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26 - 28 June Tunica via the North Mississippi Hill Picnic
After visiting some more locations in Clarksdale, including the Blues Museum which was OPEN!!, I headed off for Potts Camp, North Mississippi where I had a weekend ticket for a Blues Picnic. The satnav wasn't working again so I worked out a relatively direct cross country route. With petrol prices being wildly variable (from $2.37 to $2.62) I declined to fill up at the obvious places and ended up running on fumes and having to pay top dollar anyway! But the attendant lady had never met an English person before and was so excitable it almost made it all worthwhile! Although there is clearly still poverty around, moving to the north of Mississippi I had the impression that I was moving upmarket a little.
I knew this was going to be "primitive" camping, which I have done at motor races but don't much like, although this was even worse, with no running water facility at all (i.e. not even a tap; forget about showers!!). I'd bought a tent and sleeping bag from the UK, and an airbed in Walmart, plus all kinds of mosquito lotions, potions, sprays and smokers, and some baby wipes to "wash" with. On arrival I was told that I could find a pitch, empty my car, then move the car back to the parking area. As the car contains my world at the moment (passport, laptop etc) I told them I had critical medical equipment in the car and therefore needed the car close by. He clearly hadn't heard of Alka Seltzer, and the plan worked!! The camping was mostly in an open field, bordered by jungle. I found a shady spot in the jungle, just large enough for my tent, so I'd have no-one too close to moan about my snoring and other nocturnal noises which Jan (and George!!) have mentioned once or twice in passing…
They had food concessions but no drinks, so I had to go back into town to stock up on vital fluids (Budweiser!). I think I am finding any excuse to stay out of the direct heat - have I mentioned before how damned hot it is???!! Anyway, it wasn't until the last hour or so of sunshine that it was low enough to penetrate my patch of forest. Although the heat is out of the sun as it sets, the air temperature is still in the 90s,and even after sunset only drops to about 75 at the least. I ambled down to the stage area once the sun was going down and found a few people to talk to, including, at some length, the Executive Director of the Blues Foundation, one of it's two full time employees. I told him I was jobless and if he needed a European Director I'd think about it…
The highlight was seeing T Model Ford play (that's T Model Ford the bluesman, not a T Model Ford), on his 89th birthday. The programme contained a lot of Burnsides and Kimboroughs (the fathers, R.L. and Junior, are dead but were obviously fairly fertile!). As these were both locals, as was most of the rather modest crowd, any mention of either names was met with "hollerin' and hootin'" as the MC put it. Saturday saw me sitting by my tent most of the day - I could hear loud and clear from there - but venturing out with my Holiday Inn towel over my shoulder and my new Blues hat on only as it cooled down. I only ate once from the concessions - George will remember the giant turkey legs at Sebring, well these were more the size of ostrich legs!!
With nothing happening on Sunday, I struck camp fairly early and planned a deliberately circuitous route as I couldn't check in until 4 pm. Within half a mile of the exit, the State Troopers had set up a road block, and the two drivers in front of me were breathalysed. I was waved through. I'd have been OK, but didn't really want to take any chances!!
I am not an Elvis fan, but being close to Tupelo I dropped by to see his birthplace and Elvis Presley Lake. The site gave interesting family background, including a quote from a school friend "Elvis would pick his guitar and sing and tell us that oine day he would be on the Grand Ole Opry. We were all very doubtful about that...". The more gaudy Elvis attractions are around Memphis, where I will be later this week. Gasping for something to drink, I dropped into MacDonalds as they are doing $1 sodas or sweet tea at the moment, but ended up using their restroom (very welcome!) and being talked into buying a Big Mac meal with an extra Big Mac for just one dollar. I managed the first Big Mac but most of the second went in the bin, despite I was still hungry. They really are crap. With a large strawberry shake in hand, I set off on the Natchez Parkway again (for the last time, I promise!)
It really is a very scenic road. There is nothing built along it, just "historic sites", and no commercial vehicles are allowed on it. It was nice not having to dodge shredded lorry tyres, as you do on the Interstates and highways. I think our lads must clean up the motorways better than here, or maybe their tyres don't last so well.
I haven't mentioned Fireworks yet, as I keep forgetting. Not sure why, because it seems every 10 miles or so there are firework stores. One had "Buy 1, get 6 free". Yeah right. These look too permanent to be there just for the impending July 4 celebrations, And yet I haven't seen a single firework. Also, the best maintained and second most prevalent buildings (behind houses) has to be churches. Even in the poorest areas the churches are impressive.And while I wouldn't recognize cotton, I do recognize sweetcorn, and there is loads of it growing in Mississippi.
Tonight's hotel is a Casino hotel, with ridiculously cheap headline rates ($40 per night, quite good rooms) for Sun - Wed. When you get here, the cost goes up as internet is $12 a day, and they like to valet park your car etc etc. I originally booked 4 nights here, to use as a base for exploring, but after reading reviews about it I decided to stay in downtown Memphis for three nights. Most of the places I've stayed have not been in walking distance of a beer, so it'll be nice to have a few days that are!! And there won't have any temptations to gamble down there…
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