#14 MISSISSIPPI BLUES ROUTE

The Mississippi Visitors Center and Rest Area clinched my positive attitude about the state. It may have been that I had crossed the hurdle of my fight against the common cold and was feeling optimistic about everything but I was happy to be on a road trip. Among the handouts and pamphlets that I gathered was a single sheet with Mississippi Trivia on one side and an extensive list of famous Mississippians on the other.

Just some tidbits:

• Gail Borden produced the first can of condensed milk in Liberty.


• Memorial Day was started in Columbus


• The first co-educational college in the US to grant a degree to a woman was MS College.


• Barq’s Root Beer was invented by Edward Barq in Biloxi in 1898


• The Blazon-Flexible Flyer (snow sled) came from West Point
  

A sampling of famous folks hailing from the Magnolia State include Elvis Presley, Jimmy Buffett, James Earl Jones, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Britney Spears, Muddy Waters, Oprah Winfrey, 6 astronauts, 4 Miss Americas, Brett Favre, Walter Payton and Jerry Rice.

My visit was short but action packed. I drove south from Memphis along US Route 61 through verdant fields of winter wheat to Clarksdale to get a taste of the Mississippi Blues Trail. I loved the small, but comprehensive Delta Blues Museum which boasts the Muddy Waters guitar made from a plank from Muddy Water’s cabin and used on tour by ZZ Top plus the remains of the cabin along with all sorts of nifty memorabilia. Clarksdale hosts several events throughout the year but I was there on a sleepy, soggy April day.

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After getting my fill of blues history I eagerly drove to Abe’s BBQ for tamales, located near the junction of highways 61 and 49 “the crossroads where blues legend tells us you sell your soul to the devil in exchange for the gift of music”. Obviously you need sustenance for such an endeavor and Abe has the right idea. Abe’s is the first restaurant that I’ve been able to visit that is listed in Road Food, a book given to me by my friend Lois. I’ve diligently consulted it prior to every excursion and make note of potential dining spots but something always conspires to thwart my Road Food experience. I enjoyed the recommended tamales along with tart slaw immensely and can’t wait to try other locations from the book!

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I was having a great time and wanted to extend my Mississippi tour instead of heading directly north to Nashville so I detoured east through Oxford, home of William Faulkner and the University of Mississippi aka Ole Miss. Faulkner used Oxford as a backdrop for many of his novels rechristened as Jefferson. Another literary success, John Grisham was a graduate of Ole Miss Law. The antebellum houses line gracious streets and I fantasized about packing up and relocating to a more leisurely lifestyle.

Continuing east I was serenaded by Elvis Radio as I drove through Tupelo, birthplace of THE KING, and easily located 306 Elvis Presley Drive. After a brief exploration I headed north on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 444 mile drive across Mississippi, the corner of Alabama and Tennessee, culminating just south of Nashville. This former American Indian footpath is liberally sprinkled with wayside exhibits and footpaths and warrants serious lingering but I conceded defeat and fatigue and turned off to the freeway to make a more rapid final push to Nashville and my awaiting hotel.

I truly enjoyed my tour and would most definitely recommend Mississippi as a road trip destination. The state is small, less than 50,000 square miles and I only ventured through the top quadrant. Who knows what delight awaits those who venture deeper into the Deep South?

There is a dark side. Mississippi the poorest state in the union with the US Census reporting 21.3% living below poverty level. The lack of affluence could be a direct reason for the lack of development. There were noticeably fewer Starbuck’s and Taco Bell’s and generic homogenization. Does that mean it’s not economically desirable for those companies to invest here? The funky road side diner/gas station/taxidermy/dental office with a pile of junk out front does not speak well of a standard of living but it’s a delight for my eyes weary of McDonald’s arches.