Jason Simonds, right, from coastal Maine swaps stories with members of Southern Confederacy Veterans who were welcoming tourists Wednesday at the Mississippi Welcome Center on Washington Street. From left are Charlotte Webb, Glenn Taylor, Karen Taylor and Mike Webb. The Webbs are from Crystal Springs, and the Taylors from Terry. The group was participating in Tourist Appreciation Day, a part of National Tourism Week, and mixing Southern hospitality with education about how people lived during the 1860s. A display featured foods from a typical meal such as sweet potatoes and dried corn with nuts to grind for coffee if they had no coffee beans and personal items including a toothbrush and straight razor along with playing cards.