It has that kind of hold on me, almost 20 years after leaving to pursue a career. When I think about my favorite haunts, I can smell the sweet olive trees and picture spring's azaleas blooming. Most of the hot spots are downtown, where I'm always proud to see, say, tourists with German accents ordering my favorite fried chicken at Stanton Hall's Carriage House Restaurant and Lounge. I love watching the sun set behind the mile-long bridges in the shadow of Natchez Under the Hill, the riverside shopping and entertainment area. Antiquing is another favorite pastime, and there is plenty to be found here.
More upscale shops line the thoroughfare.
One block over, I hit Darby's Gifts for dreamy fudge. The best jukebox in town resides at The Corner nightclub, where roasted peanut shells carpet the floor. My favorite time to visit is during the town's annual Spring Pilgrimage, when the flowers are in full bloom and so are 32 antebellum open houses. Another photo-op is the Historic Natchez City Cemetery, where beautiful marbled monuments to those who came before still live on in glory. As for where I tell people to stay, downtown's historic Radisson Natchez Eola Hotel is a comfortable, centrally located spot, but the circa 1818 Monmouth Plantation is the ultimate for four-poster comfort.