Touring the Delta

Greg put a trip to Memphis on his birthday list this year and as you well know, I’m game for travelling of all sorts. He’s been getting into the blues genre the past few years so a Delta Blues Tour was an order.

Day One – A Surprise for Greg
We drove 6 hours through genetically modified fields of cotton, corn and rice to reach our destination. In my research, I stumbled upon The Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, Mississippi in the heart of the delta. When I found the inn, I knew we HAD to go there and when I found out that it was only an hour away from Memphis the reservation was made. We stayed in the Fullilove shack and enjoyed sipping brews from the front porch and watching the sun set on the tin cotton gin. We ate dinner at Rust, made friends with a local couple at the table next to us and even enjoyed chatting with the owner/chef. Our new friends told us to head to a local diner for breakfast the next morning where we were told to tell the owner that the “CIA sent us”. Can I tell you how much I love the people of Clarksdale?? Dinner was followed by listening to open mic/jam night at Ground Zero in addition to a few more beers. We bumped into a crew of fellow Shack guests all around Clarksdale and one of their recommendations was Graceland Too on our drive back home. After a few people mentioned that at moments they didn't know if they would make it out alive…we decided to pass on that one. Off to Memphis!
Day Two- Memphis
We began our Memphis visit with a tour of Stax Records. It's a great tour if you love gospel, blues and soul music which was followed by a late lunch at Blues City Café on Beale Street. After a couple of cocktails, we headed to the Westin to relax a bit and it was at that point I decided I need Westin’s Blue Marvel channel at home. I digress. Back to Beale Street for dinner and more beverages!

Day Three- Greg’s Birthday
Our second day in Memphis consisted of touring the Gibson Guitar Factory and Sun Studio. We loved them both. We later ventured out of the touristy area to Midtown for lunch and then to the burbs to see some Memphis babes. It was wonderful to catch up with Laura and to finally see the twins! We took Mama Hoffman out on the town to celebrate Greg’s birthday with sushi and Booya’s. Good times. After cake, the birthday boy and I then headed back into town to experience Ernestine and Hazel’s. I love a place with an excellent jukebox, cold beers and a lot of history regardless if I end up smelling like a soul burger by the end of the night.

Day Four- The Return
Before we left town, we hit up Brother Juniper’s for a very filling and very yummy brunch. It was featured in Rachel Ray’s $40 A Day book/show which reminded me to pull out my copy for my upcoming trip to Sedona.

I hope my hubby enjoyed his birthday trip as much as I did. Enjoy some pictures, ya’ll!