A Pilgrimage to Natchez

Last Friday was a glorious Spring day and my husband had a business meeting in Natchez, so I tagged along for the ride.

The Natchez Spring Pilgrimage is in full swing (March 12th — April 16th), and I was hoping to take my own "pilgrimage tour" while my husband was in his meeting.

He gave me the keys to his GMC Sierra Denali truck (that's pure love, folks!) ... and away I went, happily, albeit nervously, maneuvering that big black truck through the narrow streets of Natchez. And I even managed to take some pictures along the way!

I think Natchez has more one-way streets than any town I've ever visited, and I'm proud to say that I went the wrong way on only one of them, and, thankfully, didn't meet any traffic, so it wasn't too embarrassing.

When most people think about a pilgrimage celebration, visions of magnificent antebellum mansions and gardens probably come to mind. Granted, I did capture a few of them in all their glory ... like Rosalie, ca 1823

And The Burn, ca 1834 ...

If you are a regular visitor to Southern Lagniappe, you know that I love to uncover history and stories about the places I write about, and I was curious about why this lovely house is called "The Burn." I made a phone call to The Burn, which is a bed and breakfast inn, and spoke to a very gracious lady who told me that "The Burn" has been the historic home of the John Walworth family for more than 100 years. The Walworths are of Scottish descent, and they named their home "The Burn," because a creek used to run behind the house, and the Scottish word for creek is burn. Isn't that interesting!

Myrtle Terrace, ca 1844 ...

And the magnificent Stanton Hall, ca 1858 ...

But, mostly, the pilgrimage I wanted to take led me off the beaten path — and into some of Natchez's prettiest, quaint neighborhoods. That's where you find the best lagniappe!

And speaking of lagniappe, I did a double take when I saw this rather immodest lady in a lovely little garden. She was all decked out in her favorite hat (and little else), in honor of the Pilgrimage, I assume.

And where else, but off the beaten path, could you see a little peeping Tom (or Tomasina?), shyly peeping out at you from the safety of a porch? Can you see that sweet little face above the plant on the step? You can click on the picture to enlarge it, if you'd like.

I wished for my zoom lens, but it was in the truck which was parked halfway down the block, and I figured if I went and got it, the cat would be gone by the time I got back, so I settled for this shot.

The cottage garden and pretty little blue house are what caught my attention to begin with, though.

And it even had a bottle tree!

This unusual carriage house is located behind Myrtle Terrace, but I don't know if it belongs to the house.

I just thought it was interesting, and I love the gate and cupola with the weather vane on top.

This is "Dr. Dubs Town House" (ca 1852-1854), and the beautiful courtyard garden in its sideyard.

Here's another pretty little garden ...

I couldn't help but stop in front of this old house.

I would love to know its history, and how and why it has fallen into such a sad state of disrepair and neglect. The expression, "gone with the wind" comes to mind, and I'm sure it would take a small fortune to restore it to its former glory. Perhaps, therein lies the tale of its demise.

On a happier, more colorful note, Natchez is at its most beautiful now, with Azaleas, Dogwoods, and all kinds of flowers blooming. This "Snowball tree" was on a busy street corner, but I managed to get a picture. I wanted to get close-ups, but couldn't stop because of the traffic.

Everywhere you look in Natchez, you see picket fences ... and I don't think there's anything any prettier than roses cascading over a picket fence.

Unless it's a Wisteria arbor growing over a sidewalk ...

Not only were the flowers colorful, but there were some very colorful houses, too.

Here are a few more houses that caught my eye ...

I love the contrast of this pretty "spring green" sunflower against the stained wood door.

Rip-Rap, ca 1835-1850 ...

Myrtle Bank, ca 1835 ...

This house is called Ravennaside, ca early 1900s, and I captured its frozen fountain during a trip to Natchez in January 2010.

Natchez has hundreds of old Crape Myrtle trees, and this one caught my attention, not only because of the pretty picket fence and house behind it, but because of its roots.

They look like they melted into a puddle at the base of the tree.

I hope you enjoyed taking my "off the beaten path pilgrimage" to Natchez with me. But if you ever have a chance to visit Natchez, especially during their Pilgrimages (there's one in the Fall, too) ... be sure and tour some of the beautiful antebellum mansions, and experience southern hospitality at its finest by staying at one of the lovely bed and breakfast inns. And one of the best ways to tour "off the beaten path" is to take a horse-drawn carriage ride ... and then you won't have to worry about going the "wrong way" down a one-way street.

For more information about Natchez, click on the link to visit their Convention and Visitors Bureau website.