We had a great time riding the Longleaf Trace. We decided we would ride the Tanglefoot trail in Northern Mississippi. Needless to say, it was in the middle of nowhere so we planned various places to stay (and there weren’t many) at the trail. Then came weather. The forecast called for rain for a couple of days so we decided to go to Oxford, Mississippi, home of Ole Miss. The truth of it is that Oxford is a wonderful town. You almost don’t know you are in Mississippi. What a difference from Hattiesburg where there was every crummy chain restaurant that exists. Oxford has so many good restaurants and places to see considering how small it is. We really had a good time.

We stayed in a brand new TownPlace Suites by Marriott.

The first night we ate at The Ravine Restaurant. It is a lovely, small restaurant that is hidden among beautiful old houses. It is a bit difficult to find especially since we didn’t know where we were. It really seemed to be off the beaten path but  trusty Google Maps on our phone worked spectacularly well. Even when we pulled into the parking lot, we thought we were going into someone’s home.

 

They had a great selection of small plates that night because it was Tapas Night (every Wednesday) so we tried a number of them. The service was a bit uneven because they had a big party going on in the front of the restaurant. We were in a lovely porch-like room. The food and wine were very enjoyable. We were very appreciative to find a sophisticated place like this in a relatively small town.

The next day, Mike decided he needed a haircut so we found a place for him to go. A lovely lady cut his hair and trimmed his beard. She told him Oxford was the biggest town she had ever been. She grew up in a small town in Mississippi that grows the best sweet potatoes in the world. Mike and I decided we went by that town on the way to Oxford because there were pickup trucks that were loaded down with sweet potatoes. We missed our opportunity to try them.

We took Mac and went off to find Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner.

Rowan Oak is a beautiful home and the grounds are lovely as well. We took Mac for a little walk in the woods. We went into the house just as the docent was giving a talk about the home and its famous occupant.  Rowan Oak was built in 1844 and has approximately 29 acres with a house and other structures.

The furniture and many of his possessions are there including a bottle of his favorite Jim Beam as well as his typewriter.

In 1972, William Faulkner’s daughter sold the house to the University of Mississippi. It is a designated National Historic Landmark.

We had lunch in another of the wonderful restaurants along the famous Oxford Square that is the main downtown area of the town. The square is a real throwback to the times when people lived, shopped, and worked “downtown.”  There are lots of restaurants, clothing shops, and legal offices on the square.

Among other buildings,  there is the Lafayette County Courthouse. It is a beautiful old structure, built in 1840 and is on the National Historic Register. It played a role in Faulkner’s Sound and the Fury as well as other books by various southern authors.

We ate at the City Grocery. Its chef is a James Beard winner and the restaurant didn’t disappoint. It is southern style with a twist.

Mike had, what else, shrimp and grits. Continuing on my quest for oysters, I had the oyster Cesar salad. Totally enjoyable lunch. The restaurant has great character with exposed brick walls. The bar is just beautiful. The service is excellent. Too bad we didn’t have more time in Oxford to come back for dinner.

After lunch, we went to see Old Miss. It is remarkable to find a school like this in literally, nowhere. It is well worth the visit.

We decided to have a late dinner and went from the sublime to the ridiculous. We found a barbeque place that is also a bit hard to find but worth the visit. There is no alcohol, no table service, just barbeque.

Rebel Barn Barbeque specializes in Memphis dry rub, in fact, the owner won the Memphis barbeque contest. He was very proud of it. The food was simply good. We loved it even with the bison head looking down on us.

With that in our stomachs, we spent our last night in Oxford. It was still raining so we couldn’t go to the Tanglefoot trail. We decided to leave the rain and head toward the Florida panhandle.