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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Sampling Oxford, Mississippi




One of our discoveries in the south is the beautiful town of Oxford, Mississippi, home to the University of Mississippi. It's a bit off the beaten track and well worth the extra miles to visit.  Our aim was to visit Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner, a small mansion (and now visitors center) where he wrote most of his novels and short stories about the south he knew. But the historic town center itself is a delight with its tidy courthouse square and little shops and cafes. 



This is the view of the courthouse clock from the windows of the Faulkner corner up on the second floor of Square Books, a general independent bookstore in three separate shops around the square. A book lovers mecca if there ever was one.



Faulkner's works are well featured along with a wonderful selection of biographies and criticism.







The shop is also a cultural center of the town with locals and visitors attending book events and signings. It's the kind of place that we could easily imagine settling into for a long stay.



We bypassed the Elvis sites in Memphis, Tennessee and Tupelo, Mississippi, and so this cool poster helped to make up for that! Haha!




The welcoming second level has a coffee bar and cafe tables.




View of the ground floor from the stairs of this wonderful old building.




What a wonderful visit we had here!




The staff recommended the City Grocery, a nice old tavern a couple doors down on the square as a way to beat the heat. (Which really wasn't too bad.)



It's a place where local writers and visiting authors hang out and where everyone cranes their necks to see who is walking in. It felt odd for everyone to look up when we walked in. There was a nice buttoned down crowd on a weekday afternoon in summer.



A bit too hot for time on the balcony overlooking the square.



A little further on is the wildly popular Ajax Cafe. The menu is not what we're used to, but gave us a great sampling of some celebrated southern cuisine.



I am not kidding. The BEST chicken fried steak I have ever eaten! I chose a scrumptious sweet potato casserole as a side dish with pecans in it.










A good shot of the water tower from the square.




Mississippi is amazingly lush and green. The planters are just overflowing on the walkways. And Oxford is simply the loveliest place!

Still writing on the road with more to come!

Thanks so much for all the well wishes!

So nice that you have stopped by to leave a word or two. . .

Jacqueline



11 comments:

  1. Jacqueline,
    What a great adventure you are on. I love this little town too. That book shop is awesome. How charming.
    Love the dinner too. Yum that looks so delish. Keep on sharing your adventures with us. Loving these posts.
    Safe travels my friend.
    Kris

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  2. Hope you have a safe trip and love the posts!

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  3. Boy, when you take a road trip, you go on a real road trip. I bet Oxford was a nice surprise.

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  4. I could move into that book store, am going to try to make the turnip green dip and they got those green beans cooked just right...a long time and with bacon drippings...I can tell.

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  5. Hi Jacqueline,

    Thank you so very much for taking your blog visitors on your vacation. These are great sights that I know, I never would have experienced, if not for you sharing with us. So, thank you, thank you...

    Have Fun!!

    You are amazing,
    Sarah :)

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  6. I have a friend who bought a home in Oxford and is there for the summer. It's fun to see this post. I like the the book store. A mecca indeed! It's wonderful when one finds these gems. Independently owned book stores are few these days. Safe travels.

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  7. What a nice stop on the road. I would love this too. My husband especially loves bookstores and would be in 7th heaven.

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  8. Thanks for showing this homey looking book store just like back in the day

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  9. Jacqueline,
    Oh, dear friend, I l o v e a bookstore!
    This one looks absolutely divine!
    Glad you're enjoying your travels along the way in Mississippi!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  10. I live close to Oxford and attended Ole Miss (University of MS). It is a beautiful town and my second home. Square Books hosts a great many renowned authors upon occasion. The food is second only to New Orleans in my book! Do come back!

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  11. I love a good bookstore and this one sounds just terrific. And the restaurant a perfect way to cap it all off!

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