The early part of our journey centered on the south once we left Texas beginning with Louisiana. There is always something mystical about the drive down Interstate 10 through Lake Charles, Lafayette and Baton Rouge. Even the manner in which people speak is so different from the rest of the United States. The Cajun accents abound, sometimes making it difficult to even understand what the people are saying without paying careful attention. It is a delightful articulation that speaks to decades ago when people left Acadia in Nova Scotia and headed to the land along bayous and rivers in Louisiana. 

I’ve always had a fondness for Louisiana and its people. Somehow they seem like cousins or perhaps even siblings to those of us who live near the Gulf Coast of Texas. We have a blending of cultures and foods from travels back and forth. We have kept our Texas drawls and they hang on to their unique phrase and pronunciations. It’s always fun to visit with them if only for a time.

Driving across the Beaux Bridge never ceases to enchant me with its swamps in which giant Cypress trees grow in the water. Now and again there is a fishing shack hidden along the shore line which can only be reached by boat. There is a whole world out there that feels mysterious and untouched by time. 

Eventually we began heading north into Mississippi along beautiful highways bordered by lush trees and grass. It is apparent that the soil is rich there, a place where plants grow into magnificent specimens. The red dirt is filled with iron that boosts the blooms of crepe myrtle and azalea bushes. Driving is a tranquil experience without the constant distraction of fast food restaurants and businesses blighting the view. 

By mid afternoon we arrived in Meridian, Mississippi, place that I had never before thought to visit. It was once known as Queen City and was founded by a man who thought that the word meridian meant zenith. When General Sherman swept through the south during the Civil War most of the town was burned to the ground. Dates on buildings in the town square mark the rising from the ashes of that terrible time in our history. 

There seemed to be hope in the aftermath of the war that Meridian would become a center of business and culture. Great care was taken to create the structures that still stand, but the reality is that progress has left the town without the growth that it may once have hoped would come, for the erection of a naval air base. Nonetheless there is a beauty to the downtown area for a few blocks. I liked that the people repurposed old building rather than tearing them down such is most often the case in Houston. There is a reverence for history that is very apparent in Meridian

We were tired and hungry and ready to rest for the night. We found a Tru Hilton hotel that was staffed with a remarkable young man named Jordan who gave us a special welcome. Our room was modern enough to have lots of outlets to plug in our phones, watches and laptops. The air conditioner was a welcome relief from the extreme summer heat and everything was spotlessly clean. 

After doing a bit of research we learned the Meridian boasts the oldest restaurant in Mississippi. Weidmann’s was found in 1870 and is still going strong. The lovely dining room features a brick wall dating back to its beginning that is festooned with art work from local artisans. The tables are decked out with white linen tablecloths and the sounds of jazz play in the background. It was a relaxing environment for dining after traveling five hundred miles from home.

The menu was incredible and made it difficult to decide on which entree to order. Mike decided to try Catfish Belvedere and I chose crab cakes. We had our choice of a side but we should not resist trying the Hoppin John since neither of us had ever eaten it before. We both judged our side to be so good that we might have quite willingly only eaten the combination of blackened peas, onion, jalapeño peppers and rice. It was indeed delightful as were our entrees which provided us with way more food than we are accustomed to eating. With the homemade rolls fresh from the oven we were two satisfied customers who felt that our dinner had been both a delightful surprise and a gourmet adventure.

We returned to the hotel noting that all of our preconceived notions about Meridian had been wrong. Then we settled into one of the best sleeps that either of us have had in over a year. Our next stop would be Charlotte, North Carolina and our journey would provide us a glorious view of Alabama and Georgia. We both agreed that our expectations had underestimated the beauty of the places that we had already seen.