The day after Thanksgiving we went for lunch to Anchuca, an antebellum mansion in downtown Vicksburg that is now a bed and breakfast with a cafe. The dining room was small and, frankly, I was expecting small salads and cucumber sandwiches or the like. Erica and I got a bowl of seafood gumbo and a panini, "The Vick" to share. The gumbo was, oddly, free of rice, but had a good flavor and an acceptable amount of seafood. The Vick was a cheeseburger panini -- topped with both Cheddar and Swiss and caramelized onions and mushrooms. It was, simply, incredible. The onions and mushrooms created a delicious sauce for the sandwich, and the Ciabatta bread was the best I've ever had.

The Reids' long time friend Daniel Boone (yes, related) has opened a coffeeshop in downtown Vicksburg, underneath the art gallery, the Attic Gallery, owned by his wife, Lesley Silver. Highway 61 Coffee is a cozy little place decorated with the same kind of folk art found upstairs. We're coffee snobs and I'm not giving in to familial loyalty when I say that they pull a nice shot of espresso. We've been there at once a day every day of this trip.