Starkville
After Columbus and West Point, it was off to Starkville – home of Mississippi State University. The campus was our first stop, and for two Ole Miss alums, the difference between the two schools is startling. We knew that MSU is the largest university in the state, but we weren’t prepared for how big it is! There’s so much open space, and it probably seemed even bigger to us because we had just toured Mississippi University for Women’s compact little campus a few hours earlier.
There are some charming older buildings at State, but lots of sleek new structures that give it a real 21st century look, too. They’ve got a snazzy Student Union and a lovely sorority row, their Office of Admissions is in beautiful Montgomery Hall, and there are some really impressive new dorms. Dorms have come a long way since we were in college, and we hate that we missed the boat on that one.
After Columbus and West Point, it was off to Starkville – home of Mississippi State University. The campus was our first stop, and for two Ole Miss alums, the difference between the two schools is startling. We knew that MSU is the largest university in the state, but we weren’t prepared for how big it is! There’s so much open space, and it probably seemed even bigger to us because we had just toured Mississippi University for Women’s compact little campus a few hours earlier.
There are some charming older buildings at State, but lots of sleek new structures that give it a real 21st century look, too. They’ve got a snazzy Student Union and a lovely sorority row, their Office of Admissions is in beautiful Montgomery Hall, and there are some really impressive new dorms. Dorms have come a long way since we were in college, and we hate that we missed the boat on that one.
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| Drill Field (picture from Wikipedia.org) -- . |
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| Swalm Hall (picture from Sunny Jang -- BYUaccounting.com) |
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| Lee Hall (picture from english.msstate.edu) |
We were really taken with the brick walkways that run through campus; they’re beautiful and add a lot of charm. And, back to the plethora of open spaces, one of the prettiest is the Drill Field, with gorgeous buildings surrounding it. One of the most striking is Swalm Hall. It’s fairly new, but was built as a replica of a much older building nearby, historic Lee Hall. So, not only are they stunners, they’re twins too. Amazing.
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| Couldn't get any cheese at the Herzer Dairy, but, did get a pic of the stadium. |
Our first stop was Herzer Dairy (https://msucheese.com/about_us.cfm) to pick up some of their famous Edam cheese. They were out! It was December 8, and it was all gone. We walked into their store, looked into their glass-fronted refrigerator units, and saw nothing but empty shelves! They had racks of sauces and jams and a freezer full of ice cream, but no cheese. That’s how popular it is – how good it is – so order early to be sure you don’t miss out. (Marian finessed the whole cheese issue by buying from Margarete’s Fine Chocolates in Tupelo. Got there just in time too. http://www.margaretesfinechocolates.com/ )
After admiring the campus, we headed downtown for a little shopping on Main Street, which is undergoing a real renovation. We hit Aspen Bay, the famous candle company based there, and a few other really cute stores and then it was on to The Little Dooey. Yes, we were hungry again and we were also tired – exhausted from all our Triangle stops – so we’re going to have to return to really do Starkville justice.
The Little Dooey is a landmark barbeque restaurant, and to be honest we’re always a little wary of any place that everyone says is “the best.” But, they lived up to their reputation – it was great! It’s a typical, casual barbeque place with friendly service, and it’s a favorite with State students for good reasons.
After admiring the campus, we headed downtown for a little shopping on Main Street, which is undergoing a real renovation. We hit Aspen Bay, the famous candle company based there, and a few other really cute stores and then it was on to The Little Dooey. Yes, we were hungry again and we were also tired – exhausted from all our Triangle stops – so we’re going to have to return to really do Starkville justice.
The Little Dooey is a landmark barbeque restaurant, and to be honest we’re always a little wary of any place that everyone says is “the best.” But, they lived up to their reputation – it was great! It’s a typical, casual barbeque place with friendly service, and it’s a favorite with State students for good reasons.
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| Rules and regulations kept the walls, tables and booths clean... |
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| The Little Dooey, Established in 1985 |
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| Sign outside The Little Dooey |
I “tested” the barbeque, Marian “tested” the catfish sandwich, and we loved our choices. (Marian: I was ridiculed by some of my MSU friends for going to The Little Dooey and NOT eating Bar-B-Q...but I think they were the ones that have missed something - the fried catfish sandwich was awesome!) Their food was really good, including the chocolate pie, which tasted homemade, but which they readily admitted wasn’t. So…good for them, they’re honest too!