I’m heading to Jackson, Mississippi on Saturday for a client strategy meeting, and I’m looking forward to getting a few glimpses of the Capitol City again. My children and I spent a few days in Jackson at the end of the summer and had lots of fun visiting museums, trying out restaurants, and exploring historic downtown. This week, I’ve been looking back through all the photo evidence of our wanderings and thinking about any places I’d like to revisit this weekend. I’m reminded again of all the inspiring textures and colors and materials and art and signs – old and new – found everywhere in an urban downtown. Sometimes, we just have to train our eyes to look.
Back in July, we booked a few days at the historic King Edward Hotel on Capitol Street in downtown Jackson. It’s now operating as a Hilton Garden Inn with upper floors reserved for apartments, but much of the glamour of this landmark has been preserved. The hotel sits just down the street from the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion, and we enjoyed all the bustle of the location.
On Saturday during our visit, I had a client meeting scheduled, and as I left the hotel, I realized that security had cordoned off a perimeter of street closings around the Governor’s Mansion. There was no emergency, and I imagine the Governor was just in motion that day, creating the need for more controlled traffic. The result for me was that I wasn’t able to drive the shortest and most familiar route past the Capitol building and down to Millsaps College to my meeting.
The detour that morning took me down Farish Street, the historic African American business district, and along several less traveled streets. On the way back, I stopped to take a few photos of places I’d never seen, mid-century signage, and buildings in that beautiful and unkept state of disrepair we so often label as blight. While the detour wasn’t quite as “aimless” as the term flânerie suggests, it was still an unexpected new perspective on a very familiar city and an opportunity to be inspired.
I showed my kids some of the pictures later that evening, and after dinner, my son Elisha asked if we could head back down to the street to walk around and take more photos – a moment when I saw once again how my quirky creative bent has made an impact on my kiddos. He and I went out to explore a little and took time to look up at some of the signage synonymous with that area of town. We stopped and read historic markers, and he was once again very patient with my desire to capture the unique details. It made my heart smile to hear his excitement and interest in that bit of wandering! It was fun to enjoy the views, and see them through his eyes. Thanks for taking a look back with me.
Hello & welcome! I’m Haley Montgomery, and I’m the designer and owner of 
