If there was a must-do, or bucket list, for Vicksburg area residents, I believe that I checked two of those items off Saturday.

Growing up along the Alabama gulf coast, there was a bridge that I had to cross before getting to Gulf Shores. The bridge, which isn’t very big, spans the Intercoastal Canal, but the difference between one side and the other is amazing; not so much in appearance, but feeling.

When I had the chance to live in Gulf Shores, which is part of Pleasure Island along with Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, there was a common phrase called “over the bridge mentality.”

For locals, going “over the bridge” was something to avoid. Doing so gave you the feeling of leaving the beach, leaving that lifestyle, even if it were for a quick run to the store, doctor or something that really was deemed an emergency.

I sort of had the same feeling moving to Vicksburg, as I had never really had the need, or called upon to go “over the bridge” into Madison Parish. It wasn’t that I was avoiding such, but I had yet to have anything on my to-do list that required the trip.

That was until Saturday.

Thanks to an amazingly fun and creative program planned by the Southern Heritage Air Foundation, Stephanie and I loaded up the boys and headed to the museum to watch the moving “Planes” in the museum’s hangar.

For nearly two hours, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in watching the movie, getting up close to some amazing planes and experiencing a morning at one of the area’s greatest treasures, in the Foundation.

As we left, and were handed a balsa wood glider for each of the boys, Stephanie and I said to each other — almost at the same time — we have got to do that again.

In case you were wondering about the state of the gliders in the hands of a 3-year-old and another who is just weeks from turning 2; let’s just say one glider is in great shape and still flying, while the other had a terrible crash and was destroyed at the hands of the nearly 2-year-old. It really is amazing at how big a mess a glider can become.

As for the other bucket list item checked off Saturday, Stephanie and I joined a few thousand of our closest friends in attending the finale of the Miss Mississippi Pageant.

After doing so, all I can say is “wow.” That was one heck of an event and production and something Vicksburg should be tremendously proud to call its own.

Not having a rooting interest in any of the contestants, I found myself lucky just being able to sit back and enjoy it, regardless of who won.

And, aside from the ultimate winner, Hannah Roberts, I would say the real champions of the evening were the children who were princes and princesses in the program. It’s kind of hard to steal a show that includes so many talented participants, but they did it.

As a result, we both agreed that this is on the date night list for next year. It’s a show that cannot be missed.

So, now on to the next Vicksburg bucket list item; Fourth of July fireworks downtown.