slung front porch is standard architecture…
Sweet tea is sold alongside soft drinks at football games…
The word grocery might really mean restaurant…
Tabasco and grits go with everything…
Local accents are as thick as the butter you spread on your cornbread.
And eating is the favorite pastime (besides cheering for Ole Miss football).
One of the sweetest moments for me happened on Sunday morning.
My son leads worship at the church they attend. (Sitting just off a highway in the country, it literally snuggles onto a hill and has side windows that look out on the surrounding woods. Very beautiful.) He had asked his dad to join him on the guitar. That is a sight I’m used to, the two of them playing in public together.
What surprised me was my reaction to Sarah joining with them. Her sweet voice coupled with the sight of all three of them together on the platform, singing about Jesus, made me teary-eyed. It was almost more than this momma could stand. I had to run to the bathroom to get a tissue so my mascara wouldn’t smear.
This was during practice. I looked up and the three most important people in my life were sharing the platform. So sweet!
We closed our visit with a private tour of the Lyceum – the oldest building on the Ole Miss campus, followed by a trip to the famous Taylor Grocery, the best catfish place in the south. (Read the story Cook’s Country did on Taylor’s here.) There we visited with Sarah’s family, read the writing on the wall, listened to the blues and ate more food than we really needed.
We met the Provost and he gave us these shirts!
Taylor’s Grocery – a southern staple.
Waiting, along with Sarah’s precious family,
for our table at Taylor Grocery where you can
ALWAYS read the writing on the wall.
There was even writing on the toilet seat
in the ladies restroom — but I didn’t think you
needed to see a picture of that. (Aren’t you glad?)
Sarah did a little signing of her own.
It was a perfect ending to a jam-packed weekend.
Monday morning we hugged our kids goodbye and started the long drive home.
We made a short detour in Memphis for some barbeque, a quick walk down Beale Street and a visit to the Gibson Guitar Factory. (Of course!)
Beale Street – famous for Bar-B-Que and Blues
The only Gibson factory you can tour.
They make somewhere between forty
to sixty guitars per day.
As we pulled on to the interstate, heading east to Oklahoma, Larry said, “We’re finally headed home…now the only thing left to stop for is Cracker Barrel.
I agreed.
Our last stop before home…full circle. I only stopped to buy the Michael W. Smith Christmas CD.
Hope y’all enjoyed our trip. We sure did!
I felt like I was on the road with you!!! So happy you were able to go! xoxoxoxo
Looks like a wonderful trip. So glad your babies are doing so well. God has great plans for them.
Again, I loved it, and, no, I am not partial…… Thanks. You make reading enjoyable….