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Signature City Natchez: Jewel of History and Culture on the Mississippi

Program Number: 20379RJ
Start and End Dates:
3/24/2013 - 3/29/2013; 9/29/2013 - 10/4/2013; 10/6/2013 - 10/11/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Natchez, Mississippi
Price starting at: $798.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Signature Cities; History & Culture; Festivals, Misc. Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 14; 5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 5 Dinners    
Meal Options: Low Fat; Low Salt; Vegetarian; Gluten Free    

Named after a Native American tribe, the Mississippi River settlement of Natchez absorbed French, English, and Spanish influences before becoming part of the U.S. Today it preserves the historic character of its landscapes and beautiful architecture as well as any American city. Join us to explore the oldest settlement on the Mississippi that became a center of wealth and culture in the antebellum era. Contrast lives above the bluffs with Natchez-under-the-Hill, examining the heritage of freed slaves and social realities that have changed from romantic notions of the Old South to the more egalitarian New South.




Highlights

• Field trips to great mansions, fascinating museums and historic sites tell the unique story of Natchez.
• Attend special events and presentations associated with seasonal activities in the bustling city of Natchez.
• Savor real Southern cooking including a private lunch at a 19th century downtown mansion.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to one mile per day.



Groups will be split in to smaller groups for some programming and meals.




Date Specific Information

3-24-2013

Enjoy the 81st annual Natchez Spring Pilgrimage to historic mansions and gardens, complete with evening entertainments especially designed to enhance the tours.
Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.



9-29-2013, 10-6-2013

Enjoy the annual Natchez Fall Pilgrimage to historic mansions and gardens, complete with evening entertainments especially designed to enhance the tours.
Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.




Natchez

Sitting high on a bluff above the Mississippi River, Natchez boasts the largest collection of antebellum homes in the U.S. The mansions and estates, built by 19th-century plantation owners, were largely spared destruction during the Civil War. Today, museums honor the city’s rich Indian, African-American and antebellum heritage.
Accommodations
The Natchez Grand Hotel in the heart of historic downtown Natchez, located on the historic spot where the Natchez Trace meets the Mississippi River.

Road Scholar Instructors
These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur.
Carolyn Smith
Carolyn Vance Smith is a recognized authority on the history of Natchez, and is author of several non-fiction books about the region, including "Natchez: An Illustrated History" and "The Goat Castle Murder." She holds degrees from Mississippi University for Women and Vanderbilt University, and is president of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters. Carolyn is also the founder of the annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, and in 1996, she was named Citizen of the Year in Natchez.
 
Marion Smith
Marion Smith is the only Natchez attorney — and one of 100 Mississippi attorneys — listed in Outstanding Lawyers in America. After earning B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Mississippi, he served as Adams County Senator to the Mississippi Legislature, where he was President pro-tempore. A former professor of law at Ole Miss, he is a frequent lecturer on Natchez history and has been involved in numerous organizations, including the Natchez Historical Society.
 
Shirley Petkovsek
Group leader Shirley Petkovsek has enjoyed leading adult educational programs throughout the South. A former executive assistant to the chairman of Callon Petroleum Co., Shirley is an alumna of The University of Mississippi. She has served as a chairperson and past president for numerous groups throughout the region, including the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration and Meridian Junior Auxiliary. Shirley is also involved in many of the area’s festivals, historic societies and social clubs.
 
Jim Barnett
Jim Barnett is director of historic properties for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Natchez. He is responsible for two historic sites with museums, the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and Historic Jefferson College. A published author and an experienced professional lecturer for The University of Southern Mississippi and for the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, Jim is a member of the Mississippi Archaeological Association and the Southeastern Museums Conference.
 
Meals and Lodgings
   Natchez Grand Hotel
  Natchez, MS 5 nights
 Natchez Grand Hotel
Type: Hotel
  Description: This new hotel's location is the most historic on the Mississippi River. The spot is where the Mississippi River meets the ancient Natchez Trace. This overland route, now a national parakway, links Natchez, Miss.,444 miles northeast to Nashville, Tenn. The hotel, located near a 200-foot bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, offers nearby views of the river, including dramatic sunsets. The hotel.is in the heart of historic downtown Natchez, just steps from dining, shopping, entertainment, and historic attractions..
  Contact info: 111 S. Broadway St.
Natchez, MS 39120 USA
phone: 866-488-0898
web: www.natchezgrandhotel.com
  Room amenities: A safe, flat-screen TV, hair dryer, coffee maker with complimentary coffee, work desk wtih lamp, iron, ironing board, radio/arlarm clock.
  Facility amenities: Unlimited wired and wireless internet, unlimited local and long distance phone calls, guest laundry, fitness center, business center, on-site parking, nightly wine reception.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: $125.00 Room rent includes breakfast. To reserve a room for up to two nights before the program and/or two nights after the program, call the hotel directly and identify yourself as a Road Scholar. Give the opening date of the program. This procedure guarantees that the room will be used throughout the stay and no changing of rooms will take place. Hotel phone numbers: 866-488-0898 or 601-446-9994.
  Check in time: 4:00 PM
  Additional nights after: $125.00 Room rent includes breakfast. To reserve a room for up to two nights before the program and/or two nights after the program, call the hotel directly and identify yourself as a Road Scholar. Give the opening date of the program. This procedure guarantees that the room will be used throughout the stay and no changing of rooms will take place. Hotel phone numbers: 866-488-0898 or 601-446-9994.
  Check out time: 11:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
4:30-6:00 p.m. registration in the hotel lobby, a Welcome-To-Natchez reception at 6:00 p.m. You will be staying at Natchez Grand Hotel that night.
  End of Program:
Program ends at 11 a.m. Friday. You will be staying at Natchez Grand Hotel the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Parking availability:
Parking is free at the hotel.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Natchez, MS
  Nearest city or town:  From Jackson, MS--103 miles and from Baton Rouge, LA-- 90 miles
  Nearest highway: Highway 61
  Nearest airport:  Baton Rouge Airport
  From End of Program
  Location: Natchez, MS
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

