Starkville to Oxford

After sleeping on it I decide to go North to Oxford. It seems farther north then I would like. It lies about 70 miles just south of Memphis. Seems like that would be pretty cold during winters. Although nothing compared to Vermont. The trip up is uneventful except for the fact that I end up on the wrong road. I have never come across this before but my map is miss labeled. Either that or the state switched route numbers for some reason. I happily barrel through the countryside for an hour before I realize I am now 40 miles further west then where I was supposed to be. Once finally straightened away I see a sign along the road “Caution Bridge freezes before road” That is not something I want to see. That means things freeze up here. Freezing is bad. I am in Oxford that afternoon. I do a quick drive through the main part of town and conclude things look very promising. Just off the square…this is another one of those towns set up as a square…. I find an old looking hotel. The location is perfect so I go in to check it out. The lobby is plastered floor to ceiling with various promotion photos of bands. Most are autographed. There is an Indian woman behind the desk and I ask her what this is all about. She says that the previous owner was a huge music fan and would go up and get the photos from all the groups he saw in town over the years. They decided to leave them up when they bought the place. Very cool this is looking better all the time. It is a one-block walk to town. I sign reads “bicycle friendly town” I pass buy a trash can on the sidewalk next to it is a separate one that reads “ oxford recycles – cans and bottles only” more good signs. The main square is really nice. Prosperous, I count 3 bookstores another really good sign. I see they have one those local free papers that are basically a “ what’s happening” thing. In my home town we call it the advocate. It is a paper largely dedicated to art and music. The thing is chock full of all kinds of music and events. There are lots of restaurants on the square. Lots up on the second floor like in New Orleans. Tables out on the balconies, ceiling fans above them. Very nice stuff. There is a lot of construction going on. Just down one of the side roads is a new condo complex. There is a sign saying “ mill area” and that is what they have done. They have taken the old brick mills and revamped them to be condos, which looks good as they fit in the landscape and they have added sort of matching touches to the town architecture. There is also another big building being totally redone. The guy in Starkville was correct, compared to his town, this is haughty. I have been to many very wealthy places in this country. This town is not like that. It certainly has a lot of money but it is not inaccessible the way places with real money are. It feels a bit like downtown Northhampton MA, for those of you who know that town. I pass a music hall with list of shows posted. This must be where that guy at the hotel got all the pictures. I see “Modest Mouse” is playing but sold out. Oxford is a college town. The University of Mississippi ( Ole Miss ) is here. I take a drive down through the campus. It is unbelievable. Really nice, big oaks in the center of what is basically a small city. The place is mobbed with students walking to and from classes.
I drive around the outskirts of town. The area is nice. Unfortunately the town was burned in the war and has lost most of all the really cool homes that I am sure used to be here. Everything seems very accessible in this town. Even the sprawl area is set up well. It runs just outside of town along one road. If you wanted to go to McDonalds you could walk there from main street but you don’t see of feel that the sprawl. It has its place, which is secondary. Here the center of town is the heart of the town.
That evening I walk up into town and start considering my options. I randomly walk into a pub and they have a stage there with a built in sound system. There is a band setting up. Hard to believe as it is a Tuesday night but this town is totally into the music scene. Not only because of the college but I suspect that all those people who are trying to make it in Memphis must come down here too. Of coarse I had to stay. 2 acoustics and a mandolin. A guy with a great deep voice. Dylan, John Prine the Dead. What more can I say. I closed the place. Oxford 5 stars.