Wandering the Pines of Mississippi

Wandering the Pines of Mississippi Join my family's adventure through MS’s 82 counties, to discover the best hidden gems, history & food Hi! My name is Rodney Mooney. We do not rush through.

Joining me are my wife, Amber, and our 3 children, Caroline, Race, and Aria. Please follow along with us as we adventure through the magnolia state. For the last couple of years, my family of 5 has been traveling to all 82 counties of Mississippi. As you can see from the posted videos/photos, we research the history and “best things to do” in each county, from the important to the obscure to the b

eautiful to the best eats to the just plain ol’ fun. We then travel to each county to find the history, take pictures, and experience the best each county has to offer, while making friends along the way. We stay, interview the locals, etc., till we have a good feeling for each area. Our travels were only meant to be a personal exploration and adventures to be shared as a family; however, during the process, I found a greater purpose and that it is necessary to share our story with others. As a teacher, I’ve heard many of my 19-20 year old students say they have "never traveled outside" of their hometown. I’ve met many adults whom just “stay in” to avoid the outside world and to “save money.” My children would stay on their electronic devices because, otherwise, “there’s nothing to do”, if I did not show them what’s available nearby, often for free, in the outside/real world. After personally sharing some of our adventures, people genuinely light-up and get inspired to travel around MS, shocked about some of these spots of interest that they do not even realize are in their own backyards. Also, many of the amazing stories told by the locals about our history is not written down anywhere; there is no digital footprint, and I fear they will be lost forever without writing about them. Therefore, I have been advised to share our adventures so that others, both in MS and out, can benefit from our experiences. I’ve always had a passion for MS. I remember when the hit TV series ER aired an episode that took place in MS called “In the Middle of Nowhere” which displayed all of the negative stereotypes and none of the Magnolia state’s beauty. It hurt me, even as a child. This experience among others, caused me to become an advocate for MS. Reading social media posts from fellow Mississippian’s, ¾ of our own residents often do not realize what there is to do in MS nor the beauty and talent that reside here, affected by the negative stereotypes. I want to change that narrative. After visiting each county, I’ve discovered places that one would only find through intense research. Some of these entrepreneurs and tourist attractions have begged me to get the word out as there is very little footprint for some of them, especially the obscure ones or those not near a larger city. It’s already been so fulfilling as I have been able to create a community among many of our entrepreneurs around the state, providing a way for them to discover and get in touch with one another, but I want to help more. What began as a personal family adventure has become something much more. I want to change the negative stereotypes, to reveal the beauty to those outside and inside our state (there’s no reason to ever be bored!), and to help those businesses and locations out there get more credit and exposure. In the future, I will pursue this passion of mine to publish a book, develop a website and app, and pursue speaking engagements to personally promote our great state of MS!

This was fun 🤩 Thank you Walt Grayson WJTV for interviewing us today. You’re a true MS legend & a huge inspiration.
07/23/2025

This was fun 🤩 Thank you Walt Grayson WJTV for interviewing us today. You’re a true MS legend & a huge inspiration.

Bucket list item checked off. Very proud to have met an inspiration of mine, the OG Walt Grayson WJTV. I grew up watchi...
07/23/2025

Bucket list item checked off. Very proud to have met an inspiration of mine, the OG Walt Grayson WJTV. I grew up watching MS Roads. As a kid, I loved my home so much, so the negative stereotypes really affected me. To hear Grayson show the best around the state, especially the spooky stories, was & is always such a thrill & proved why I was proud to be a Mississippian. Of course, it’s always great to see my friend Blake too! I’m having the best time working on MS Macabre with Steven Butler Jackson Comics & others! Catch the news segment here. https://youtu.be/Y-Fq1pvSzmU?si=mQUbdvY_na-9oyfb

Daily 'Sip

Way to go, The City of Gautier!
06/27/2025

Way to go, The City of Gautier!

☆ What connection do Michael Jackson and Alanis Morissette have to Natchez, Mississippi?

☆They have both worked extensively with Natchez native Glen Ballard, a highly esteemed songwriter and producer. Ballard was inducted into the Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024.

Here’s a throwback pic to the induction ceremony where Glen performed many of his iconic hits. 📸by: Stephen Anderson

The Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center and Hall of Fame Museum is coming to Gautier, Mississippi in 2026.

Yay Clarksdale!
06/05/2025

Yay Clarksdale!

The community effort and attention around “Sinners,” a blockbuster horror movie, became an opportunity to talk about investing in the Delta town that built the blues.

