By Mary Kathryn Carpenter

NATCHEZ — Where should you go for a weekend getaway?

Mississippi magazine says Natchez is the best option in Mississippi for exactly that.

Mississippi magazine released its Best of Mississippi list this month, and Natchez was selected as No. 1 in Best Weekend Getaway category, beating out nominees Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Oxford and Starkville.

CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Kevin Kirby was thrilled with the news of how well Natchez cleaned up in the list.

“I think it is an exciting opportunity,” Kirby said. “It presents a sense of respect, admiration and referral for people to come to Natchez.”

Besides being the best weekend getaway, Natchez was nominated in five other categories.

Looking for some great tamales? Fat Mama’s Tamales was nominated for the best tamales in the state and Manager Jeff Chandler was pleased with honor.

“We always love to know how much our customers appreciate us, and we appreciate their business,” Chandler said. “We strive to provide the Fat Mama’s experience through the highest quality products and customer service.”

If you want to go on a staycation, Dunleith Inn was nominated for best bed and breakfast.

Director of Operations at Dunleith Shelley Rogers had not heard about the nomination, but was excited Dunleith was recognized on the list because the inn has recently undergone renovations.

“It’s really exciting,” Rogers said. “It shows that hard work pays off.”

According to Mississippi magazine, one of the best books stores in the state is right here in Natchez. You can find a good read at Turning Pages.

Owner Mary Emrick was pleased that her 14-year-old bookstore was recognized.

“It means an awful lot to us because we are just a little bitty, independent store,” Emrick said. “It means a lot to me that people like my store enough to nominate our little store for such an award.”

Kirby thinks the nominations are something to be proud of, and that the community can grow because of them.

“It presents opportunities to fine tune, adjust and enhance your service overall,” Kirby said. “We are a community that offers a wide and varied menu, from history to fine dining and everything in between.”

Aside from specific retailers and restaurants being nominated, the city itself was nominated for best historic site.

Also, the Eola Hotel, which is now closed, was nominated for best resort or hotel.

“That is an unfortunate circumstance,” Kirby said. “I think that has confused a lot of the marketplace. It may be a call out for the need to assess.”

Kirby said he hopes the hotel will reopen, or that the space is at least utilized because of its status as a historic hotel.

All in all, Kirby was happy with how Natchez did on the list.

“Our goal is to have everyone in the world have Natchez on their bucket list,” he said.

With Mississippi magazine’s recognition, Natchez may have found itself on a few more lists than the Best of Mississippi.