One Tank Trip: Meridian

MERIDIAN, MS (WDAM) - It’s time to hit the road again with our One Tank Trip Series, which helps you have fun with your family without costing a fortune. To celebrate spring break, the WDAM crew traveled to Meridian to see what the city had to offer.

Our first stop was The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience located in downtown Meridian. The MAX is a one-of-a-kind experience that highlights Mississippi artists and celebrates the contributions of arts and entertainment from the Magnolia state.

“Our charge and our mission is to inspire and educate the next generation of Mississipians to contribute in a way the Mississipians we have in the Hall of Fame do,” said Jerome Traham, director of marketing at the MAX.

More than 500 Mississippians are showcased throughout the museum. Some of them are very well known, such as Elvis, Oprah, William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Morgan Freeman, and ballerina Kathy Thibodeaux. There are even local celebrities, such as Hattiesburg’s own Robert St. John and the late Leatha Jackson.

The museum is currently hosting The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, where you can learn about Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets.

Most Muppets on display are original pieces designed and used by Henson. There are puppets you’ll recognize such as Kermit The Frog, Bunsen and Beaker, Bert and Ernie, and even Grover. The exhibits covers Jim Henson’s career from beginning to end. You can even try your hand at being a puppeteer.

The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience is constantly holding events for people of all ages. For a list of events, visit the MAX calendar here or follow them on Facebook.

We then went across the street to grab lunch at Weidmann’s, a Meridian landmark. First opened 1870, Weidmann’s is the oldest, continuously operated restaurant in Mississippi. Stepping into the restaurant is like stepping back in time, because the building has been relatively untouched since they moved in back in the 1920s.

They have a lot of great food on the menu, including their most famous dish.

“Probably the Black Bottom Pie.” said Charles Frazier, owner of Weidmann’s. “That is a chocolate pie with a ginger snap crust with a layer of dark chocolate ganash, a layer of bourbon-infused chocolate custard, topped with a custard infused meringue and homemade whipped cream and then dark chocolate sprinkles on top.”

The food there was absolutely amazing! Something we won’t forget anytime soon.

The Meridian is great for the whole family. Total mileage on this One Tank Trip was 174 miles to and from Hattiesburg

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