Our Highlights on the Road Trip in the Mississippi Delta

The Mississippi Delta, known as the birthplace of the Blues and as the former floodplain of the great river, is a region in northern Mississippi. The Delta begins at the state line with Tennessee in the north and extends to Vicksburg in Yazoo County in the south. From Haynes Bluff in the east, it stretches to the levees on the Coldwater, Tallahatchie, and Yazoo Rivers in the west.

The Mississippi Delta has produced some of the most famous musicians in the history of Delta blues. In this region, where slaves, sharecroppers, field workers, and rebels intertwined, the Blues was born alongside gospel, rock 'n' roll, and soul.

If you want to explore the origins of American blues music, you should walk one of the official paths of this art form, such as the Mississippi Blues Trail. You will experience firsthand where many legendary artists got their start, in humble cabins and studios scattered across the fields. Or you can catch performances from rising talents at festivals and concert stages across the country.

We also traveled through the Mississippi Delta on our road trip from Chicago to New Orleans. We couldn't visit all the places, but you will find our highlights in this post.

Enjoy our journey through this exciting region.

Clarksdale, the 'special' place of our journey

Tallahatchie Flats: Stay in former plantation cabins with a unique flair

Grammy Museum in Cleveland

Gateway to the Blues Visitor Center in Tunica

Delta Bohemian Tour with Billy in and around Clarksdale

Ideally, plan for 5 - 7 days for a road trip in the Mississippi Delta. We recommend combining the trip with a visit to Memphis and Nashville. It's worth it. Do you have at least 3 weeks? Then check out our road trip from Chicago to New Orleans.

We traveled a total of 4 weeks by rental car from Chicago to New Orleans. During the road trip, we spent five days in the Mississippi Delta. If you have less time, pick your personal highlights!

Day 1: Memphis -Tunica - Clarksdale

Day 2: Clarksdale - Cleveland - Greenwood (Tallahatchie Flats)

Day 3: Greenwood - Jackson

Day 4: Jackson - Natchez

Day 5: Natchez - St. Francisville - Baton Rouge

After the trip, we will provide a PDF with a detailed listing of our road trip from Chicago to New Orleans with all stops and activities. We will include distances, travel times, accommodations, and activities undertaken.

This is the route of the entire trip:

We are approaching the source of the Blues, and the perfect historical introduction can be found at the 'Gateway to the Blues Visitor Center' in Tunica. Countless derivatives, films, audio and video examples, as well as interactive experiences-you can write your own blues here, record it, and send it by email-vividly illustrate the historical relevance of this area in music.

Learn more about the blues styles, famous musicians like Robert Johnson, their influence, and importance for the region.

Just a few minutes by car from the museum is "The Hollywood Café". When Marc Cohn sang the lines in his super hit 'Walking in Memphis' ...

Now Muriel plays pianoEvery Friday at the Hollywood

... he was referring to this very restaurant we are talking about. And it has its delicious reasons: The incredibly juicy 'Blackened Catfish' is the star, along with a few "Fried Pickles"-which were actually invented here-and it's the perfect remedy for lunchtime hunger.

How long? A short stop on the way to Clarksdale is enough

Highlights: Blues Museum, Dining at The Hollywood Café

Drive time from Memphis to Tunica: 1 hour

Few places on our trip captivated us as much as the small town of Clarksdale. With a blend of hippie-esque community spirit and creative laid-backness, the city and its inhabitants seem to have little to do with the US clichés we have in our minds. It's worth spending a night or two here.

The Delta Blues Museum

The Auberge Hostel

Dining at Hooker Grocer & Eatery

Live music as far as the eye can see

Delta Bohemian Tour with Billy

See all attractions with tips for Clarksdale here

How long? At least 1 night, 2 nights recommended (we only had one night)

Stay in Clarksdale: Auberge Hostel (private room with shared bathroom)

Highlights: Live music everywhere,

Tour tips: Delta Bohemian Tour with Billy

Dining tips: Hooker Grocer & Eatery

Links: visitclarksdale.com; jukejointfestival.com

Drive time from Tunica to Clarksdale: about 50 minutes (we did not take the highway)

The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of most Grammy-winning artists. It's no wonder, then, that the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles has a second location in the Delta.

From B.B. King to Taylor Swift: Here you can explore the history of the holy grail of music awards given annually for over 60 years, as well as notable performances, costumes, instruments, and music pieces that are often interactive, provided the technology cooperates.

Under the title Taylor Swift: Through The Eras, the museum will showcase a whole series of personal items belonging to the musician. Among the items on display are:

the BCBGMAXAZRIA dress that Taylor Swift wore on tour in 2007,

the GS-6 'Glitter Guitar' made for Swift from the Fearless Tour 2009 to 2010,

the red sparkling Gibson Les Paul electric guitar from the Speak Now World Tour,

the ensemble designed by Marina Toybina and the LaDuca boots that she wore during her performance of We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together at the 2013 GRAMMY Awards,

the bodysuit and jacket from Jessica Jones and boots by Christian Louboutin worn during the Reputation Stadium Tour 2018,

the Gibson J-180 acoustic guitar from the City of Lover concert in Paris in 2019, where Swift celebrated the release of her seventh studio album Lover, and much more.

