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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Two Sisters' Kitchen in Jackson, Mississippi

After visiting the State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi, we wanted to try some of the local cuisine, so Eric went on Yelp and got lots of positive reviews on Two Sisters' Kitchen.

As we approached the restaurant, I got a little  nervous.  It was 12:30 pm and the parking lot looked full. This is a large house, not a modern restaurant.  Will we have to wait for a table?I'm hungry and I want to eat, now.












Two Sister's Kitchen
Established in 1989









We walk in & much to my surprise,
the Buffet Table is right in front
of us.

Diann I. Alford went through her
family's favorite dishes & keeps
the Buffet Table full of
Southern favorites...



We had our choice of Turnip Greens, Buttered Grits,  Black eyed Peas, Southern Style Cabbage, Fried Squash,  Biscuits (light and fluffy), Corn Muffins, Green Salad with lots of accompaniments.  The sides change, but there is always Fried Chicken.  When we visited, the buffet table included Chicken Fried Steak and Southern Style Roasted Chicken.

There was no need to worry about a table... Two Sisters' Kitchen has tables upstairs in the Balcony and a large patio with twenty plus tables.







Eric and I ate outside.  

Carol kept the Sweet Tea coming
 & we were encouraged to go back
 to the buffet table as much
as we wanted.









There's a lot of
lunch here.







And we visited the
Buffet Table for
seconds.






The choices for dessert were
too many.

I had the Peach Cobbler & Eric
had Bread Pudding with
Bourbon Sauce.




All the Southern Style food we could eat and drink for $12.50 a person.  








There was a special bonus.... 
A fantastic view of the
 State Capitol.  




Lunch was over too soon.  We thanked Diann and made room for another 
car in the parking lot.  

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson

The Mississippi State Capitol is the third capitol building in Jackson, Mississippi.  It was built on the site of the first centralized prison in the state.  Funding for the project came from a lawsuit against the Illinois Central Railroad to collect back taxes owed to Mississippi.









The Mississippi State Capitol
is on a rise, surrounded by trees,
shrubs and statues.












Mississippi's copy of






The Mississippi State Capitol is full of light.  Light fixtures are integral to the 
interior design.  Construction was finished in 1903 and the Capitol was one of the first 
electrified buildings in the state.  











Interior Galleries





Not all of the marble seen in this building is stone.  The columns in the gallery are painted 
using the technique of marbelizing to create the appearance of marble.










The Rotunda
There's a lot of light bulbs
up there (750).










Marble stair cases













Stain glass
window








The Speaker's Desk in
the Senate










The Senate Chamber
Entrance is at the front of
the room.  Visitors aren't 
allowed to walk to the back 
of the room to take photos.







Senate Phone Booths
Senators aren't allowed
to use cell phones while
in session.












The domed ceiling
in the Senate Chamber












The Governor's Office














The House of Representatives













The back of the
House of Representatives










The domed ceiling in the
House of Representatives




The Mississippi Supreme Court moved to a building adjacent to the Capitol.  The former
Court Chambers are used as a meeting/hearing room.











This skylight is in the 
fourth floor ceiling.











The dark"tiles" are glass
that allows light to filter 
through to the skylight 
on the third floor.

Eric and I like this Capitol very much.  We had a great tour guide who was very knowledgeable. The rotunda and domed ceilings in the Legislative Chambers are stunning.  The architectural flourishes in are exquisite.  This Beaux Arts building was added to the National Registry of Historic Buildings in 1969.

The Mississippi Welcome Center, East of Meridian








Just a few miles in from the
eastern state border, off of I 20,
is the Mississippi Welcome Center.












This is the poshest 
Visitors Center ever!














And there are racks & racks 
of information on Mississippi














Just beneath the clock are 
the coffee fixings. 
There's free coffee
here, every day.









There's a display with
lots of information on
foods in Mississippi.




This Welcome Center has more services for RVers.  Overnight parking is allowed,
There's also a free dump station.











Follow the Highway
 sign to the left.








Stay to the right
for the free dump
station.









A great service
for RVers.




I feel very welcome in Mississippi!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Winn Dixie Grocery Store in Montgomery, Alabama

Travel brings us to state capitols, parks, museum, historic sites.  We also visit different grocery stores.  The Capital Region including Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties has three major grocery tore chains.... Price Chopper, Hannaford and ShopRite.  Trader Joe's opened a store in 2012 on Wolf Road in Colonie is doing great business, but it's only one store in a sea of supermarkets.

Eric and I shopped at a Piggly Wiggly and today we are visiting Winn Dixie.








This store is located north








The Fresh Produce
is well stocked.








There's lots and lots
of peanuts here.









Boiled Peanuts too!











Chicken & Quinoa with
Poblano Chilies










Blocks of Lard












They sell wine
here too.


This is a nice grocery store.  We'll come back, often.

The Vaughan-Smitherman Museum In Selma, Alabama

Eric pointed out the columns on this building from two blocks away.  We had to investigate and I had to get some pictures.  From a distance I thought this was a grand home.  Even better, this building houses the Vaughan-Smitherman Museum.  The fee for a tour is $3.00 per person.

Originally built by Selma's Masonic Lodge #27 as a school, this building served as a Confederate Hospital, the Freedman's Bureau Hospital for freed slaves, the Dallas County Courthouse, a Military School, the Vaughan Hospital before becoming a museum.







Built in 1847, The
Vaughan-Smitherman
Museum is can be
rented for events.















The entryway









The first floor is decorated
in an 1800s motif.








These are some of the historical
 documents from the 1800s
 donated by Art Lewis.















Notice of the Public
Sale of Negroes












Paper money 
from Reconstruction







The second floor is dedicated to Military History.










A Civil War regimental
battle flag












Civil War Musket
and other relics











Uniforms and medals
from Selma, Alabama
World War II veterans


The third floor honors the hospitals that provided services here and area hospitals.
This building housed the Freedman's Bureau Hospital from 1866 to 1868.
The Vaughan Hospital operated in this building from 1911 - 1960.










The typical patient's room

Meals were served on china.











The Delivery Room













This room was used for
dentistry and optometry.




Selma, Alabama has so much to offer.  A one day visit is not enough time to 
take in the many sites available to be toured.