Characters welcome in Tupelo.

After checking out the sites telling the story of Elvis the King, be sure you take a spin past the life size bronze statue honoring another famous king, Chickasaw Chief Piomingo, who in 1786 negotiated the Treaty of Hopewell, officially opening relations between America and the Chicksaw Nation. The bronze, created by Hills sculptor Bill Beckwith, is just one example of the seamless blend of history, art and culture that makes Tupelo unique. 

At the Oren Dunn City Museum, more than 3,000 city artifacts dating back 150 years make up the collection that’s highlighted by an old Memphis street car that once served as a Tupelo diner. Other great museums: the African American Historical and Cultural Society Museum, the World War II museum, and the Tupelo Automobile Museum. In Tupelo, you can also roam with the largest herd of buffalo east of the Mississippi at the Tupelo Buffalo Park.

More of the great outdoors—the truly great outdoors—awaits you on the Natchez Trace Parkway. A 444-mile scenic route leading from Natchez to Nashville, the Natchez Trace holds some of nation’s most remarkable and important history, not to mention spectacular scenery around every bend. Hiking, biking, and camping are only the beginning of the fun of this recreational paradise. But to get the most out of the Parkway’s great outdoors, start indoors at Trace headquarters, where the context and history of the roadway are explained in depth in a collection of newly redesigned exhibits. Organized around 9 major subjects, the exhibits tell an irresistible story populated by larger than life characters—conquistadors and mound builders and Kaintuck boatmen who walked the Trace on foot after selling their goods and flatboats in New Orleans. And there’s more, from flora and fauna to military actions, all offered up in a compact yet complete and completely compelling journey that can make your trip on the Parkway all the more meaningful.

You’ll find another compelling piece of history further north at the Brice’s Crossroads National Battlefield.