We rode into downtown Clarksdale and as usual, started the day with biscuits, sausage and eggs. After breakfast, we toured the downtown.
The Ground Zero Blues Club in downtown Clarksdale. Actor Morgan Freeman is the owner.
We then stopped at the famous Crossroads, the intersection of Highways 61 and 49. Legend is that famous blues singer Robert Johnson stood at the crossroads and sold his sold to the devil to become the best blues guitar player alive.
Robert Johnson (AKA Bo Johnson) stood at the crossroads but left with his soul intact.
Once out of Clarksdale we made a small detour to Ruleville, Mississippi, the home of Bill's mother Catherine Clark Thompson.
We stopped at Maranto's Corner, a small local convenience store in Anguilla, Mississippi, There we found what may be the best fried chicken we have ever had. It was fresh out of the fryer, crispy and moist. Amazing stuff.
Maranto's Corner is in our road food hall of fame.
After our chicken feast we motored to Vicksburg, for a tour of the Vicksburg National Military Park. The Union victory at Vicksburg, which took place after a long siege that reduced the town to starvation and ruin, was pivotal in securing Union control of the Mississippi.
Cannon at the Vicksburg National Military Park
We continued our ride down the Delta on route to Natchez, Mississippi, our destination for Day 2. Jim had a strong need for hot tamales. The Delta is home to several tamale stands, similar to the lobster shacks that dot the coast of Maine. The Tamale Trail is one of those interesting regional phenomena found through the USA. In Port Gibson, we found tamales - and they were good.
Hot tamales
Bo and Bill stand with Louis, the proprietor L&D Tamale Stand in Port Gibson, Mississippi. Louis runs the stand with his wife Diane. Louis says he doesn't need a sign out front because everyone knows where he is.
We staggered away from our tamale-fest and rode the final few miles into Natchez.
Jim, post tamale and ready to ride.
We are now busy pouring over weather reports to determine how we might avoid as much as possible the epic storm barreling down on mid America. The weather reports are typically breathless and it appears that the apocalypse is upon us.
Today we ride to Thibodaux, Louisiana, where Moe Bourgeouis, a high school buddy of Bill's, is giving us a boat tour of the Bayou.
