Delta Bohemians

I was excited about Clarksdale, Mississippi. The tiny impoverished town has a huge history of jazz and blues. We were being host by a Bike & Build alum who did the first SC2SC trip in 2009. He works at a canoe warehouse and store, which is where we slept. The basement looks like a dive bar, renovated into a groovy hangout with hammocks, telescopes out the window, crates of records along the bar, and a tent propped up on stage.

Showers

Driftwood and Wolf, arranged dinner as a potluck hosted by the canoe factory's network in the community. I chatted with a journalist who did the Peace Corps in East Timor. I then took a stroll around the area at sunset, and it was just so beautiful I was able to forget about the grueling day of riding that had just happened. Amanda said that Clarksdale was the birthplace of Sam Cooke, so I asked Driftwood if there was a plaque around town. Instead of giving me directions, Driftwood walked me to downtown, and happened to run into Magic on our way. Magic said she would simply drive me over to the site. She runs a company called Delta Bohemian, and for once I got to play with a puppy that isn't trying to kill me.

Magic mentioned there was a great blues performance happening that night, so a group of us went over to Ground Zero Blue's Club. The music was great, and the dancing was fun.

Wolf knows a lot about the Mississippi River. The terrain is so flat, and the soil so fertile, because of the Delta region. Though it's not the best for riding into headwinds, the region is so beautiful. Wolf's parting words the next morning were, "Smell the magnolia trees, and write everyday."