Open to the public this summer! All are welcome! Want to learn more about MS folklore, our state’s great undiscovered hi...
06/02/2025

Open to the public this summer! All are welcome! Want to learn more about MS folklore, our state’s great undiscovered history found during my travels, & how we at Wandering the Pines of Mississippi & the comic book series MS Macabre are preserving MS history? I’m giving a lecture in-person & online through USM this summer, & All are welcome! You don’t have to be a USM student to take the course, & there’s no tests or grades. We just gather to Learn for the fun of it! My class begins next week, so sign up today! It’s only $30. Class info: “There and Back Again: Travel MS through Time with Stories from Those Past and Present”
Mondays, June 9 - July 14 (No class the week of July 4th) | HB In-Person and Zoom 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. See pics for how to sign up! I look forward to seeing you there! Hattiesburg Area Historical Society Hattiesburg Happenings Hattiesburg Happenings and Events

“Sleeping with the Fishes” now has a new, more pleasant, meaning. This is no longer the type of threat Al Capone may ha...
05/23/2025

“Sleeping with the Fishes” now has a new, more pleasant, meaning. This is no longer the type of threat Al Capone may have used when living in Ocean Springs,… that’s a story for another day… At the Mississippi Aquarium, we were allowed a fully immersive, once in a lifetime opportunity during their (sometimes in the fall) event: “Zzzs by the Sea.” Let me tell you, it was a fun-filled, educational, family &/or date experience, with the main event being, sleeping overnight beneath the 1.2 million gallon, 32 by 25 ft “wall tank.” As an adult, we rarely still get our breath taken away by a “sight to behold” like a child again, but this did it for me. Also a part of the event were activities like making construction paper fish, scavenger hunts, roasting marshmallows, & countless educational activities. Of course, we got to explore the whole area inside & outside as well. A few fav moments & things learned: 1. There’s a Zebra shark named Luna that is totally white which was my favorite. 2. Giant stingrays. 3. Pufferfish named Chad who rules the tank (of course, he does).
He puffed at me as well. Chad’s def the alpha. 4. Sea turtles were a hit! Side note: There’s an Air pocket in one of the turtle’s butt, that causes his head to go into the ground. He looks dead, but no worries! He just has gas. 5. Octopus named Bubble Wrap can change colors to camouflage 6. Dolphins smiling for the camera & photobombing. 7. You could draw a fish, put it into a program that animates it before seeing it swimming around in a fish tank! We had some interesting drawn fish to come alive! 8. Though they are in the process of raising money for an exhibit, they now have penguin encounters! They have events throughout the year including this Memorial Day weekend & Father’s Day; & with the rising heat, there’s no better “cooling” off experience than at our state’s very own aquarium. It’s a MS gem that we all should explore & support, & I cannot wait to see how much it grows! Visit Gulfport MS Mississippi Gulf Coast Attractions Association Mississippi Gulf Coast Fun Mississippi Tourism Association Visit MS CoastVisit MississippiCoastal Mississippi Why I Love MississippiOur Mississippi Home

Thank you so much Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area for listening to my stories from the past and ideas for ...
05/23/2025

Thank you so much Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area for listening to my stories from the past and ideas for preserving our state’s future. It meant a lot, and I can’t wait to team up in the future. With over 140 collected stories of published folklore and the best to see and do around all 82 counties, I’ve got my work ahead of me, and I’m enjoying every minute of it. Thanks again for the support. Stay tuned for more exciting reveals to come from Wandering the Pines of Mississippi and my Mississippi Macabre compadres, Jackson Comics and Steven Butler Studios

We had a special visitor at the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area office this week—Rodney Mooney! Rodney and his family have been on an incredible journey across Mississippi, traveling county by county to uncover and preserve the rich history of our state. Along the way, he’s been talking to locals, digging into the past, and capturing the spirit of Mississippi’s people and places. Follow him at Wandering the Pines of Mississippi

One of the most creative ways Rodney is bringing these stories to life is through his new comic series Mississippi Macabre, which blends folklore, history, and imagination. We have the first in his series, and we’re excited that the next one is coming this October!

Stay tuned—Rodney’s doing great things across Mississippi, and we’re proud to be part of the journey to preserve and share our cultural story.

Love this so much. Bravo and congratulations to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians MBCI Chahta Immi Cultural Cente...
05/10/2025

Love this so much. Bravo and congratulations to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians MBCI Chahta Immi Cultural Center

it's one of the most talked-about films of the year, and one major scene puts Mississippi front and center. Members of the Mississippi band of Choctaw Indian...

Love this!
05/01/2025

Love this!

04/24/2025

H.E.R.O.I.C awards 2025 Nominee

Thank you, William Carey University for hosting the awesome Rhetorica Christiana Forum. I was extremely honored to be a ...
04/14/2025

Thank you, William Carey University for hosting the awesome Rhetorica Christiana Forum. I was extremely honored to be a part of it.

If you love the Fantasy genre, find yourself defending the arts, or want to know more about the great Fantasy authors an...
04/09/2025

If you love the Fantasy genre, find yourself defending the arts, or want to know more about the great Fantasy authors and their instructions / ideas for how to live a happy, fulfilling life,,,, join us! The forum is free & open to the public!

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Seminary, MS

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https://www.youtube.com/@WanderingthePinesofMississippi, http://wander-yonder-missis

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