"This guide book sparks enthusiasm and interest in our state. The reader may want to throw together an overnight bag, tuck in this book under his arm or in a backpack, and head out for what is sure to be a most interesting and entertaining weekend getaway." --The Mississippi Press Mississippi is known for its blues and barbecue, but there are hundreds of other attractions in the state, all within easy reach of the traveler with only a weekend to spare. The Baldwins outline several weekend trips designed for a wide variety of travelers from singles to couples, and families to retirees, all just a short drive from major cities in or near Mississippi. Weekend Getaways in Mississippi includes all the information you need to get to events like the Eudora Welty Film Festival in Jackson, attractions like Tennessee Williams' birthplace in Corinth, or the best spots for blues and barbecue, like the Delta Blues Museum or Abe's Blues and Bar-B-Q in Clarksdale. Getaways include the historic state capital, Gulf Coast beaches, and much more. Specific entries for hotels, restaurants, and attractions list addresses, phone numbers, and instructions for getting there. Let them guide you in your travels. You may discover some hidden treasures of your own along the way.

NAMED A "BEST BOOK" BY TRAVEL & LEISURE Like its predecessor, Weekend Getaways in Louisiana and Mississippi, Mary Fonseca's new, updated version presents the same wide choices for excursions that are designed for a two-to-three day stay. Covering cities large and small from Houma to Ruston, from Natchitoches to Lake Charles and in between, it includes Cajun music festivals, historic state capitals, antebellum plantations, swamp tours, outdoor adventures, and much more. Specific entries for lodgings, restaurants, and attractions list addresses, phone numbers, shopping, guide services, major annual events, and traveling instructions. Selected maps also help guide the way to overnight and three-day vacations in one of the Deep South's most interesting states. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fonseca is a freelance writer who frequently speaks to various clubs, organizations, and travel groups. She has written several cover stories for Louisiana Life, including seven pieces of a series entitled "Say 'Yes' to Louisiana," which won first-place honors from the Press Club of New Orleans. Additionally, her writing and features have appeared in Americana, Nation's Business, Traveler, Vista USA, Mississippi, and other leading publications.

The Pelican State boasts not only museums devoted to art and history, but also to aviation, medicine, and politics. All are profiled here, in the most authoritative guide of its kind available. Through their thorough research, the authors have uncovered many hidden gems along Louisiana's back roads. Among them is the only museum in the United States that presents a history of sulfur mining-Brimstone Museum in Sulphur, Louisiana. Better-known museums include the Cabildo in New Orleans, where the transfer of the Louisiana Territory from Spain to France, and from France to the United States took place in 1803. More than 170 museums offer something for everyone. From the Arna Bontemps African-American Museum and Culture Center in Alexandria to the Port Hudson State Commemorative Area Museum in Zachary, the authors have traveled Louisiana from the north to the south and have found every museum in their path.

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!

After Hurricane Katrina laid bare the fragility and environmental peril of South Louisiana, author Ian McNulty set out on a series of daytrips to delve into the area's diverse cultural landscapes. He explored communities staked up and down the Mississippi River, nestled into the teeming bayous, braced along the edge of the Gulf, and planted out on the golden prairie stretching to the west. Louisiana Rambles is his richly evocative guide to those journeys. McNulty delivers an inimitable take on Cajun and Creole Louisiana—the siren call of zydeco dance halls pulsing in the country darkness; of crawfish “boiling points” and traditional country smokehouses; of Cajun jam sessions, where even wallflowers are compelled to dance; of equine gambits in the cradle of jockeys; and of fishing trips where anyone can land impressive catches. In South Louisiana, distilled European heritage, the African American experience, and modern southern exuberance mix with tumultuous history and fantastically fecund natural environments. The territories McNulty opens to the reader are arguably the nation's most exotic and culturally distinct destinations. McNulty quests for the heart of these places and people. Much more than a travel guide or collection of travel narratives, Louisiana Rambles is a seasoned writer's witness to an epic locale that is very often joyous, sometimes heartbreaking, and always vital and stimulating. An extensive, chapter-by-chapter appendix filled with travel tips and notes from the road (or the bayou) will let visitors explore well beyond the beaten tourist paths and help Louisiana residents appreciate their own terrain in a new light.