Whether you're a visitor or a local looking for something different, Mississippi Off the Beaten Path shows you the Hospitality State with new perspectives on timeless destinations and introduces you to those you never knew existed. Take a stroll around The Square in Oxford, the quintessentially Southern town that inspired William Faulkner, John Grisham, and dozens of other acclaimed writers. Go ghost-hunting at Waverly Plantation, a spectacular antebellum mansion rumored to be haunted by the lonely spirit of a lost little girl. Tour the folk art masterpiece known as Margaret’s Grocery, a colorful, ramshackle structure named the Weirdest Roadside Attraction in Mississippi. So if you've "been there, done that" one too many times, forget the main road and venture Off the Beaten Path.

Tired of the same old tourist traps? Whether you’re a visitor or a local looking for something different, let Mississippi Off the Beaten Path show you the Magnolia State you never knew existed. Purchase stone-ground cornmeal from the oldest continuously operating water mill in the United States at Sciple’s Water Mill; listen to first-class blues music at Margaret’s Blue Diamond Lounge in Clarksdale; or stay in the Shack Up Inn to get a genuine plantation experience. So if you’ve “been there, done that” one too many times, get off the main road and venture Off the Beaten Path.

Visit odd little towns with odd little names like So-So, Hot Coffee, and Why Not; experience the sometimes harsh realities of life in the delta and the carefree frivolity of life on the beach; and develop an appreciation for kudzu and Spanish moss--all under the guidance of an award-winning travel writer.

For all hikers a guidebook for excursions along the Magnolia State's trails & lanes & through teeming nature sites.

Let Mississippi Off the Beaten Path show you the Magnolia State you never knew existed. Journey to the land of talking frogs and fashion-conscious pigs at the Birthplace of the Frog, a museum honoring Mississippi native and Muppets-creator Jim Henson; explore the ceremonial Choctaw Indian mounds and sacred cave at the Nanih Waiya Historic Site; or visit lions, tigers, panthers, and other exotic animals at the Collins Exotic Animal Orphanage.

A raindrop that falls into the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota will reach the Gulf of Mexico 90 days later. When I learned that, my world was sent spinning in a new direction. I knew in that instant that I would make a 90-day road trip, following the entire course of the Mississippi River, while keeping pace with an imaginary raindrop that I would call ""Serendipity."" From that moment on, this adventure has created itself in ways that often seem magical. People offered lodging in places that let me slide body and soul into the local culture. There was a fisherman's cabin, a trendy downtown loft, a tugboat converted to a B&B, a plantation mansion, a sharecropper's cabin - and once, an entire 30-room manor! The Mississippi is one of America's greatest treasures. It is embedded in our history, our present and our identity as a nation. Along its roughly 2,400 mile journey, it is transformed from a tiny creek into an immense force of nature. It passes through dramatic changes in geography, climate, culture, lifestyles and accents. "

You may think you know the South for its food, its people, its past, and its stories, but if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that the region tells far more than one tale. It is ever-evolving, open to interpretation, steeped in history and tradition, yet defined differently based on who you ask. This Is My South inspires the reader to explore the Southern States––Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia––like never before. No other guide pulls together these states into one book in quite this way with a fresh perspective on can’t-miss landmarks, off the beaten path gems, tours for every interest, unique places to sleep, and classic restaurants. So come see for yourself and create your own experiences along the way!