Drive 253.2 miles • 5 hours, 48 minutes

What draws visitors to Mississippi? Start with its music, history and proximity to the great river of the same name dividing the United States into East and West.

1. Tunica

Starting Point • Entertainment, Food, History, Nature, Outdoor Recreation, Quirky, Shopping, Sports

Stop by the Blues Visitors Center and Museum in Tunica, considered a must-see for everything there is to know about Tunica’s role in the birth of the blues. As part of the Mississippi Blues Trail, Tunica boasts a number of cultural attractions, including the Tunica Museum and the historic Tate House. Enjoy outdoor recreation at Tunica Lake and the Eco Trail at Tunica River Park. Casinos add to the excitement, some of which are within walking distance to one another. Cap your day with a river cruise on paddlewheel riverboat.

2. Clarksdale

36.8 miles, 48 minutes • Entertainment, History

About an hour from Memphis, Clarksdale is part of the Mississippi Delta region and home to the Delta Blues Museum. Learn the stories behind blues legends such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton. Housed in a former train depot used by the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad around 1918, the Delta Blues Museum is the state’s oldest museum dedicated to music. Exhibits and artifacts include musical instruments, sheet music, photographs and Muddy Waters’ cabin.

3. Vicksburg

144.5 miles, 3 hours, 15 minutes • Entertainment, History

History comes alive at Vicksburg National Military Park, site of a pivotal 1863 Civil War battle. Re-enactments at the park tell the story of how the Union armies overseen by Abraham Lincoln fought the Confederate Forces of Jefferson Davis to control this vital city on the Mississippi River. The park’s sweeping river views include the Louisiana Circle Overlook, one of Vicksburg’s premiere attractions. For more vacation fun, add in nearby casinos, antebellum mansions and other historic sites.

4. Natchez

71.9 miles, 1 hour, 45 minutes • Food, History, Quirky

In Natchez, Mississippi, the legacy of Jim Bowie is celebrated with a ’cue—as in barbecue. The Jim Bowie Festival & BBQ Throwdown (which is also celebrated in bordering Vidalia, Louisiana) takes full advantage of Natchez’s location right on the Mississippi-Louisiana border. And who is Jim Bowie? To learn about the intrepid frontiersman who carried a long knife that would eventually bear his name, simply spend time in Natchez, where the larger-than-life figure’s legacy is celebrated in music, museums, historic sites and, of course, a barbecue cook-off like no other.