ROAD TRIP
Day 10, Part 2
I finally made it to Mississippi, had a near death experience, ate fried catfish & slept at a Motel 6- it was a day of first’s
After saying our goodbye’s to NOLA (sniffle sniffle), we packed up the car to make our way to Jackson, Mississippi!
You’re probably thinking…why go to Jackson, Mississippi, right?
Well, because I thought it would be an important stop on our road trip to learn about the history of America. So much took place in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement and I wanted to learn more about the role Jackson played.
So off to Mississippi we went.
The drive from NOLA to Jackson was a short one compared to most of our other drives- just 3 short hours, like a trip to the neighborhood market for us at this point!
The first half of our drive was rather uneventful…well, other than learning (from the state sign) that Mississippi was the “birthplace of America’s music”?!?! Really? How did I not know this?
After stopping for a few minutes to take pictures with the state sign, we set off to finish the last leg of the trip.
An hour outside Jackson (while we chatted about mindless things like nail polish colors), with Rachel behind the wheel of my car, a HUGE big rig cut us off without a moment’s notice. Compared to the now hysterical “tornado” near death experience on day 6, this was not so comical- it was actually one of the scariest moments of my life. It all happened so fast and I sincerely thought we were going to be crushed by the big rig and that AGAIN my father would be proven right…it is dangerous to drive across the country!
Instead of being crushed by the big rig, Rachel swerved off the road (at the last possible second) and into gravel where a rock popped up, smacked the window and cracked it.
In retrospect, it ended up being a rather comical ending to a terrifying situation. Compared to death, a broken window was a small price to pay!
Welcome to Mississippi, y’all!
After recovering from our near death experience, we decided we were in need of a mellow evening and southern food- they don’t say southern food is comforting for nothing. So we headed to Hal & Mal’s in downtown Jackson to grab a bite. Hal & Mal’s was started by brothers Hal and Malcolm White in the 1970’s and has been a Jackson staple ever since. In addition to a restaurant it also serves as a venue for listening to upscale honky-tonk music.
We decided to really go for it and order everything southern we had never tried. Our meal composed of Bayou Gumbo, Red Beans/White Rice & fried catfish and it did not disappoint.
I learned that evening that catfish + fried = delicious.
It was at Hal & Mal’s that I also learned how much I love with the word “y’all”. The restaurant was filled with heavy southern accents and I just couldn’t get enough. There is just something about the way it rolls off the tongue
After dinner we went back to our groovy room at Motel 6 (my first motel 6 experience EVER. It wouldn’t be a road trip with out a Motel 6, right?) and zoned out on mindless television for the night. I will admit I was less than thrilled about staying at a Motel 6, especially after spending the first 9 nights sleeping in fabulous 5 star hotels across America.
But there was no other option that night!
Oh, how the mighty had fallen. Even Herb was a little sad about his new digs. But we all made it work and it ended up being pretty nice! My bed was comfy, the shower was hot and they had lots of television channels- and sometimes on a road trip that is all that matters.
Day 11, Part 1 next.
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For Rachel’s take click here!
365til30.com 
When i took a month to drive from Cali to Georgia I also stayed at a Motel 6 in Jackson, MS.. only thing I liked about Jackson, MS was leaving..Maybe Motel 6 forgot to leave the light on for me…
“The only thing I liked about Jackson was leaving”…hahahahahha. That’s hysterical and I actually can’t argue with you:)
I’m very intrigued by the “upscale honky tonk music”! Pretty sure that’s a playlist I would need on my ipod.
And congrats on surviving a semi truck attack AND a Motel 6, all in the same post! 🙂
Ha! Thank you Suzanne. When you put it that way I am very impressed I survived both in the same day as well! 🙂
Oh my gosh, that is scary! I’m so glad you’re able to tell the tale. It’s all a part of the adventure, right? 😉
Love that you went to Hal’s & Mal’s though! I clicked on the link to look at the menu and realized I’d eaten there a whole six years ago. Totally random, huh? I met a guy from Jackson, Mississippi in high school and went to visit him for a weekend so I could join him at his prom. He took me out to eat there for my last meal there :). Hope you enjoyed it.
OMG what a small world!!! That is so random! 🙂
Kate,you amaze me with your love for traveling .enjoy Mississippi,and be careful,food wise..Wishing you wonderful time. Best regards
JMS
Y’all *is* such a great word! When I lived in SoCal, I discovered that some people find it nearly offensive though, haha =)