Road Trip Advice?: Memphis to New Orleans

[wilonstott]

I'm gonna do this sometime in June.
Starting in Nashville (home) and then south to Memphis--through Mississippi, and then through LA to end in New Orleans.

Anybody have any ideas about stuff to do in Mississippi?
I was thinking about Clarksdale (road companion and I are both into music).
What else? Towns along the river?
Also, anything in Northern LA?
New Orleans insider stuff?

Trying to spend a decent amount of time shooting.
Looking for cultural stuff--not necessarily tourist stuff.
Not opposed to rough and tumble joints or places, and/or off the beaten trail stuff.
Stay up late and get up early.

Also, trying to do it on the cheap--staying in hostels where available--any econo tips would be appreciated.

Probably 8-9 day trip.



What you guys got?

Thanks in advance.

[FrankS]

Stay off the interstate highways and take the back roads through the small towns along the way.

[wilonstott]

Originally Posted by FrankS

Stay off the interstate highways and take the back roads through the small towns along the way.

...go on....

[FrankS]

Find excuses (coffee etc.) to stop the car in the little places. You can't meet people or take pictures while inside your car. That's the best advice I've got.

About 25 years ago I drove a car from St Petersburg Florida to New Orleans to Toronto, just on my own. The best time of the whole trip was when I had car trouble and had to stay a couple of days in some town waiting for a part.

I've been guilty of too many road trips by car with too much driving and too few stops. It's another good thing about motorcycle travel, you tend to stop more often.

[Bob Michaels]

In Memphis, try to catch Sun Records and possibly Stax records. Skip Beale St. and get out of town before dark (sorry Blake). Maybe drive by Graceland to see the plethora of souvenir shops.

Once you hit the Mississippi Delta, life becomes good.

Definitely spend the night in Clarksdale. I suggest the Shack Up Inn. Not too expensive and not hokey. If you want lower price but culture, see Rat at the Riverside Inn downtown. You can walk home to the Riverside Inn from downtown, don't be afraid of the neighborhood. I suggest a night at both.

In Clarksdale, stop into Cat Head Records and find out who is playing where locally. This is the one stop to find out about everything in town. Roger the owner books most of the local talent. Lala, who is usually working days is very tuned in. She plays keyboards for Super Chickan as well as being a solo performer.

In Clarksdale, make sure to catch Red's juke joint. It is the real deal. And Red is a character. After midnight, he may pour you a glass of his special "white whiskey" but will not accept any payment since that would be illegal.

Have lunch at Sarah's Kitchen in Clarksdale and be prepared to skip the evening meal. Portions are huge but the food is cheap and excellent.

Also in Clarksdale, stop by Ground Zero Blues Club. It is almost authentic.

Take a side trip across the river to Helena Arkansas. If you are there mid day at 12:15 you can catch the "King Biscuit Flour Hour" radio show where Sonny King has been the DJ since 1951. You may get interviewed on air.

Between Clarksdale and Helena, you will pass through the town to Stovall, Muddy Waters home. Stop at the Stovall store which is part of Stovall Plantation and meet some people named Stovall.

HW #61 is now a boring 4 lane road. Try SR#48 going down the river instead. Or just zig zag back and forth.

Don't miss Rosedale MS. Everyone was always going to Rosedale. Have a Steel Reserve malt liquor with crowd in the alley on the east side of the highway. The intersection there is the most likely "crossroads" that Robert Johnson referred to.

Tutwiler, Indianola and Greenwood (not Greenville) and also "don't miss" places. This will require some zig-zagging but is worth it.

In Greenwood, drive out Money Road and stop in to the WABG studios (960 AM) and say hello to Poe, the dj & GM. It is the little white radio studio at the base of the radio tower in the middle of a cotton field. You cannot miss it. Poe is a good guy to know. You may end up doing an on air interview as I did. Also just a great station to listen to. One of the 3 purported Robert Johnson grave sites is just down the road a mile or so.

Almost every little town in the Delta has an authentic juke joint. I have found friendly crowds in almost every one even if I was the only white person in there.

