Relaxing in Clarksdale, Mississippi for a few nights

The goals I had set for my four days in Clarksdale, Mississippi, were to stay at the Shack Up Inn, visit the Delta Blues Museum, see the Crossroads and eat from Ground Zero Blues Club. This lucky fella over here accomplished all of them and more.

Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale

You are not allowed to take photographs at the Delta Blues Museum, so I couldn’t document everything I saw for you visually, unfortunately. I’m a giant fan of the Delta Blues, and this museum delivered.

Pictures and artifacts galore of all the blues legends lovingly fill the walls and displays. Marcela was bored out of her mind, and I didn’t want to leave.

She couldn’t find me at one point, and I was sitting on a bench taking the entire Delta Blues Museum in. It was close to a religious experience for me.

Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Delta Blues Museum Building
Plaque
Plaque
Ike Turner Floor Plaque
Ike Turner Floor Plaque

Watch this about Delta Blue Museum

Delta Blues Museum 1979-2019

Delta Blues Museum
1 Blues Alley
Clarksdale, Mississippi
662-627-6820

Ground Zero Blues Club

Conveniently located adjacent to the Delta Blues Museum is the Ground Zero Blues Club. If you’re not familiar with this club slash restaurant, it is co-owned by Morgan Freeman of Se7en fame.

We never ended up listening to live music while there, but we ate lunch twice. I even tagged a table with my name on my way out.

The hot tamales and burgers were great. Don’t sleep on the peach cobbler; it was next level.

Pig Shaped Smoker
Pig Shaped Smoker

Ground Zero Blues Club Menu

Ground Zero Blues Club Menu
Ground Zero Blues Club Menu
Inside of Ground Zero Blues Club
Inside of Ground Zero Blues Club
Burger Beast Graffiti
Burger Beast Graffiti

Ground Zero Blues Club Food Pics

Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Hot Tamales
Fried Hot Tamales
Hot Tamales
Hot Tamales
Jukin Blues Burger
Jukin Blues Burger
Peach Cobbler
Peach Cobbler

Watch this about Ground Zero Blues Club

Morgan Freeman on life in Clarksdale

Ground Zero Blues Club
387 Delta Avenue
Clarksdale, Mississippi
662-621-9009

Shack Up Inn

Over the last few years, through many trips, I’ve become enamored with the “South” and driving through it and enjoying the scenery. With some friends, I visited Amory, Holly Springs, and Oxford, Mississippi, and was left wanting more.

Marcela wasn’t part of that trip, but I had a feeling she would love the countryside. I had been eyeing the Shack Up Inn (001 Commissary Circle) in Clarksdale, Mississippi, for years, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to pull the trigger on staying there.

Our Dogs are on Vacay

So, with our two dogs in tow, we made the long drive (which we loved) and arrived at the Shack Up Inn to stay in our shack, Dogtrot.

This is probably the most relaxing vacation I have ever taken. We were able to have the dogs running around the back area.

They were having the time of their lives. We sat on the porch and just took everything in for posterity’s sake. It was a perfect setting.

I’m sure you’re wondering a few things, so I will read your thoughts and answer your questions:

Toilet & Shower = Yes
Air Conditioning = Yes, Wall Unit
and
WiFi = Definitely Yes

Shack Up Inn Dogtrot
Shack Up Inn Dogtrot
Porch
Front Porch
Kitchen area inside of Dogtrot
Kitchen area inside of Dogtrot
Claw Tub inside of Dogtrot
Claw Tub inside of Dogtrot
Dogtrot Back Porch
Dogtrot Back Porch
The Cotton Gin Inn
The Cotton Gin Inn at Shack Up Inn

Rust Restaurant at Shack Up Inn – CLOSED

On Friday, our last night in Clarksdale, we ate dinner at Rust (their in-house restaurant, now closed) with a couple whose shack was right across from ours. I had one of the best burgers of the road trip here (the Rust Burger – 80/20 grass-fed beef, roasted red peppers, & dijon’s on a Ciabatta Roll) with some great fresh-cut fries.

Rust Burger
Rust Burger

We capped the night off by watching our front-door neighbor perform with the other members of his guitar camp.

Inside
The stage area where the guitar camp was performing

Watch this about Shack Up Inn

American Journey: The Shack Up Inn

More Clarksdale, Mississippi Stops

Daylight Donuts

Daylight Donuts in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Daylight Donuts Box

One morning I woke, and Marcela surprised me with breakfast from Daylight Donuts (521 N State Street, Clarksdale). It was this morning that I fell in love with sausage Kolaches.

Box of Daylight Donuts from Clarksdale, Mississippi
Box of Daylight Donuts
Sausage Breakfast Sandwich from Daylight Donuts in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
Kolache from Daylight Donuts in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Kolache with Smoked Cheese Sausage

Dreamboat BBQ – CLOSED

Dreamboat BBQ in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Dreamboat BBQ in Clarksdale, Mississippi

What caught our attention initially was Dreamboat BBQ’s building (232 Sunflower Ave, Clarksdale). We were already in full-blown hot tamale obsession, so those were a no-brainer.

The hot tamales were washed down with an order of mac n cheese and smoked ribs, no complaints here.

Hot Tamales from Dreamboat BBQ in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Hot Tamales
Mac n Cheese from Dreamboat BBQ in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Mac n Cheese
Spare Ribs from Dreamboat BBQ in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Smoked Ribs

Larry’s Hot Tamales – CLOSED

Larry's Hot Tamales in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Larry’s Hot Tamales in Clarksdale, Mississippi

Marcela and I were driving around right after eating at Dreamboat BBQ and spotted Larry’s Hot Tamales (947 Sunflower Ave, Clarksdale). We picked up a few hot tamales we enjoyed later that night at our shack.

Hot Tamale Halves from Larry's Hot Tamales in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Hot Tamale Halves

And More Clarksdale, Mississippi

2 thoughts on “Relaxing in Clarksdale, Mississippi for a few nights”

  1. I’m jeolous. A friend of mine, Stan Street is an Artist & a Blues Harp player.
    He use to live in Broward, but moved to Clarksdale 20 years ago where he
    opened Hambone Art & Music Gallery

    Reply

Leave a Comment