To Natchez, Miss.

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Public Transportation
Greyhound Bus Service
phone: 225-383-3761

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$31 plus cost of taxi on each end
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

2 
 

Distance:

 

90 miles
   

Taxi from airport to Baton Rouge bus station costs: $26. Cost from Natchez bus station to hotel costs $9. Bus departs Baton Rouge bus station daily at 12:55 p.m. Arrives at Natchez bus station at 2:45 p.m. Alternate plan: Use the Baton Rouge La., Airport Shuttle, available by calling 225-933-7107. This service costs $150 one way. The price is the same, whether for one person or up to six persons. Reservations are essential.
 

From Natchez, Miss.

 

To Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Public Transportation
Greyhound Bus Service
phone: 225-383-3761

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$31
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

2 
 

Distance:

 

90 miles
   

Taxi from Natchez hotel to bus station costs $9. Taxi from Baton Rouge bus station to airport costs $26. Bus departs Natchez bus station daily at 3:55 p.m. and arrives at Baton Rouge bus station at 6 p.m. ALTERNATE PLAN: Use the Baton Rouge, La., Airport Shuttle, available by calling 225-933-7107. This service costs $150 one way. The price is the same, whether for one person or up to six persons. Rservations are essential.
 
Driving Directions
  From Baton Rouge, LA From Baton Rouge, LA: Approximately 90 miles. Take Hwy 61N to Natchez. Turn West onto John R. Junkin Drive (Hwy 84W). About 1.5 miles to Canal St. Turn right on Canal (at Natchez Visitor's Center). Go to corner of Canal and Main streets. Turn left and enter Natchez Grand Hotel parking lot. The hotel address is 111 S. Broadway Street.
  From Louisiana Highway 84 From Louisiana Highway 84: Cross the Mississippi River Bridge from Vidalia, Louisiana. Turn left at the first traffic light (Canal Street). Drive to corner of Canal and Main streets. Turn left and enter Natchez Grand Hotel parking lot. The hotel address is 111 S. Broadway Street.
  From the North (Jackson, MS) From Jackson, MS: Approximately 103 miles total to Natchez. Take I-55 South to Brookhaven, MS; exit Hwy 84 (exit 38)and go west to Natchez. Follow Business 84 (becomes St. Catherine street and later becomes Jefferson Street). Turn left on Canal Street. Turn right one block later on Main Street and enter Natchez Grand Hotel parking lot. The hotel address is 111 S. Broadway Street..
  From the north on Natchez Trace Parkway From Nashville, Tenn., or points south, enter the Natchez Trace Parkway, which begins in Natchez. Follow signage as you traavel south to Natchez. At the origin of the Trace, take Liberty Road west into Natchez. This road becomes Quitman Boulevard and then Main Street. At the corner of Main and Canal strees, enter the Natchez Grand Hotel parking lot. The hotel address is 111 S. Broadway Street.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Welcome and overview of program
(Sunday, March 24)
   
 Afternoon: 4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. registration in the hotel lobby. At 6:00 p.m. attend a Welcome-To-Natchez reception with complimentary wine at the hotel.
 Dinner: Dinner will be in the hotel.
 Evening: Introductions of individuals, and overview of the week's program.
   