I will let someone else speak for New Orleans as I personally have left nothing there to return for. Do stop "A Gallery" on Chartes in the quarter. It is the place to go if you have an extra $60-80K to spend for an original Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, or HCB print. They do have a great selection of original prints and books.

[abumac]

Natchez is a nice place.

[Bob Michaels]

Make sure you have a good road map for MS. Many of the smaller highways do not have signs. I think MDOT must assume that if you are there, you must just live there since there are so few visitors.

You can get NPR on your car radio anywhere in MS. Even in places where you can only get 2-3 stations, NPR will be one of them.

[Bob Michaels]

Originally Posted by memphis

call me and i'll meet up with you -- agree with bob michaels on some level

i'll take you around town, tell you the eateries and make sure that when going down highway 61, you stop at the abbay leatherman plantation

npr can be picked up in memphis and mpb -

I do recommend meeting up with Blake while in Memphis. He is a good host and overall fun guy.

Here is a photo I shot with Blake. Well actually, he was guarding the car while I was down the street photographing Janet who I had seen while driving by. I met Stephen & Queen (on Stephen's lap) while walking down the street to see Janet. (and never photograph homeless people, nothing there but despair and misery)

[The Meaness]

Go to parasol's in New Orleans. Roast Beef po boy or bring a friend and get the Muffaletta. Bring cash.

[The Meaness]

You said you're willing to go into the rough areas - I've worked in central city a few times to help with the rebuild and never wanted for photo opportunities. The area around MLK blvd is dangerous and fascinating, with a lot of people who were too poor to evacuate during Katrina. If you take I 10 west, and get off to view any suburban neighborhood, you'll see the many homes that are still abandoned and untouched since the hurricane. It is unsettling to see at times entire blocks desolate except for one beautiful home that has been rebuilt.

[Steve M.]

My favorite towns in Mississippi are Oxford and the Gulfport/Biloxi/Pass Christian areas. Can't beat the coast, and Oxford offers the beautiful university of 'Ole Miss. Don't miss the Rebel Bookstore w/ the Stars and Bars waving proudly. There's a no frills restaurant downtown that served us some of the best catfish po boys and gumbo I've ever had.

Still, N.O. is the jewel, so I would get there asap. We were in the city in July of last year and the town really looked great! Try the usual coffee and biegnets at the Cafe du Monde in the morning, seafood gumbo w/ bread pudding at Ajax Seafood in the 'Quarter for lunch, and Jimmy's (the one in the 'Quarter) for the best roast beef po boy you ever ate in your life for supper. The bread is wrong, but everything else is right. Mother's was a disappointment for ambiance and food. The riverboat cruise on the Mississippi is fun too. For music, just go anywhere, anytime. It's all over the city 24/7. What a town, and it hasn't looked this good in many, many years. When you're in N.O. the tourist things are actually the more fun things to do. There's also falling down drunk on Bourbon Street and getting arrested, a true N.O. tourist experience that's probably best avoided. The police there have always been trouble, so don't make any. Have fun, drink, eat, go dancing and be merry. It's that kind of town.

DON'T go for a hostel. Wrong city for that. You'll not get a wink of sleep the whole time, and there's the nightly (and morning) ritual of seeing people throw up in the sink, on the couch, etc. We stayed at the Hotel Clarion on Canal and it was fun. Street car stopped right in front for us. Figure on $100 a night for anything decent there. If I had to save bucks in N.O., it wouldn't be on lodging. You have no idea what the cheap places are like. I'd sleep in the car first.

[Bob Michaels]

Originally Posted by The Meaness

<snio> The area around MLK blvd is dangerous and fascinating, <snip>

I always check out Martin Luther King Blvd. or Street in everyplace I visit. Seldom disappointed.

Here is MLK in Clarksdale MS.



and another from MLK in Clarksdale. I was photographing this liquor store at 10:05AM. The sign said they open 10AM. Then this lady walked into the photo and stood by the front door.

[Bob Michaels]

Originally Posted by Steve M.

