Natchez, MS and Vidalia, LA - River View RV Park and Resort - Sept 3 - 10, 2014

We had a nice drive from Pensacola to Natchez/Vidalia. The River View RV Park was easy to find, coming from the east using Hwy 84, the first left after crossing the Mississippi bridge into Vidalia, LA and 7/10 mile turn left into the park.

www.riverviewrvpark.com

Park Information:
Office was nice and clean with the laundry located in a room just inside the front door. The office staff was friendly and helpful. We were assigned site 107 which is a pull though concrete site with a view of the river. There was a low hanging branch so I called the office to ask about another site. She gave us 105. Every other site is concrete with a grass site in between. Full hookup, cable isn't really cable but an antenna. Wifi was good most of the time. Drops every now and then. Picnic table at each site, it would be nice it the patio was concrete too. Bathhouse was family style, each room with shower and bathroom. Pool and hot tub closes at 7 pm. Would have been nice to be opened a little later as it is too hot during the day to enjoy.

Weekly rate of $210.33, 50 amp $15, taxes crazy at $32.33. TOTAL $257.66

Site 105

The Mississippi is in view from our site although this picture was taken from the bank.

Our visit to Natchez:
We stopped at the Natchez visitor center to purchase antebellum tour package - 3 for $30. It would have been $12 each without the package deal. Customer service could have been better, not much information was provided.
Stanton Hall - since this was one of the top rated tours on Trip Adviser. The tour group was only us and another couple so that was nice to have a small group. Guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. The home had been bought by the Garden Club and they have done a great job in restoration and tour information.

Stanton Hall

Photography is not allowed inside the mansion. I wish I could show how they used large mirrors at both ends of the long room to reflect light and make to room appear even larger.

A room upstairs originally was a sitting room that connected 2 bedrooms. At one time Stanton Hall was a bed and breakfast so they left the room as it was for it. I would have like to see it placed back as it would have been originally.


Day 4, Saturday. We planned on a guided tour of downtown that was supposed to start at the William Johnson house. We arrived at 1:20 pm but found the house closed with a sign that they were closed 1-1:45 daily for lunch. We took a walk down Main St waiting for them to reopen. At 2 pm they were still not open so we decided to take a drive to the 2 cemeteries in town.

Example of the beautiful ironwork gates and fences.

Natchez National Cemetery - founded in 1857.

Last stop of the day - the oldest tavern in Natchez - Under the Hill on Silver street.

Bruce and Kathy enjoying a cold one.

Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Rosalie Mansion Tour - Natchez, MS - Sept 7, 2014

Today started out a little overcast with less humidity so we headed toward the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. This is a federal park that is maintained by the Mississippi Dept of Archives and History that has identified 2 of the 3 known mounds used by the Natchez Indian tribe. Mound A is no longer in existence, Mound B was where the "Great Sun" or tribe chief's house was built and Mound C was the ceremonial temple site. The park provides a short video about the history of the Natchez Indians and the documentation by the French.

I found it interesting that when the Great Sun died, his relatives and servants would be sacrificed so to follow him into the next world and take care of him. The home would be burned and a fresh layer of dirt would be added to the mound on which to build the next Great Sun's home.

Mound B "Great Sun" home would have been on top of the mound.

Our next stop was for another antebellum home tour. I decided on the Rosalie since 2 other places had recommended it. Longwood was always the 1st recommendation but we had toured it about 25 years ago.

Rosalie is located just to the north of the Visitor's Center and above the area known at "Natchez Under the Hill". The house didn't have to undergo much renovation as only family had every lived in the home. Most of the furniture was original. The Rosalie was Union Headquarters and the general had the parlor furniture all moved up to the attic to preserve it. A lot of the rich here were originally from the north so the military was sympathetic to them.

The Rosalie's front faces the north which always a wonderful breeze across both the verandas. The docent also pointed out that with the doors and window open, the breeze would flow all the way through the house. Here is the link to the history: The Rosalie Mansion. It is owned and maintained by the Mississippi Daughters of the American Revolution.

Again, no picture taking allowed inside so pictures courtesy of ones found on the internet.

The Rosalie

The men and ladies parlors

The children's room