PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF AMTRAK/CHUCK GOMEZ
The “City of New Orleans” and the “Crescent” If talk of train lore has you longing to hear that lonesome whistle, Oxford is well situated for a quick, relatively inexpensive rail excursion. Amtrak has passenger stations as close as Memphis, Greenwood and Meridian. Travelers can board the legendary “City of New Orleans” at 6:50 a.m. in Greenwood and be in New Orleans’ Union Passenger Terminal at 3:32 that afternoon. Take it big-easy from Friday night in your favorite NOLA haunts to Sunday morning beignets, then board the train at 1:45 p.m. and be back in Greenwood in about six hours. Or spend that weekend in a less celebrated, but no less historic, city along the way. Yazoo City, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven and McComb are all stops along the line. Attractions detailed in Amtrak’s route guide include Brookhaven’s Victorian homes, McComb’s Lighted Azalea Festival and Jackson’s Old Capitol Museum. Amtrak also operates the “Crescent,” which runs from New York to New Orleans primarily along the Norfolk Southern Line, with stops in Meridian, Laurel, Hattiesburg and Picayune. So, whether your speed is “Soul Train” or “Wabash Cannonball,” there’s a railroad destination right around the bend. More information: amtrak.com/train-routes Above: The “City of New Orleans” makes a stop in Jackson. Above right: The “Crescent” crossing the James River in Virginia. Right: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, including wine, beer and spirits, are available.
40 INVITATION OXFORD | March 2018