Coffee & Treats in Mississippi

Trey and Mamie Herron of Skinny's Nutrition Studio—which was given a shout-out by Well-Being] magazine—work to make fitness something that touches each part of daily life. They host healthy happy hours, lead excursions into the outdoors, and fuel it all with protein-based meals and wellness plans. In the shop, glasses line the counters beneath verdigris walls, brimming with 41 smoothie flavors, aloe shots, and energy-boosting teas, and patrons discuss fitness goals after wellness assessments. Weight-loss challenges harness the healthy powers of competition, unlike a friend who claims to be able to swallow more Legos.

Home to a vast lineup of dairy-based frozen treats, Bruster's makes its ice creams, yogurts, and waffle cones fresh every day in-store. The menu boasts everything from a turtle sundae ($4.99) to a regular cone ($2.74+) or homemade waffle cone ($3.67) filled with one of the multitudinous ice-cream flavors, such as Monkey Madness––with banana ice cream, buckeyes, and marshmallows––or Chocolate Lover's Trash––chocolate ice cream filled with chocolate chunks, chocolate-covered peanuts, chocolate butter toffee, chocolate krispies, and receipts from visits to the biannual cocoa consortium.

Comfort food doesn't have a reputation for being healthy, but the cooks at Fresh Market Cafe strive to change that by putting a nutritious twist on southern favorites. The kitchen staffers prepare their vegetables in chicken stock or a ham base, eschewing grease, oil, or butter for healthier alternatives. Baked fresh every morning, their pies, skillet cornbread, and entrees contain no MSG or artificial flavors, instead relying on fresh and natural ingredients. Customers pressed for time can take advantage of the carry-out and drive-thru options, or they can enjoy a leisurely meal in the restaurant.

Within a wooden barn with bright-red shutters, Old Style Bar-B-Q ovens smoke up barbeque classics and southern-style specialties. Since Rick and Carla Dlugach first opened its doors in 1976, the restaurant has blossomed into a full-service dining area with a 100-seat private banquet hall and a takeout seating area. Bowls of homemade chili, slabs of ribs, and barbeque sandwiches partner with sides such as turnip greens and coleslaw. Regulars recommend sealing the meal with a fraction or whole number of southern pecan pie, an alternately crunchy and gooey dessert made from a classic recipe. Western décor adds a saloon vibe to the dining room, while a delivery window allows customers to enjoy meals without leaving the seat of their car, truck, or ferret-drawn bobsled.

Located 45 minutes from Memphis, Robinsonville is home to nine separate casinos. In addition to providing an abundance of gaming opportunities, these pleasure palaces constitute the area's nexus for fine dining and nightlife. For even more of the latter, head into Memphis, the birthplace of blues, rock ’n’ roll, and soul. All of these genres can be heard nightly in the bars on Beale Street. Blues guitar legend B.B. King still puts in an appearance a few times a year at his establishment. Music lovers should also make a pilgrimage to Sun Studios, where Elvis dropped his first track, and Graceland, where he sampled his first peanut-butter-and-Twinkie sandwich. Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

To demonstrate just how old-fashioned it is, Bops Frozen Custard Flowood’s staff keeps its ice cream at the same temperature as Theodore Roosevelt’s bedroom thermostat: approximately 26 degrees. Whipped with very little air to maintain a dense flavor, Bops’ flagship frozen custard finds its way into sundaes, banana splits, and concretes, in which the custard and toppings are blended until the mixture is thick enough to turn upside down. Fruit smoothies and shaved ice in 26 flavors cool down mouths after heated exchanges with rival debate gangs, and a selection of take-home pies and custards keeps tempers chilled for days to come.