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Great River Road
Mississippi Great River Road Historic Itinerary

Departure:	Tunica Riverpark, Mississippi
Destination:	Longwood, Mississippi
Time to allow:	1 day

A trip along the Mississippi Great River Road offers historic experiences that run as deep as its legendary topsoil. The entire region is of historic significance in that it made cotton the king of the agriculture industry of this nation. The route captures the dramatic river vistas, revealing many sites of historic significance and numerous attractions from plantation homes and Civil War sites to the birthplace of the Blues and museums designed to share with the world the significant contributions the communities along the Mississippi River in Mississippi have made.

Day 1

Start: Tunica Riverpark

The Riverpark and Museum is located in Tunica County which is just south of Memphis, Tennessee, and offers the nation’s third-largest gaming jurisdiction. The museum shares the river’s history and offers magnificent views.

Stop 1: Mississippi Delta

From previous stop:	2 hours
Directions:	Drive along the Mississippi River to Rosedale.
Suggested time at this stop:	2 hours

Drive along the Mississippi River to Rosedale, MS. Your drive will take through long stretches of remote farm lands. The farms of today are thousands of acres in size and utilize massive equipment that requires very few employees. Cotton was once king of the Mississippi Delta crops but in the past few years corn for ethanol production has become a major crop of the region. You will see cotton gins (operating in the fall) and grain storage bins all along the route.

Stop 2: Great River Road State Park

From previous stop:	same location
Directions:	Follow the Mississippi Great River Road.
Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

Visit the Mississippi Trail markers in downtown Rosedale and pick up a picnic lunch at one of the local restaurants or grocery stores and enjoy the scenic beauty and views of the Mississippi River from the observation tower at the Great River Road State Park.

Stop 3: Winterville Mounds and Museum

From previous stop:	1 hour / 30 mi (48.0 km)
Directions:	Follow the Mississippi Great River Road.
Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

Drive to Winterville Mounds and Museum, a pre-Columbian native American ceremonial site which has 15 mounds that punctuate the otherwise flat Delta landscape.

Stop 4: Vicksburg National Military Park

From previous stop:	2 hours / 96 mi (153.6 km)
Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

At the time of the Civil War, the Mississippi River was the single most important economic feature of the continent; the very lifeblood of America. Upon the secession of the southern states, the river was closed to unfettered navigation, which threatened to strangle northern commercial interests. President Abraham Lincoln told his civil and military leaders:

See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.... We can take all the northern ports of the Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg.

Lincoln assured his listeners that "I am acquainted with that region and know what I am talking about, and as valuable as New Orleans will be to us, Vicksburg will be more so."

In March 1863, after a series of setbacks, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant launched a successful campaign in which his army was hurled across the river below Vicksburg, pushed deep into Mississippi, captured Jackson and marched on the city from the east. Union troops stormed the Confederate works on May 19 and 22 to no avail. After a siege that lasted 47 days, Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, 1863, and the North gained undisputed control of the river. Thereby re-opening that important avenue of commerce, enabling the rich agricultural produce of the Northwest to reach world markets. It would also split the Confederacy in two, sever that vital supply route, achieve a major objective of the Anaconda Plan, and effectively seal the doom of Richmond and the Confederacy.

Stop 5: Old Courthouse Museum

From previous stop:	10 minutes / 5 mi (8.0 km)
Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour 30 minutes

Tour the Old Court House Museum, where you'll find thousands of artifacts contained in this 1850s Greek Revival structure detailing the region’s history

Stop 6: Windsor Ruins

From previous stop:	40 minutes / 27 mi (43.2 km)
Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

During the War Between the States, Windsor was used as an observation post by the Confederates who sent signals from its cupola across the river to Louisiana. The house served as a Union hospital after the Battle of Port Gibson in May, 1863. On February 17, 1890, fire broke out in the house. All was destroyed except the columns.