Cozy Cabin Weekend

Hiking the Red Bluff! 

My good friend Carol has a cozy little cabin in Foxworth, Mississippi. It's made out of logs and sits on about 60 acres of wooded land. For the past several years, she's invited our girls' group out there for a weekend in the fall, but we've never been able to make it work. 

Until this year! 

We decided to hole up there for a night to enjoy a forest full of fall colors, the beginnings of Christmas celebrations in Columbia, Miss., and an exploratory visit to Red Bluff. 

We drove over on a Saturday morning, packing cuddly pajamas, tons of snacks and a few bottles of wine. Though the cabin is definitely in the country, Apple Maps guided us there expertly. We tumbled out of the vehicle and set up a lovely spread of cheese, crackers, nuts, and fruit for lunch. After unpacking, it was off to adventure!

Did Santa foolishly leave his big chair unattended? 
Yes, he did. Hee hee! 

We started by visiting cute little downtown Columbia, where Main Street was already getting bedecked for Christmas and the ice skating rink had just been set up! We shopped in the darling old-time Hill Hardware Store, where pushing a secret button on the vintage cash register will open a drawer full of candy for shoppers. They have a TON of cute boutiques downtown, where we found all sorts of glittery holiday wear and jewelry as well as some comfy sweaters and wraps. We loved getting coffees at Second Street Bean (such a cool vibe in this place), and we spent some time watching Mississippians try their luck at ice skating! 

I. Could not. Resist.

I uncovered all sorts of treasures for my January trip to Las Vegas (I had to keep reminding myself that I'm *visiting* Vegas, not *moving to* Vegas. I don't think I can find daily reasons to don sequins and boas at home!), including a sparkly top and a gorgeous red blouse with feathers on the sleeves. 

After a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon downtown, we headed back to the cabin, where we feasted on fork-tender pork loin, buttery mashed potatoes, and seasoned veggies by candlelight. We ended the evening with warm mulled wine by the fire and lots of conversation and laughter. 

In the morning, we popped a cheesy breakfast casserole in the oven and drank big cups of hot coffee. After a bit more time by the fire, we bundled up for a hike in the woods on Carol's property. Such beautiful stillness, with the leaves crunching under our feet and the trees towering up above our heads. 

After walking in the woods a bit, we wanted to try our feet at another notable Mississippi hiking spot - Red Bluff. Red Bluff is an erosion site, and it's a pretty unique landscape for our state. Keep in mind if you're going that (unless something major has changed in recent years) this site is on private land, and any trails you find here are not being actively maintained for public use (which also explains a lot of the trash you see at this site). The trails that do exist (such as they are) can be pretty treacherous at times, using ropes that you don't know the capacity of tied by hands that are most definitely not yours. So, just know before you go. 

Hello from Red Bluff! 

I had wanted to visit this area for years, but had never been able to get myself here. There are two access points for views: at one access point, you park in a pull-off and walk past a "road closed" barrier. (The road is closed because - erosion. You can see where the old roadway used to route, and part of it has now tumbled into the canyon.) But you can still walk on footpaths on that side of the site to get amazing views. 

At the other access point, you can park and take a trail (such as it is) to both the rim of the canyon and down to the bottom. (Though footpaths at the top of the site are safe, keep in mind that the path down to the bottom is pretty sketch at times.) I really, really wish the state would buy this land and convert this into a state park. It's such a unique landscape in our state, and it deserves to be maintained and preserved. 

No matter what way you choose to enjoy the site, it's a fascinating spot right here in Mississippi. 

After exploring Red Bluff a bit, we headed home, only stopping for a bit of food at Ward's (I love their root beer!) on the way back to the metro area. 

It was a delightful weekend, and I'm so glad we went! A great way to ring in the holiday season! 

Happy holidays from Carol's cabin!