Spring Break in the South

My birthday happened to fall during this year’s Spring Break. Robert and I planned two trips – Monmouth Plantation in Natchez, and The Peabody Hotel in Memphis. We visited Monmouth first, and old plantation made famous by General Quitman. It was a beautiful mansion house, filled with history and old-timey relics. The grounds were lovely – gardens, ponds, statues, a croquet course, and a variety of walking trails.

The one complaint I had about Monmouth, which maybe I should re-label as a discomfort instead of a complaint, was the particular history that was so awkwardly being displayed. On the particular day that we chose to visit and eat at Monmouth, every other guest we ran into was white. During our five-course dinner – which was incredible – in the mansion, the bartender and two other servers were all black, and the same was true of each server and busboy at breakfast the next morning. Most likely, the servers’ race had more to do with the demographics of the area than anything else, and it may have just been a coincidence that every person we saw visiting the plantation was white. Although we both managed to forget about this awkwardness for the better part of the trip, it was still a very bizarre dynamic to experience.

After Natchez, we drove North to Memphis. Even though we both live in Jackson, driving into Memphis we agreed that driving into a real city was such a nice and missed experience. Jackson is certainly a city, but it doesn’t have loopty-loops on the interstate and the downtown isn’t bursting lights and excitement, AND, in Jackson there isn’t a movie being filmed when we walk into the lobby! That’s right, Soul Man, starring Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson just happened to be filming in The Peabody the night we arrived. We think we caught a glimpse of Bernie Mac on set, but – alas – Sammy J was nowhere to be seen.

For those people who have never been to The Peabody, GO. You don’t need to get a room there, but you do need to see it. It’s overwhelming. Referred to as “The South’s Grand Hotel,” and “Where the real Delta Begins”. It is a beautiful sight. Plus, there are ducks. Yup… Ducks. They march to the lobby fountain every day at 10:00 and they march back to their rooftop palace, via elevator, every evening at 5:00. Awesome, right?

Needless to say, I had a great Spring Break. It’s amazing how much my love for this place can swell when I have a week off from teaching.