Amy Falls in Love with the Deep South

Caroline flew in on March 22nd and we've been having a time together ever since.

On Wednesday, we drove to Natchez, Mississippi to experience the Natchez Spring Pilgrimage Tour. In short, it was everything I never knew I wanted in a trip to the Deep South.

We stayed at the GardenSong B&B on Washington Street which is located in the heart of Natchez. The yellow house was built in 1836 and has a southern front porch with rocking chairs to sit in while you wave "hey y'all" to passersby. We climbed the creaky stairs up to the third floor where our room was located. The bedroom is tucked away at the very top and has its own bathroom (with 1940s green fixtures) with frog wallpaper.

We had breakfast every morning at 8:30 in the dining room with the other guests and very much enjoyed getting to know them. We all swapped stories of the places we'd traveled in recent years and the antebellum homes in Natchez we toured the day before or were planning on touring.

I absolutely loved getting to know the people in the house with us because there is a sort of kinship among travelers that I don't think you can find anywhere else. The Deep South is such a controversial (to outsiders) area because of its history, but our friends at the bed and breakfast agreed that history is important and places like Natchez that keep their history alive are truly special. Tearing it all down would significantly hurt the surrounding communities and from what I experienced, those living there, black and white don't see it like most outsiders do.

It is their home and we should respect it as such and not project our feelings about something onto them because we just don't understand.

Our chef Kevin told us that Clark Gable stayed in the house for three nights many years ago because the son of the man who owned the home was friends with the editor of Variety Magazine at the time, so that is the connection. Kevin said the family mentioned their wood burning stove to Gable and he bought them a gas one as a present. Interesting, huh?

The entryway and staircase walls are wallpapered with scenes of the Great Wall of China which I found fascinating. Apparently, Mrs. Abbott told her husband that the only way she would let him buy the house was if he allowed her to have Chinese influenced wallpaper (Chinese decor was very expensive back then because items had to be imported from overseas). What an interesting story!

On our last night, Caroline and I sat on the porch and enjoyed the pitter patter of the Southern rain on the roof. It was cool the entire time we were there, but I know it gets very hot and muggy once the summer moves in.

The air in the Deep South has a magical feel to it; warm and mysterious. It is one of those places whose aura stays with you even after you've left. Even though I went to Mississippi as a child, this time was different. As an adult woman, I think I am more able to comprehend the depth of their historical background and he mystery surrounding their beliefs and way of life. A dark Gothic romance seems to drip from the Spanish Moss that hangs from the trees.

I was and still am completely captivated. Needless to say, I am already planning a return pilgrimage next year to smell the hydrangea bushes and drink in the brightness of the rhododendron flowers that flood the streets...