OCTOBER ADVENTURES IN MISSISSIPPI

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Oct 1, 2000

The weather is cooler and the leaves are slowly beginning to turn. The insects aren't as bad and the snakes are soon going into hibernation. You can choose to spend your Saturday cleaning house, raking leaves, putting up pears, or sitting in front of the television watching football. Or you can pack a cooler with sandwich meat and cold drinks and head out on an October adventure with your family, a friend, or by yourself. What better time of the year is there to set out on an adventure. The length may be just one day, a weekend, or a whole week. The adventure can be as simple as leaf or rock collecting, hiking at one of the state parks or national forests, or visiting a country relative down a gravel road, or it can be something more involved. It's up to you (and whether you have school-age kids or not).

There are a wide variety of scheduled activities occurring around the state this month and all are within a day's travel of anywhere in Mississippi. These activities include state and county fairs, arts and crafts festivals, music festivals, bike and car shows, horse shows, historical re-enactments, and hot air balloon events.

One of the best sites to find out what is happening in Mississippi this month or any other month is the one sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development (http://www.visitmississippi.org/Calendar/Calendar.htm). Click on October and you have a list of activities with their dates and locations. The site even provides phone numbers to call for further information.

If you have a week and you want "a glimpse of Mississippi's unique culture and rich heritage," click on Themed Itineraries in the side bar (http://visitmississippi.org/itineraries/itin.htm). The site provides nine sample tours around the state. The themed itineraries are African-American Heritage; Arts, Crafts & Culture; Civil War Heritage; Blues Highway (Highway 61); Hospitality Highway (Highway 90); History, Heritage, Hometowns; Music Heritage; Natchez Trace Parkway; and Native American Heritage. Each day is planned for maximum sightseeing.

For a real adventure on an overnight trip, plan to stay at one of the Mississippi's state parks or national forest campsites (http://visitmississippi.org/outdoor/outdoor.htm) or at one of the Bed & Breakfast Inns located around the state.

You have to admit, a Mississippi October adventure beats mopping floors or raking leaves any day.