My favorite towns in Mississippi are Oxford and the Gulfport/Biloxi/Pass Christian areas. Can't beat the coast, and Oxford offers the beautiful university of 'Ole Miss. Don't miss the Rebel Bookstore w/ the Stars and Bars waving proudly. There's a no frills restaurant downtown that served us some of the best catfish po boys and gumbo I've ever had.

I think Steve is referring to Ajax Diner on the Square in downtown Oxford. Definitely worthwhile. Also check out Square Books which is a classic old bookstore. Oxford is a very cosmopolitan place, quite different from the rest of MS. Noted authors such as William Faulkner and Eudora Welty chose to live there. Ole Miss has the "Center for the Study of Southern Culture" as a separate department in it's own building. (disclosure: I have exhibited at the gallery there). You can get a Masters degree in Southern Studies there.

[jarski]

Frenchmen Street in New Orleans has cool jazz bars, I heard locals prefer go there because its less touristy than Bourbon Street

[Bob Michaels]

Originally Posted by jarski

Frenchmen Street in New Orleans has cool jazz bars, I heard locals prefer go there because its less touristy than Bourbon Street

+1 on Frenchman St. Get out of the quarter and go where the eclectic locals hang out. I guarantee you will leave with memories and stories to share with your friends.

Second line (jazz funeral procession) on Frenchman St. The NOPD finally broke things up saying the parade permit had expired hours ago. Then everyone went inside. This was the Second Line for Billy Ding, a local musician.

[wilonstott]

First off, thanks for all the replys guys.
I think I'm gonna take 61 most of the way through MS, and my plan is to hit a lot of old Juke Joints.

Do you guys have any recomendations about these places--I know there are quite a few throughout the state, and time is an issue, so I won't be able to hit them all.

What are some things to know about hitting these venues? Safe for the most part? Do's and Don'ts? (important)

Probably going to hit Clarksdale, Roesdale, Merigold, Greenwood (maybe), Jackson (maybe), Vicksburg (maybe)

What do you guys think?

Also, where are some places to hit in LA besides New Orleans? I'd like to get out on the Bayou on an Airboat--but something authentic--perhaps not standard tours.

Looked at Cat's Island--know anything about it? Any other recommendations?

So, to sum up:
Wanna hit some Juke Joints.
Wanna see some swamps and gators.

Whatcha guys got?

[Bob Michaels]

HW #61 us 4 lane and bypasses most towns but you can jump on and off it.

I have found the crowd at almost all the juke joints to be quite friendly. You just have to use some common sense about reading the crowd.

BTW, Po Monkey's is actually not in Merigold but outside it on the other side of the highway. I had to ask for directions 3 times before someone told me to follow them there. And it is only open now 2 nights a week. But you can find Willie Seaberry there sometimes when it not open. He lives out back.

Definitely catch the bayou when in LA. I suggest Hopedale as a good place. Ask for Charlo Inbanet when there. It is a small town and everyone local knows him. I guarantee you will not be disappointed in Charlo. He was the only person who did not evacuate for Katrina who survived. If you make it down to Hopedale, please get back to me about Charlo still being alive. He eventually will be a later stage Katrina victim.

Originally Posted by wilonstott

First off, thanks for all the replys guys.
I think I'm gonna take 61 most of the way through MS, and my plan is to hit a lot of old Juke Joints.

Do you guys have any recomendations about these places--I know there are quite a few throughout the state, and time is an issue, so I won't be able to hit them all.

What are some things to know about hitting these venues? Safe for the most part? Do's and Don'ts? (important)

Probably going to hit Clarksdale, Roesdale, Merigold, Greenwood (maybe), Jackson (maybe), Vicksburg (maybe)

What do you guys think?

Also, where are some places to hit in LA besides New Orleans? I'd like to get out on the Bayou on an Airboat--but something authentic--perhaps not standard tours.

Looked at Cat's Island--know anything about it? Any other recommendations?

So, to sum up:
Wanna hit some Juke Joints.
Wanna see some swamps and gators.

Whatcha guys got?

