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Us-61 & Natchez Trace Parkway Road Trip


DennyG
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I'm just about to head north from Natchez on the Natchez Trace Parkway and I'll post something here when I'm done. I spent a couple of days getting here on US-61 and thought someone here might be interested. The trip south is posted at http://www.dennygibson.com/ntrace2006 and the trip north will show up there, too. Stop by once in awhile, check it out when it's over (around year's end), or sign up for the mailing list that signals completion of each day's posting.

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Denny,

 

Thanks for the trip updates! I took a quick trip myself over Christmas to see my 99-year old grandmother. It was a last-minute trip I decided to make when I heard she wasn't doing too well, so due to the time constraints of having no remaining time off work and the sheer distance I needed to travel, I (most unfortunately) needed to superslab it from Indy to Connecticut. Thus I couldn't heed your advice on your site to only visit places south of my home! Luckily the weather was cooperative and it was unseasonably warm (but quite welcomed by me!).

 

The only time I had off the evil-I was on the way home, I veered up north slightly from I-70 onto PA SR 18, then hooked up with US 22 west and crossed into Ohio to visit Steubenville and pay tribute to the great crooner, Dino Crocetti (aka Dean Martin!). I had my Dean Martin playlist on the MP3 player, naturally...I took a couple of photos in the area: a sign for Dean Martin Boulevard (SR 7 through Steubenville), a marker in his honor and the piece de resistance....a gorgeous mural honoring Dino...however, the fact that it was on the side of a Kroger supermarket was less than inspiring! I guess it was there because the building which houses a candy store called Gertrude Lee Candies, at the front of the shopping center, was the former home of Dean Martin's parents before they moved to LA to be with their son.

 

Anyway, thanks again!

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Heya, Denny! Any time I hear about Natchez Under the Hill, it reminds me of one of my favorite mondegreens. (What's a mondegreen? Check it out here:) http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/carroll/mondegreens.shtml ) In the old days of recorded country music, the record companies would send field crews down south to record local talent. Quite often, the "nawthunuhs" couldn't understand the titles the performers gave them. For instance, "Green Mountain Polka" was listed as "Green Mountain Poker", or "Fire on the Mountain" as "Far in the Mountain".

 

There was an old fiddle tune called "Natchez Under the Hill". At least two different recordings were issued with the title listed as "Rat Cheese Under the Hill":)

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I've just posted the last day of this trip and I'll even try to save folks the effort of scrolling up a few entries by repeating the URL:

http://www.dennygibson.com/ntrace2006

 

Although I had rain on both ends most actual travel time was at least devoid of precipitation if not under clear skies. As I say on the website, this was one of those rare trips where I got to feed all of my addictions a little. There were scenic roads, lots of history, some blues, some rock & roll, a car museum, cool accommodations, worthy diners, and interesting taverns.

 

Bob, I didn't know those things had a name but knew they existed. The one I think of first is "'scuse me while I kiss this guy". I wish I had had a copy of "Rat Cheese Under the Hill" along on the drive.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It takes me awhile to catch up sometimes...sounds like you had a great trip here, Denny...

 

As I have probably told some of you a dozen or so times, the wife and I make the trek through the Delta on Highway 61 on our anniversary every year to the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival in Helena, AR:

 

www.bluesandheritage.com

 

We generally are off and on Highway 61 from Sikeston, MO....pass through great road towns like New Madrid and Portageville, under THE ARCH at the Missouri/Arkansas border built in 1924 by the Mississippi County Highway Department, through Blythville, Osceola and Frenchmans Bayou to the intersection with US 63 (where we forever ponder "where does US 63 South REALLY go to?)...have to get on the interstate here, or you miss the Stuckeys at Exit 14, where the exit ramp literally takes you into the parking lot!...Memphis, did I forget to mention Memphis...home of Elvis and the Ancient Greeks?...61 meanders through South Memphis (and is a few blocks away from Beale Street, Elvis' house and...most importantly...the National Rought Iron Museum!)...then cruise into Mississippi...

 

You CAN take a lot of old 61 from Wells MS (the first town you come to) south to Clarksdale...if you look at Google Earth, it marks out the route....there is a little bit missing from Lake Cormorant to the first batch of Casinos, but it is there after that...also if you stop at the tourist info center (on new 61 North of Tunica) you can get a map of Tunica County that has it marked on it...also, at the intersection of US 61 and 49 (where 49 veers off to cross the river at Helena)...if you take 49 towards Helena there is another tourist information center just past the intersection...there you can get a map of Coahoma County that has the route well marked on it...

 

In addition to what Denny said about Clarksdale, there is a great place to eat in downtown Clarksdale called Delta Amusement Blues Bar....it doesn't look much like a bar on the inside (more like a small town cafe') but they have GREAT food and if you get to meet the owners father (who will just sit down with you like he has known you his whole life) its a real treat...also right down the street is a great "all sorts of blues stuff" store called Cat Head. It is run by a guy named Roger Stolle who used to do a blues radio show in St. Louis...its a great place to get books...one book you should get if you want to tour the blusey side of the delta is a book by Steve Cheesborough called "Blues Traveling: The Holy sites of the Delta Blues" It is a great guide...finally, Roger has a newsletter he sends out for free (by email) that will tell you more than you willl ever want to know about the Delta Blues scene...to get it email roger at roger@cathead.biz...