Accommodations: Natchez Grand Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Buffet breakfast at the hotel.Lectures about Natchez history and culture. Guided walking tour along the Mississippi River. Dinner at a downtown restaurant in the historic part of town.
(Monday, March 25)

Note: 3 Lectures 1 Field trip
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast is served every morning beginning at 6:30 a.m. in the hotel dining room.
 Morning: An overview lecture about Natchez history will precede a guided walking tour along the Mississippi River bluff and a guided visit to historic Rosalie, one of the most photographed mansions in America.
 Lunch: A picnic lunch overlooking the Mississippi River will be served (if inclement weather, picnic lunch will be in the hotel's dining room or in a nearby restaurant)..
 Afternoon: Lectures on the Natchez Trace and the Natchez Indians by experts in the fields..Wind up the day with complimentary wine at the hotel.
 Dinner: Dinner will follow the day's historical agenda. It will be in a downtown building in the historic part of town.
 Evening: After-dinner stroll by the river near the hotel
   
Accommodations: Natchez Grand Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Lecture on Natchez architectural styles and decorative arts. Exploration of two mansions and their histories; a dinner modeled after a Natchez meal in 1836. Optional "Southern Exposure" at Little Theatre.
(Tuesday, March 26)

Note: 1 Lecture 2 field trips



   
 Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the hotel dining room beginning at 6:30 a.m.
 Morning: A lecture on various architectural styles and decorative arts in Natchez buildings, from colonial to Greek Revival to Empire to Victorian, will precede a guided tour of Stanton Hall, a National Historic Landmark mansion.
 Lunch: Lunch will be at the Carriage House restaurant on the grounds of Stanton Hall.
 Afternoon: A guided tour of St. Mary Basilica with its gorgeous architecture and art objects. Then a guided tour of The Elms, one of the earliest Natchez mansions.Wind up the day with complimentary wine at the hotel.
 Dinner: Dinner will be at a downtown restaurant featuring delectable foods mentioned in William Johnson's 1836 diary entries, foods continually eaten in the Deep South until today..
 Evening: An informal discussion of William Johnson, his diaries, and a biography about the unusual African-American whose home has been restored by the National Park Service. Optional: Dutch-treat comedy, "Southern Exposure," at Natchez Little Theatre.
   
Accommodations: Natchez Grand Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Lecture on the African-American culture of Natchez, featuring William Johnson, a Free Black, and his house. Tour of an historic photo gallery. Lecture on Natchez and the Civil War. Historic Natchez Tableaux, history in song and dance
(Wednesday, March 27)

Note: Lecture: 2 Field trips: 2 Performance: 1
   
 Breakfast: A full breakfast will be served in the hotel dining room beginning at 6:30 a.m.
 Morning: Lecture on the African-American history and culture of Natchez by a resident African-American scholar who impersonates the Free Black, William Johnson, who worked as a barber until his death in 1851. He kept a detailed diary for 18 years, which was published as "William Johnson's Natchez" in 1951 and later became the basis of a biography, "The Barber of Natchez." A tour is included of the William Johnson House, a multi-million-dollar restoration project of the National Park Service. Tour of First Presbyterian Church (1828) and its historic photograph gallery.
 Lunch: Lunch will be at a downtown restaurant.
 Afternoon: Lecture on Natchez and the Civil War. Free time follows. Wind up the day with complimentary wine at the hotel.
 Dinner: Dinner will be at the hotel.
 Evening: Special seating at the Historic Natchez Tableaux, social history of Natchez in song and dance
   
Accommodations: Natchez Grand Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Lecture on works inspired by Natchez, focusing on Eudora Welty's story, "A Worn Path." Field trip to three antebellum mansions, Trinity Episcopal Church (with concert) and a Jewish temple. Piano concert at one home with comments, "Chopin and Champagne."
(Thursday, March 28)

Note: Lecture: 2 Field trips: 5 Performance: 2
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast will be served in the dining room beginning at 6:30 a.m.
 Morning: A lecture, "Natchez: A Rich Resource for Writers," by a noted local author, focusing on Eudora Welty's story,"A Worn Path," set in Natchez. Tour of Temple B'Nai Israel and Trinity Episcopal Church (1822) with short organ concert.
 Lunch: Lunch will be in the mansion, Magnolia Hall.
 Afternoon: Guided explorations of Magnolia Hall and Greenlea, two antebellum mansions in the most historic part of downtown Natchez chosen for the Spring Pilgrimage. They are filled with priceless furnishings and art objects. Wind up the day with "Chopin and Champagne" at historic Stone House. A classical concert with commentary is by an Eastman School graduate who serves champagne during a tour of his historic family home.
 Dinner: A bountiful dinner will be at the Castle restaurant on the grounds of palatial Dunleith.
 Evening: Stroll the gardens of Dunleith
   
Accommodations: Natchez Grand Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Lecture on Post Civil War Natchez; checkout by 11 a.m.
(Friday, March 29)

Note: Lecture: 1
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast will be served in the dining room beginning at 6:30 a.m.
 Morning: A lecture about Post-Civil War Natchez by a university professor. checkout of hotel is at 11 a.m.
 Lunch: The program ends about 11 a.m., which is hotel checkout time.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast

Free Time Opportunities
  
  Natchez, MS Free Time In Natchez
Participants have lots to choose from for their free time. They can take another three house tour, go on carriage rides, play golf or tennis, and shop, just to mention a few.
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


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