A Hattiesburg family of five has been traveling around Mississippi for the last four years in search of fun and adventure.
They won’t quit until they visit every county in the state.
The idea was the brainchild of Rodney Mooney, an English teacher at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Mooney, who grew up in the Collins/Seminary area, said he came up with the idea after seeing and hearing national negative stereotypes about Mississippi — the home state he loves.
“I always knew I wanted to do something about how our state is portrayed. I wanted to help,” Mooney said.
The other impetus for his travel idea was a close call with his mortality in 2003 off a Florida beach.
Mooney almost drowned in a riptide. Mooney said his heart stopped before he was rescued.
We don’t just rush through them either. We don’t just see it. We experience it. The ones that are special to me are the surprises, the ones you had no idea about until you stumbled on to them on the way to somewhere else.
“After, I began to live my life differently. I never took it for granted again. Life is short. There’s a big, beautiful world out there, and I want to see it all,” he said.
Mooney calls the travel his “passion project” and dubbed the plan, “Wandering the Pines of Mississippi.”
Mooney, his wife Amber, and their three children research a county, including its history, the best food, attractions, and landmarks, and then visit.
“We don’t just rush through them either. We don’t just see it. We experience it,” Mooney said.
Mooney said most Mississippi residents don’t realize there’s so much to do and see in their state.
“The ones that are special to me are the surprises, the ones you had no idea about until you stumbled on to them on the way to somewhere else,” Mooney said.
As an example, Mooney said his family was on their way to the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale and the GRAMMY Museum in Cleveland when they discovered The Blues Front Café in Bentonia.
Mooney said he was ashamed to admit he had never heard of the legendary live music venue.
While there, the family was able to meet the owner, blues musician Jimmy “Duck” Holmes.
“My son, Race, and I got to sing on a stage the blues greats have performed on for over 75 years. We even got to hang out with Mr. Holmes’ brother and ate boiled peanuts and listened to him talk about how his mom used to throw big Fourth of July parties there, where all the blues greats used to come and perform for a big family reunion with all the locals,” Mooney said.
Mooney’s youngest, daughter Caroline, asked the owner if blues legend Robert Johnson really did sell his soul to the devil to learn the blues.
“Duck leaned over the bar, looked directly into Caroline’s eyes, face to face, and replied, ‘Do you believe in Santa Claus?’ Caroline said, ‘Yes, I do!’ Duck shrugged and held up both hands and answered, ‘There you go! Don’t get me wrong. I can’t prove Santa Claus does or doesn’t exist, nor can I say whether or not Robert Johnson met the devil on them crossroads, but that don’t mean it ain’t true.’”
When asked if he could name just one place in Mississippi visitors shouldn’t miss out on, Mooney said the Choctaw Indian Fair in Neshoba County.
“The Choctaw welcome you into their culture and history. My family loved it! From watching the princess pageants, concerts, fair rides, historical stories, dances, and stick ball tournaments, you cannot come away without respecting and admiring the Choctaw history, culture, and its people,” he said.
The Mooney family has visited 50 of Mississippi’s 82 counties at press time. The family can usually visit one to three counties during a trip and most of the trips take place during the summer and holidays.
“We began this journey in 2019, so we are four years in. I expect us to finish in about two years,” he said.
When it’s all over, Mooney said he plans to write a history and travel book about the experience. After that, the family will try to tackle visiting all 50 states.
“If you or your family are stuck in a rut, looking for adventure, or in need of inspiration, Mississippi has an abundance of wonders to explore. We are the hospitality state for a reason,” Mooney said.
To follow along with the family’s adventures
visit the Wandering the Pines of Mississippi Facebook page or on Instagram @wanderingthepinesofmississippi.
