Road Trip 04-17-08

04-17-09
We're off to the Juke Joint Festival, it's only about 80 miles away but first we have to fill up our propane tank so a detour is in order. We find Gibson Propane and I go to pull in and find out that I'm Seriously dragging the hitch due to the dip in the road, at least we did not have to get pulled off like we did once before. Naturally the area is blocked with a tanker filling up, this is a big place, since I can't back up flat towing the Jeep, I have to unhook the jeep then rehook it up. Today the weather is just below 80 so now i'm on my second sweat now. We get the tank topped off, 21 gallons and we're on our way. Driving down 61 is like driving in the midwest but instead of miles after miles of corn there is miles after miles of cotton fields. Nice easy drive with the wind blowing a constant 20 mph from abeam. Speed limit is 65, we ran 55 all the way, hell what's the hurry? We get to the place we were told where there are 400 sites. It is a field in BFE. This is bad info, we manage to find a place to 180 without unhooking and call to find out where the campsite really is located. We get rerouted and are going along just fine when we have to go under a bridge that has a 10'6" clearance, we are 12'4" tall and I like the top of our Coach as much as the bottom. I'm past the point of a turn around so it's time to unhook the Jeep again and back up, naturally the small road is like Grand Central Staion all of a sudden. Dixie backs the Jeep up and I follow her untill we can turn onto a side street to find another way around. Dixie takes the lead after getting clear and just happens to luck into the right steet for the campground. It's first come first served, and pay $15 a day for any site. We get set up at a fairly level site hook up the water and 30 amp electric thinking we lucked out having power and water. We start talking to the neighbors and I take a short walk and notice that all of the sites across the road have SEWER also, time to break down and move again. We are finally set up and hooked up and everything is good. Ok I'm going to make a quiz out of where we ate for lunch today. Here are the clues. Steak tips, Dixie's cooked a perfect medium rare, mine a perfect medium. There was at least 10 oz of sirloin tips, seasoned and tender without a spec of fat on them. Next a real baked potato salt rubbed with butter, cheese,bacon,sour cream, and fresh cut chives. The tips came with a side of sauteed onions and green peppers. Two diet cokes with refills. Delivered to your table. How much would you pay. $15.90. Not each, but both. This was the special today usully it is plus the drinks. If you remember our blog from 2007 we stopped at one of these places. Put your thinking caps on, I want you to guess where this place is, yes it is a chain but we do not have one in Brandon. That's the last clue. When we get back (middle of May) the first person that guesses where we ate lunch I will buy a bucket of beer at Dixies Dockside. Only one guess per person. Speaking of Dixies I heard that the weekly Saturday Night Fights have been cancelled. Jeff is now the sole owner, and I hope everything is going along smooooooothly now. We go to downtown Clarksdale and just about everyplace has a blues guy, band , playing either inside or outside.. Tonight there is a cover but today everything is free so we bar hop along and listen and drink. We stop by The Delta Amusement Cafe where an old hippie is belting out blues, he's a one man band plays guitar harmonica drums and sings all at the same time, he's got amps and he's loud,drawing a crowd. We walk around the block getting the lay of the land, drinking our beers, no one seems to know if it's OK to have open alcohol but we walk past a cop and nothing is said so for the festival I guess it's OK. Next stop is The Original Groud Zero Blues Club, they have been alternating bands all day and everyone is good, they are working for tips so naturally we are tipping each set. The bartender "Page" is handing out cold Ultras for ony $2.50. Cheap considering there is no cover until tonight. Tomorrow is wristband night, for $10 you can go in anyplace without paying the individual cover. We get two and a Juke Joint Festival T shirt for me. Tonight should be a long night so after 3 hours we go back for a nap and a shower and I'm writing this part of the blog. Dinner for me is a Can of Campbell's Healthy chicken rice soup and a peanut butter sandwich, now we're back to basics. We get back to G.Z. and the place is popping andthey still have $2.50 beers so we get a seat at a table where we have a good view of the stage and doesn't it figure we sit next to the only 5 people smoking and it's blowing right in our face, we move but don't have as good of seats, we did get to talk with some locals, and some other people even some visiting Japannees. We hang out for a while and they finally collect $10 each for a cover. We are waiting for the headliner Super Chic kin. We listen to his first set about an hour he's good but really Blues and then move on to The Bluesberry Cafe where Delta Highway is playing. This is a really small place owned by Art and Carol from Miami, apparently they were the last English speaking Americans there because they said that they DID take the flag with them. They don't make a living at what the do selling bakery goods to local patrons but rather they specialize in non sugar pastries that they sell wholesale. The place is set up with a small stage where D.H. starts playing a little after 10. They are just jamming and working for tips playing NEW songs from their NEW album before playing to their regular larger crowds, about 12 a new guy "John" ? joins them and he's got a great voice and a even stranger guitar. Sort of Bluegrassy. All or them jammin but it's 1 and we are beat. And as George Thoroughgood says "and back to the bus we goes. See Ya. Brian