Diggin' wiggins: Stone Country's centerpiece offers visitors many treats to unearth.

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At Serendipity in downtown Wiggins, patrons can put a whole new spin on a "pick-up order." Proprietor Karen Wallsmith sees it happen often. See, at Serendipity, along with breakfast and lunch platters, the staff sells thousands of antiques and knick-knacks. Shoppers encounter both the beautiful and the curious: lamps, mirrors, china, and even fishing lures. But the cafe's inventory also consists of antique furniture--including the pieces at which diners eat.

At Serendipity, no item is off-limits. This means that should you find yourself enjoying both your sandwich and the oak table on which you're eating that sandwich; you can wrap your leftovers and order the table to-go, too. Other patrons might spy chairs they have to add to their dining rooms. Does it matter if someone's sitting in the chair in question, drinking iced tea? It does not. The staff will simply ask the person to move to another chair.

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On most days, of course, diners aren't going to be evicted mid-meal. This leaves them free to enjoy the fare, which includes grits with sauteed onions and shrimp, and a wide range of sandwiches and wraps. The menu also includes thick homemade fries. The spuds come in Idaho or sweet potato varieties, and are cut and seasoned to order.

Visitors of Serendipity will want to peek at the upstairs loft. Before its current incarnation, Serendipity was, for decades, a movie house. Visitors can touch the silver screen, and get a glimpse of the classic, duel film projectors, which look to weigh as much as a small pickup truck.

Serendipity is certainly an attraction that puts Wiggins on the map. Of course, Wiggins might not even be mentioned on the map, if it weren't for a dose of gumption. The area was settled around 1886, and named after its oldest resident, Wiggins Hatten. Charlotte Koestler, Executive Director of the Stone County Economic Development Partnership, explained that timber gave Wiggins a major boon. "This area grew from sawmills, kind of like a coal-mining town," she said. Unfortunately, the logging industry rapidly sapped its major natural resource, and by 1915, the property had been clear-cut.

Luckily, the community rallied and started growing crops, specifically, pickles. In 1912, the town built a pickle factory and got into the business of growing gherkins by the ton. For a time, Wiggins was host to the world's largest pickle-manufacturing plant.

That factory folded some time ago, but the timber industry, and the town as a whole, has staged a recent surge. Wiggins is not only the county seat; it is Stone County's lone incorporated city. Koestler said that the population is close to 6,000, up from 4,500 in the 2000 census. Part of the reason for this uptick? Hurricane Katrina. The storm's wake sent many coastal residents retreating north. Some families have since returned to the beachfront, but others put down roots.

One of Wiggins's biggest draws is recreational: Flint Creek Water Park. There, 400,000 annual visitors camp in cabins and RVs cast lines for a bite, go waterskiing on the lake, or whip down a waterslide. Even before the water park was built, Koestler said, "Flint Creekwas the place to go. You went fishing, you went swimming, and you went to hang out with your friends."

Wiggins has made a conscious effort to embrace conservation efforts. They aided a documentary focusing on the importance of the area's ecosystem. "We're also the first county in Mississippi to go green," noted Koestler. "We're really pushing that."

Wiggins's main street is on an incline and easy to distinguish. It is the one brick road in all of downtown. It was bricked long ago, after merchants reported troubles riding up the main street in bad weather. The town has blossomed into an eclectic art community, providing a home for numerous potters and painters. Two premium places to locate local art are Bodine Pottery and Mudbugs, whose owner has dreamed up an entire tribe of ceramic creations. She has even written a set of stories to match her pottery. Another store, the Ink Spot, offers first-rate stationery and attractive gifts. If hitting the shopping circuit leaves you exhausted, you might recharge at Mocha Giraffe, a new, Wi-Fi equipped coffeehouse.

After discovering downtown for a while, you might feel or hear a rumble. It could be the train, which passes through at regular intervals. But if it's your stomach calling, there are plenty of places to rest and grab a bite. For instance, you could check out The Whistle Stop. This eatery stands so near the tracks, train drivers simply lean out the window to pick up lunch from the staff.

For those who like history with their home cooking, slip into Huckleberry's Cafe, where co-owners Kristen and Jim Madsen opened shop just over a year ago. For lunch, they offer a wide range of burgers, melts, and salads. For breakfast, they serve the accurately named Bomblet. This omelet comprises no fewer than twelve items, including jalapeno, hash browns, two meats, and three cheeses. How do they manage to even fold the eggs over all those ingredients? It's a mystery wrapped inside an enigma wrapped around bacon and cheddar. But the place may be best known for desserts, including the Million Dollar Pie, piled high with mandarin oranges, pineapple, and toasted coconut shavings.

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The Madsens put a modern polish on Huckleberry's, listing daily specials on their Website, but they also pay homage to the past. Kristen's mother collected photos of Wiggins, stretching back across the last century, and these framed photos adorn the walls, inviting diners to reflect on the town's roots.

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There's no one best time to go to Wiggins. The town puts together an annual Fourth of July event, and hosts the Pine Hill Festival on the first Saturday in April. On Thursday's, bluegrass fans might want to poke their heads into the--believe it or not--Pizza Inn. Musicians assemble each week to play an impromptu hootenanny. Baseball aficionados (especially diehard Cardinal fans like myself) can visit Hall-of-Famer Dizzy Dean's gravesite. Diz retired with his wife to nearby Bond. Fans still leave baseballs by the tomb of the Gashouse Gang great.

When planning a day trip, consider setting up a Told-You-So Tour. This recent innovation takes visitors to four popular sites. Groups start at The Pecan House, a candy shop offering free samples. Next they hit Bodine's Pottery, which includes a demonstration and a complimentary tile painting or pinch pot souvenir. Later the tour treks to Serendipity for lunch and a performance by the Telling Trees actors--a troupe that dramatizes stories from Stone County's past. Finally, groups swing by the G&M Goat Farm. This is no petting zoo; the farmers raise South African Boer goats for meat, cheese, and skin care products. Guests can snap pictures of Stoney the Goat, Wiggins's unofficial mascot. After the goat was featured in a tourism poster, residents called for Stoney's life to be spared. So--whether he's aware of it or not--Stoney is a true example of lucky livestock.

Whether you visit Wiggins in the winter, spring, summer, or fall this small town offers a lot of bang for a buck, just watch where you sit--someone else's buck might have you moving tables.

photography by bonnie dickerson