Day 8: Clarksdale MS to Greenville MS
The landscape didn’t change much from yesterday during today’s short 81-mile journey, while the weather did, becoming more threatening as I approached Greenville. A few miles from the final destination, the rain made a groovy and loud entrance in the form of a nasty thunderstorm. With the water in the roadside fields growing brown and thick, I left the side roads to stay on the, for once, safer highway.
Once in Greenville, given that the only blues bar in town was closed, I compensated for the lack of entertainment with more southern food: the usual catfish and fried veggies were joined by some new additions—okra, boudin balls, crawfish and alligator.
It was an uneventful day, but I still managed to check off two items from my bucket list of places I wanted to see, both of which have significantly marked my life in different ways and at different moments:
- Dockery Farms, which is believed to be the place where blues music was first conceived.
- Leland, the birthplace of Kermit the Frog.
It explains a lot, I know.
Driving from Clarksdale to Greenville Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Greenville
- The Belmont 1857, 3498 MS-1, Wayside, MS 38780. An incredibly well-preserved 19th-century mansion situated a few miles away from downtown Greenville. The owner, Brad, sits with you at breakfast, explaining the history of the property in detail. It’s an great experience.
Where to eat and what to see between Clarksdale and Greenville
- Downtown Grille, 525 Washington Ave, Greenville, MS 38701, a decent meal at reasonable prices, along with live music.
- Doe’s Eat Place, 502 Nelson St, Greenville, MS 38701, A place I haven’t been to, but a few people told me it’s the place to eat in Greenville.
- Cajun Shotgun House & BBQ, 1831 S Martin Luther King Jr Blvd #120, Greenville, MS 38701, fried alligator and other fried items. Because everything fried tastes better..
- Dockery Farms, 229 MS-8, Cleveland, MS 38732, the birthplace of blues music. It’s pretty isolated, you can play some Delta music on the speakers: almost a religious experience.
- Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit, 415 S Deer Creek Dr E, Leland, MS 38756, the birthplace of Kermit the Frog! Can you believe it
Driving from Clarksdale to Greenville FAQ
The shortest route is 72miles. I drove for 81 miles avoiding the highway and stopping in a number of point of interests.
The faster route from Clarksdale MS to Greenville MS takes a bit more than one hour to drive.
You can see the places where Delta blues music was born.
The Mississippi river, Dockery Farms the place where Delta blues music was born. Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit the birthplace of Kermit the frog!
It depends on the season. Normally, any car would be okay, but be aware of torrential rains and flooding.
More photo taken from Clarksdale and Greenville FAQ
My two weeks itinerary on a Chicago to New Orleans road trip
- Chicago to New Orleans – main article
- Day 1: Chicago to Indianapolis
- Day 2: Indianapolis to Louisville
- Day 3-4: Louisville to Nashville
- Day 5-6: Nashville to Memphis
- Day 7: Memphis to Clarksdale
- Day 8: Clarksdale to Greenville
- Day 9: Greenville to Natchez
- Day 10: Natchez to Lafayette
- Day 11, 12, 13: Lafayette to New Orleans
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