Sitting along the shores of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, the city of Biloxi has been a favorite vacation destination for decades, with sandy beaches and calm waters perfect for jet skiing or deep-sea fishing. Having suffered heavy damage during Hurricane Katrina, Biloxi is bouncing back. The casinos and resorts are back in action, offering championship golf and live entertainment. The city has restored many historic sites, including Beauvoir, the home of Confederate president, Jefferson Davis.

Natchez, the oldest settlement on the Mississippi River, has more antebellum houses than any other place in the United States. Many of these historic homes are open for tours. The friendly local people welcome visitors to their historic city with warm Southern charm. Tour the homes, the Grand Village of the Natchez and the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture. Festivals and celebrations occur often throughout the year. For gamblers, the riverboat gaming experience is a fun and fascinating change from ordinary casinos. Active visitors will enjoy great golf, tennis, hiking, biking and fishing.

Gulfport, Mississippi, one half of the Gulfport-Biloxi section of the Gulf Coast, was very nearly destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. The city has been gradually reconstructed, and the surrounding natural areas have been rebuilding themselves as well. Visit the barrier islands that form Gulf Islands National Seashore, a parkland along the Mississippi Sound. A ferry runs from Gulf Port to Ship Island, with unspoiled white beaches and tidal pools, boardwalks and historic sites to explore.

Sitting high atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, the city of Vicksburg was the setting of a bloody 47 day siege during the Civil War. The site of this epic battle is now Vicksburg National Military Park, preserving original fortifications and the U.S.S. Cairo, an ironclad gunboat that once prowled the waters of the Mississippi River. Vicksburg is also the place where Coca-Cola was first bottled, a fact that is happily immortalized at the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum.

At the northern reaches of the Mississippi, Tunica is one of the South’s leading entertainment destinations. Just 20 minutes from Memphis, it’s home to nine casino resorts and three championship-level golf courses, as well as Tunica RiverPark, the Tunica Queen Riverboat and the soon-to-open Gateway to the Blues Museum. Tunica is a popular starting point for the Mississippi Blues Trail, a scenic highway that winds through Mississippi and takes you to historic blues markers and landmarks.