"The past is never dead," said William Faulkner. "It is not even past." The author's famous quote could be used as a slogan for his home state's tourism department. With a legacy of turbulence and grandeur, Mississippi's history takes center stage for visitors. You can see the antebellum homes created by the riches of the slave era, then revisit the Civil War battles that brought an end to the plantations. You can learn about the great stories and songs that seem to grow from the state's troubles - everything from Faulkner's Southern Gothic fiction to the raw blues of Robert Johnson. Mississippi's more recent history includes a boom in gaming establishments, and while they may be less romantic than the state's pillared mansions, they draw a lot of travelers. Mississippi's short but attractive shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico shouldn't be overlooked, either.