CLARKSDALE MISSISSIPPI

So we got up a little earlier than usual for this 70 mile route but were not able to get off to the early start we had hoped for. Mother Nature had other plans for us as a Scary Storm came our way coming out of Oxford. Luckily, the Oxford Chevron convenience store took us in for the hour while we watched the heavy winds, rain and lighting tear through the area. I was just hoping not to hear any more Tornado Warning Sirens through all of this!

We went on though once the scary weather left, and we did not mind biking through the light rain. It was a fun route with Jake taking us through the bike roads which helped us prevent more typical state highways. With these types of routes it is a guarantee that we will lose some time by either getting lost finding roads or having to walk our bikes along gravel sections. This is all part of the adventure though as we enjoyed all of the landscape.

It took us almost four hours just to get 30 miles due to the inclement weather so therefore lunch was a little bit earlier than expected. My stomach was growling though by the time we reached that lunch point though! After lunch our route took us through some desolate parts of the Delta South where we saw all of the rice and cotton fields. It is a different world down from here what I am used to seeing up North or in Colorado as far as the landscape goes.

We stopped in a fun town called Marks that was just 20 miles out of our final destination Clarksdale. We relaxed and refueled just outside of the convenience store for 20 minutes and talked to at least 5 groups of people. We got the standard reactions of complete surprise and awe for what we are attempting to accomplish. One person wanted to race me with their old bike that they use to get around town, I declined the offer though.

You could tell it was a Sunday because everyone was dressed in their church outfits. We would get passed by 15 passenger vans full of children getting bussed to the Sunday Service. This Sunday ritual has been one of my favorite things to watch and observe with all of the many folk around here. Some of the riders were invited into the Baptist Church that consisted of an African American congregation. They told us that it was a party for Jesus as everyone was dancing and praying expressively. It must have been awesome to experience this as an outsider to this culture.

Unfortunately, there is not much to add about the city of Clarksdale. It is known as the birthplace of the Blues Movement in the Delta South. It was home to many great musicians who made the pilgrimage to play great music in cities like Chicago or New Orleans. Since it is a Sunday, every business and tourist attraction is closed for the day. Maybe one day in the future I will be back!