Deep in the southern United States lies Jackson. Jackson is the metropolitan capital of the state of Mississippi and, like any city, it has its good points and bad points.

Good Points

• Despite being in the middle of what is commonly referred to as 'The Bible Belt', Jackson has enough bars to stop any thinking alcoholic in their tracks. Most of these are located on US highway 80 before reaching Clinton.

• Jackson also has culture. It contains a planetarium, a fine art museum, and two capitol buildings. The Old Capitol is located several blocks from the new one in the metro section of the city and contains exhibits from the early years of the state.

• Jackson also had the honour of hosting several international museum exhibits and the Russian Ballet.

• There is an active theatre community and has plenty of places to shop and several good restaurants. One that is highly recommended is 'Hal & Mal's'. They serve some of the best food in the city. Prices are decent, drink is good, the waitresses smile, and they have good live music on a regular basis.

Bad Points

• Jackson has its problems. The metro section of downtown is teaming with transients at night. Your best bet is to avoid eye contact and don't agree to anything.

• Driving in the city is dangerous. For some reason the locals tend to overreact to the slightest change in weather driving conditions. Serious accidents occur during slight rain or snow showers.

• The weather changes slightly. The temperature will remind you of living in a mall. It gets really hot for a brief time, and stays warm well into winter. Winter gets really cold for a brief time and then stays chilly until late spring. Then there's a hurricane season. If you come during spring bring a raincoat and a boat.