Dockery Farms in Mississippi near Cleveland is a historic cotton plantation dating back to 1895. The plantation was once owned by Joe Rice Dockery. For its time, he created relatively 'humane' working conditions that allowed workers time to make music in the evenings. The legendary blues singer Charley Patton got his start here. For this reason, Dockery Farms is an important site of African American history and culture. Today, visitors can participate in tours of Dockery Farms, explore the historic buildings, and learn more about life on a 19th-century cotton plantation.

Various activities also take place on the farm throughout the year, including music and art festivals, educational programs, and celebrations of African American heritage. Since we were spontaneous visitors, there was no tour available.

A very special accommodation is available just before the small town of Greenwood, the birthplace of Robert Johnson (and Morgan Freeman): The Tallahatchie Flats are a collection of cabins that have been relocated from various plantations in Mississippi to this site. They are named after the adjacent Tallahatchie River. Some of the cabins are donations from plantation owners who want to preserve their historical significance and the stories behind them.

Here, the genuine flair of olden days pervades. Everything creaks, it smells of wood and freshly brewed coffee while the sun sets in a rosy hue-as cheesy as it may seem-over the adjoining cotton fields.

A small tavern closes off the four houses from the road, where irregular blues jam sessions take place. Behind the houses stretches the Tallahatchie River.

A few hundred meters away lies one of the three graves of Robert Johnson, the man who supposedly traded his soul for virtuosic guitar skills with the Devil back at the 'Crossroad.' In short: If there are blues ghosts, they surely must be here! The supposedly 'real grave' of Robert Johnson can be found at the cemetery of the Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church, just a stone's throw away from Tallahatchie.

In Greenwood, where the Tallahatchie Flats are located, time seems to tick slower as well. Greenwood has about 15,000 inhabitants. The town appears sleepy, featuring a beautiful bookstore (Turnrow Book) with a café and a gallery that hosts changing exhibitions. You can also find many signed books by Mississippi-born author John Grisham. Regular readings are held, which is remarkable for such a small place.

Next door is The Mississippi Gift and Company Store, which claims to ship souvenirs worldwide. We only browse briefly, as with such a long road trip, one has to be selective about which souvenirs are really important.

Greenwood takes particular pride in the fact that the Oscar-nominated film 'The Help' (2011) starring Emma Stone and Viola Davis was filmed here, alongside Jackson, Mississippi. The little town offers the perfect backdrop.

The Baptist Town neighborhood was founded in 1873 by freed slaves and is an important part of the African American community. Baptist Town has a long history of fighting against racial injustice and inequality through protest, activism, education, and economic empowerment. The famous actor Morgan Freeman grew up here, just like Robert Johnson.

Taylor Bowen-Ricketts has been nominated for the prestigious 'James Beard' Chef Award for her modern interpretation of Southern cuisine, fusing Mediterranean ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques.

For those looking to try something other than fried fish and seafood, this is the right place: Salads, quickly cooked vegetables, and steaks bring some variety to the otherwise fat- and carb-heavy diet of the Delta.

The further south we travel, the bolder the flavors become. At 'Crystal Grill,' they serve hot tamales-dumplings filled with corn dough and meat or vegetables, steamed in corn husks-along with bacon and Parmesan oysters and a creamy okra gumbo.

The restaurant has a historical significance and seems to be known by everyone outside of Greenwood. Plus, it's huge: The hallways are so convoluted that you might get lost on your way to the bathroom.

To enter the USA, you will need the following: A biometric passport that has at least 6 months of validity left and two blank pages. EU citizens do not need a proper visa. Instead, you will need an electronic entry authorization (ESTA) as part of the 'Visa Waiver' program.

It's best to apply for ESTA several weeks before your trip online by filling out the ESTA application. The ESTA application costs a fee of $21 and is valid for 2 years. After that, you must reapply for ESTA. You will receive an email before it expires.

All info about the application and a step-by-step guide for the German form can be found in this article:

ESTA Form for the USA - Step-by-Step Guide

The ESTA form must be filled out by all travelers, whether traveling for leisure or business. However, if your trip lasts longer than 90 days, you must apply for a visa at the embassy.

If you search for the ESTA visa website online, you will come across paid service providers who want to 'take the work off your hands.' These agencies cost significantly more. Only apply for ESTA through this official website.

Those who are fully vaccinated can travel to the USA. Recovering individuals must also be fully vaccinated (2 doses in the USA) before entering the country.

According to the US health authority CDC, all air travelers must additionally fill out this health form and present it to the airline before boarding. We will update whether we needed it.

Here you can read everything in detail

Before the trip, we briefly considered whether we should even make the trip in an RV. Since the visit to the Mississippi Delta was only part of a 4-week road trip from Chicago to New Orleans, and camping in cities like Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, or New Orleans is less than ideal, we quickly discarded the idea and opted for a rental car.

We booked a rental car with CANUSA. With this experienced provider, you receive valuable tips for the route and also book hotels. Ideal if you're unsure. You will receive vouchers before the trip so that you can pick up your rental car directly at the airport.

Finding a current travel guide in German is difficult. Therefore, we bought the Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip: Natchez Trace Parkway, Memphis, Tupelo, Mississippi Blues Trail. Additionally, we got the USA Southern States Travel Guide (which was published shortly before our trip). The combination of these two books was ideal.

I hope you enjoyed this article and that it helped answer your questions. If you have any ideas or questions, we would love to see your comment here on the travel blog.

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This road trip was supported by CANUSA (rental car and hotels in St. Louis and Nashville) and Visit Mississippi. Our opinions and tips are still our experiences and are not influenced by this.

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