Lusco's Restaurant
Greenwood

Lusco's is a family-run restaurant that "has been in operation since the 1930s," and is one of the best in the Delta. Opened by Italian immigrants, it quickly became known for its fresh fish and steak. Although "it doesn't look like much from the outside, you will experience fine dining inside." Sit in the back, "where most people dine because they have private booths with curtains that are drawn for privacy." While here, you're treated like family. The interior is like a "living history museum" with vintage items all around. "The pompano is one of their specialties," and the quality has not changed at all over the years.

Project Lounge
Biloxi

Biloxi's Project Lounge simmers with "lots of local flavor." Its "kitschy, campy staff and in-the-know clientele" make it a "great local dive." There's an "oldies juke box," and this is the place to go to bump into the "sheriff, the mayor, and most of the local barfly population." Best of all, it's known for having the top burgers or steak sandwiches "on the Gulf Coast."

Tailgating in the Grove
Oxford

If there's a home game, "Ole Miss tailgating is like no other." Head down to the Grove, a 10-acre park, "where it all goes down." It opens as early as 6am and closes at midnight. This is a true tradition that you need to "experience for yourself to fully comprehend, cherish, and enjoy the uniqueness of it all." In fact, "it is not just tailgating, it's an art." Read more.

Tato-Nut Donut Shop
Ocean Springs

If you like old-fashioned glazed donuts, or any donut really, the Tato-Nut Donut Shop is the place to be at 5am. That's when the donuts come out of the oven, fresh-baked and warm. It's a "small, family-owned business" that has locals and visitors returning time after time. Buy by the dozen, or one at a time, "this is a great place for a unique take on the donut because they are made with potato flour." The lines might be "long to get to the treats," but you can make new friends while waiting. Visitors "usually take a couple dozen back home." Try the blueberry donut--"it's out of this world."

Causeyville General Store
Meridian

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Causeyville General Store opened in 1895 as a general store and gristmill. Most of the fixtures are original, and there are "many old-fashioned objects that were generally offered in the late 1800s." On Saturdays they hold demonstrations of the working gristmill, where the stone ground cornmeal is made. For decades, they have been serving their hoop cheese to customers. Plus, inside the store is the Mechanical Musical Museum, which features fascinating exhibits.

Afternoon Tea at Cedar Grove Mansion
Vicksburg

With 50 rooms, the Cedar Grove Mansion was one of the largest mansions in Vicksburg when it was constructed in 1840. Though it was originally built for General Grant's cousin, Grant "actually occupied the master bedroom for a time during the war." In fact, it was used as a hospital during the Civil War and still has a cannonball lodged in the parlor wall. Immaculately restored (aside from the cannonball), "this home is beautiful," and it still "features many of the original furnishings." Drop by for afternoon tea in the ballroom, "it's an experience." Read more.

Wing Dang Doodle Festival
Gaddis Park

The first annual Wing Dang Doodle Festival was held in September 2004 and is now a Forest tradition. Commemorating its "poultry heritage," the festival includes a "chicken wing cooking contest and blues extravaganza." Visitors get to judge the wings, which are "some of the region's best." This "community-oriented event promotes two very important things to the people of Mississippi: chicken and blues music." All that and a strong emphasis on good times and community spirit. Read more.

Christmas Parade
Marion County

Thousands of Marion County residents flock to Main Street in Columbia to kick off the holiday season. The "downtown Christmas lights are awesome;" there are also floats, marching bands, and a Santa Claus (of course). For safety, the streets are closed to through traffic, but all downtown shops stay open. The Marion County Historical Society "sets up at both ends of Main Street to tell stories about how the county became a county and how the population evolved."

Cock of the Walk Restaurant
Ridgeland

Located on the Barnett Reservoir, Cock of the Walk Restaurant serves up Southern cooking in a family atmosphere. This restaurant is "an old favorite for everyone in Jackson." The specialty is fried catfish fillets, which "are always fresh and just about melt in your mouth." The food is "served on tin plates, and you get an iron skillet full of cornbread and other fixings." Take a "large group or a family--it's a fantastic place for out-of-town guests."

Graceland Too
Holly Springs

"Halfway between Memphis, home of Graceland, and Tupelo, Elvis' birthplace," lies Graceland Too. A "shrine to Elvis with innumerable artifacts and memorabilia." The owner "claims to be the number-one Elvis fan in the world" going so far as naming his son Elvis Presley McCleod. Fans of the King visit "at any hour, but most people go in the middle of the night" because it is the most lively." The owners seem to "remember every single person who has ever come to see their home, and you never know who you might run into or meet at 2am."