[tjh]

I'm planning some road trips after I retire in another year - These suggestions sound great!

[wilonstott]

Alright guys, you have been immensely helpful thus far.
Now I need some more help.

I am looking for stuff to do between New Orleans and Lafayette.

I am planning on hitting the Tabasco plant on Avery Island.
Also, New Iberia and Breaux Bridge.

Need some dining options.
I know Dwights in Layfaette--but they don't do dinner on the night I'll be in town.
Want crawfish. Big ones.

What you guys got?

[vaughn]

Hi,

I lived the first 23 of my 43 years in South Louisiana. My family is there and I still go home frequently.

Crawfish season is already over, but assuming Henderson still exists following opening of the Morganza spillway, I'd recommend Robin's (Pronounced Roh-Bahn's) in Henderson. Really one of the best classic Crawfish restaurants in Louisiana.

There is also Hawk's in Rayne.

I can probably dig up other options.

And don't forget about Boudin.

[vaughn]

While much of south Louisiana is thought of as a largely French descended culture, from its history as the southern tip of New France. For most of its pre-American history, it was a french speaking spanish colony. While the settlers were most often french speaking, there were plenty of Spanish, German, Anglo, Irish, and of course Africans. While the native tribes were largely wiped out, the tribes members that remain in south louisiana often speak French as their primary language. I came across this video which tells the story of the Biloxi Chitimacha of Isle de St Charles.

There are oyster fishing villages downriver from New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish that are still primarily of Croatian descent.

The well established Isleño community stretches into New Orleans, up from St Bernard and Plaquemines Parish. Not exactly segregated and having quite a bit of political power in the region, there isn't much "heritage" that is visible to tourist, other than surnames and a museum, from what I can remember. Katrina's impact to St Bernard and Plaquemines Parish is enormous, and I can't vouch for the quality of the experience for the tourist, but there has always been good and interesting people there, with great food.

The coastal marsh beautiful. The Cheniere with their backbones of live oaks basically start near Grande Isle and stretch all the way to Texas.

Some of the towns that bound the Atchafalaya Basin on the east are interesting. The drive from Thibadeaux up to Pierre Part, Bayou Pigeon, to Bayou Sorrel, and Plaquemine is interesting. There are lingering bits of what you some might call bayou hippy culture in those towns, but mostly it is camps, and people who spend alot of time in the swamp.

On the west side of the basin, if you go to Robin's and continue down the levee road towards Catahoula, you're bound to find many entertaining bars. There are access points from both Bayou Sorrel from the east and south of Henderson from the west, that allow you access to some of the most beautiful parts of the basin.

Though you will likely spend quite a bit of time near the Mississippi River, the River Road from Baton Rouge to New Orleans is a very distinctive section. I prefer the west side, but I'm biased, since that's where I grew up. There is plenty to see in St James and St John Parish.

If you'd like to get more into the Cajun areas. You can crudely break cajun "culture" into 2 regional divisions. Bayou cajuns (farmers) and Prairie cajuns (fisherman). I'm sure my characterization is out of date, but prairie roughly coincides with north and west of Lafayette is prairie and bayou south and east.

I could ramble on for days.

[vaughn]

Regarding New Orleans.

Frenchman has lots of great music. If you work your way downriver towards the Lower Ninth fromMarigny to Bywater it is difficult to avoid entertainment.

I'd also like to put in a pitch for Monday night at the Maple Leaf Bar uptown. That area has enough amazing bars, snoballs, legendary PoBoys and other sloppy good New Orleans food to spend a whole evening.

[vaughn]

Here is an somewhat recent overview of the towns lining and within the Atchafalaya Basin.

[wilonstott]

Originally Posted by vaughn

Here is an somewhat recent overview of the towns lining and within the Atchafalaya Basin.

Real nice Vaughn. Real nice.

[venchka]

Where are you now? If you haven't gotten as far as Lafayette yet, stop at the Conrad Rice Mill in New Iberia. Buy a bit sack of Konriko rice. http://www.conradricemill.com/results.asp?secondary=8

Which way are you headed from Lafayette?