 

Sorry about the roll...we are in the middle of an ice storm which leaves nothin' for a man to do but sit around and think...61 is a Great Drive north and south of Clarksdale...hard to find a road that takes you along a great lake, along a great river, and through a sea of cotton fields enroute to a sea of swampland...see Tim Steils book on Highway 61 for inspiration...who knows, maybe someday there will be a Highway 61 website...maybe an Association...oh well we hope to get to the new Highway 61 Roadhouse tonight (if the ice doesnt stop us) (hwy61roadhouse.admitonevip.com)...it isn't actually ON Route 61 (it is in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis) but its got its heart in the right place...

 

Tsingtao for now...Kip

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The Sixty-One part of the trip was a later, but not last miniute, addition. I could have solicited some advice from you or Alex but I didn't realize that Old 61 would not be obvious. Oops. I did stop at the toutist center at Tunica but it was... any guesses?... closed. Why I didn't make a brief visit to Helena I just don't know. I remember thinking about it but don't recall why I stopped thinking about it. I had the Cheeseborough book with me and one by Richard Knight, too. I think either would get you to some good spots. I also had Tim's book along but I'm not sure I opened it once. That's not a knock. It did provide, as you said, some great inspiration but it doesn't pretend to be a guide book.

 

On one hand, I wish I had spent more time exploring Clarkdale but I knew I'd be back so, even though it was my first visit, I didn't panic. Thanks for the CatHead address. I just signed up to help with that next visit.

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It takes me awhile to catch up sometimes...sounds like you had a great trip here, Denny...

 

As I have probably told some of you a dozen or so times, the wife and I make the trek through the Delta on Highway 61 on our anniversary every year to the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival in Helena, AR:

 

www.bluesandheritage.com

 

We generally are off and on Highway 61 from Sikeston, MO....pass through great road towns like New Madrid and Portageville, under THE ARCH at the Missouri/Arkansas border built in 1924 by the Mississippi County Highway Department, through Blythville, Osceola and Frenchmans Bayou to the intersection with US 63 (where we forever ponder "where does US 63 South REALLY go to?)...have to get on the interstate here, or you miss the Stuckeys at Exit 14, where the exit ramp literally takes you into the parking lot!...Memphis, did I forget to mention Memphis...home of Elvis and the Ancient Greeks?...61 meanders through South Memphis (and is a few blocks away from Beale Street, Elvis' house and...most importantly...the National Rought Iron Museum!)...then cruise into Mississippi...

 

You CAN take a lot of old 61 from Wells MS (the first town you come to) south to Clarksdale...if you look at Google Earth, it marks out the route....there is a little bit missing from Lake Cormorant to the first batch of Casinos, but it is there after that...also if you stop at the tourist info center (on new 61 North of Tunica) you can get a map of Tunica County that has it marked on it...also, at the intersection of US 61 and 49 (where 49 veers off to cross the river at Helena)...if you take 49 towards Helena there is another tourist information center just past the intersection...there you can get a map of Coahoma County that has the route well marked on it...

 

In addition to what Denny said about Clarksdale, there is a great place to eat in downtown Clarksdale called Delta Amusement Blues Bar....it doesn't look much like a bar on the inside (more like a small town cafe') but they have GREAT food and if you get to meet the owners father (who will just sit down with you like he has known you his whole life) its a real treat...also right down the street is a great "all sorts of blues stuff" store called Cat Head. It is run by a guy named Roger Stolle who used to do a blues radio show in St. Louis...its a great place to get books...one book you should get if you want to tour the blusey side of the delta is a book by Steve Cheesborough called "Blues Traveling: The Holy sites of the Delta Blues" It is a great guide...finally, Roger has a newsletter he sends out for free (by email) that will tell you more than you willl ever want to know about the Delta Blues scene...to get it email roger at roger@cathead.biz...

 

Sorry about the roll...we are in the middle of an ice storm which leaves nothin' for a man to do but sit around and think...61 is a Great Drive north and south of Clarksdale...hard to find a road that takes you along a great lake, along a great river, and through a sea of cotton fields enroute to a sea of swampland...see Tim Steils book on Highway 61 for inspiration...who knows, maybe someday there will be a Highway 61 website...maybe an Association...oh well we hope to get to the new Highway 61 Roadhouse tonight (if the ice doesnt stop us) (hwy61roadhouse.admitonevip.com)...it isn't actually ON Route 61 (it is in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis) but its got its heart in the right place...

 

Tsingtao for now...Kip

 

 

 

We've cruised 61 north from STL to Fennimore, Wisconsin where we crossed back into Iowa at Praire du Chien because we grew weary of asphalt roads and corn fields. Regret not going farther north, though. Came back south on Iowa's 52 to Dubuque and jumped back onto 61. Also regret not taking 67 out of Dubuque because it runs along the river to the quad cities.

 

We've cruised 61 south from STL to the MO/AR border and the famous arch, an amazing structure itself. U.S. 61 through Missouri is fun and is true time travel. Like Kip, I also wish there was an official 61 web site and association. Any takers?.......Bliss

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