Snowbird's Roots Music Pilgrimage 2013s

Driving beneath a full moon through the Mississippi Delta on a chilly January night, I was ten days into a 3825.8-mile, eight state roots music pilgrimage. Midnight approached as my car glided into Clarksdale, MS and rolled to a stop in view of The Crossroads sign. Rather than trust the devil to show me directions, I made inquiries among the locals. A security guard at Clarksdale's Sonic directed me three miles down US 49 to the historic Hopson cotton plantation.
These days the plantation does business as the Shack Up Inn, a lodging with as much character and cool vibes as history. The front desk of the inn was housed inside the cotton gin as were the business office, gift shop and a live blues lounge. The desk clerk expedited my check in, relieved that I arrived before midnight, My arrival was, however, too late for the Monday night live blues jam. The band loaded their gear out as I unloaded mine into cotton gin bin #2.
The imaginative minds that created the inn relocated all sharecroppers shacks on the property along a loop drive that circles the gin. Each of the shacks and cotton gin bins are renovated, supplied with electricity and indoor plumbing. Each individual shack is named and uniquely furnished with vintage pieces to match its moniker--e.g. Cadillac, Fullilove. Many of the shacks also come with pianos for guests who play.
My personal suite had juke joint murals painted on its bathroom walls. My front porch faced US 49 and was outfitted with a rocking char, parsons table and vintage refrigerator. The back stoop overlooked the center of the loop. The yard was strewn with folk art, antique road signs, junk cars and hoodoo trees. The latter are barren trees with colored bottles in varying shapes and sizes shoved onto the limbs to trap evil spirits.
Before checking out next morning, I picked up a map with Shack Up staff recommendations for Clarksdale dining, shopping and entertainment. Browsing the gift shop was a find in itself. Blues-inspired outsider art decorated the walls. Abundant Shack Up swag--clothing, guitar picks, postcards and promotional posters for each of the shacks amused me. I bought guitar picks for my son.
Throughout the year, Shack Up Inn offers workshops for guitarists, harmonica-players and songwriters. The inn is so popular that it only offers reservations by lottery for Clarks dale's April Juke Joint Festival. Shack Up Inn is ground zero for the Mississippi Blues Trail.