Chasing the Blues on Highway 61
July 1 – 5, 2025
📍Location: Natchez, Mississippi 🏕️Campground: Bob M. Dearing Natchez State Park ➡️
📍Location: Greenville, Mississippi 🏕️Campground: Warfield Point County Park ➡️
Our exit from New Orleans was nothing short of spectacular. We drove out of the city via the world’s longest bridge, stretching an incredible 24 miles (about 39 km) straight over the waters of Lake Pontchartrain.
Just four hours later, the loud, colorful energy of NOLA faded away, and we found ourselves back in the quiet bosom of nature, trading jazz bands for birdsong by day and croaking frogs by night. Once we had Minnie settled into our spot at Bob M. Dearing Natchez State Park, we set up for an idyllic barbecue dinner. Smiling at the memory of our first Harvest Hosts stay, we threw the sausages we bought at Mason Hills Farm onto the grill: one unique blueberry sausage and a traditional Louisiana boudin stuffed with spices, rice, and vegetables.
We had barely finished our last bites when the clouds thickened, and a massive thunderstorm rolled in. Lightning illuminated the entire forest around us. We were incredibly grateful to be safe and dry in our little house on wheels, swapping a campfire for a cozy board game night inside.
Small Towns and Truck Troubles
The next day, we tackled a stubborn road project. Alex tried once again to fix the radio in our Ford truck, Fercho, but it was fighting him every step of the way. In the process of pulling the dashboard apart, he discovered two quarters and an old CD jammed into the slot. The computer clearly did not like being dismantled—it looked completely fried, and a little puff of smoke even came out!
Seeking answers for Fercho, we headed into Natchez, the oldest city on the Mississippi River. Founded by the French in 1716, this town of roughly 14,000 people is absolutely charming, featuring a beautiful park along the Mississippi embankment and quaint downtown streets.
We visited three different garages and were blown away by true Southern hospitality. A young man at a salvage yard kindly explained the issue and advised us to completely replace the radio with an aftermarket model. Then, the friendly team at the official dealership honestly pointed us toward a small, independent audio garage next door, noting they would be faster and cheaper. The guys at the third garage mapped out exactly what we needed, but because the 4th of July holiday weekend was approaching, we would have had to wait almost a week for the install. We decided to hold off and embrace the quiet of the road a little longer.
Indian Mounds and Spooky Detours
On Friday, Independence Day, we said goodbye to the birds of Natchez and set off in the footsteps of the ancient indigenous tribes.
Our goal was to connect with the famous Blues Highway 61, which runs all the way to Minnesota. But first, just a couple of miles from our park, we stopped at the Emerald Mound. Built in 1200 and used until 1730, it is the second-largest earthwork mound built by the Mississippian culture (ancestors of the Natchez Nation), who used them for burials, temples, and ceremonies.
From there, we planned to drive a section of the Natchez Trace Parkway, a historic forest trail created by Native Americans and later used by the first European explorers. However, it seemed the ancient spirits didn't want us on the main path just yet! We were somehow routed onto a narrow, unpaved forest road. Unable to turn the trailer around, we had to hold our breath and risk it, crossing a wooden bridge with a strict 10-ton limit and navigating winding dirt paths past old barracks, an isolated roadside cemetery, and an abandoned post office. It was incredibly eerie, but we finally popped out onto the proper, beautifully paved parkway.
Meeting the Blues Highway
Soon enough, we officially merged onto Blues Highway 61 which has its name because of its long history in blues music. It is also the subject of numerous musical works, with the route inspiring the album Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan. We set our sights on a town called Greenville which is the halfway point before Memphis.
We booked a spot at Warfield Point County Park which was our first county park. We didn't really know what to expect, moreover it was hard to get anyone on the phone, as it was the holiday. But eventually the park ranger answered and told us to just show up and pick a spot, and said he would handle the paperwork the next day. To our absolute delight, the park was wonderful—incredibly spacious with stunning views right on the river.
We attempted to join the Independence Day celebrations in Greenville, but the town felt completely deserted. Almost everything was closed for the holiday. Down by the Mississippi embankment, a small crew was setting up flags and fireworks, but otherwise, it was a ghost town. We happily retreated to our beautiful campsite and cooked Asian wok on the grill while watching a gorgeous river sunset.
Clarksdale: The Crossroads of Music
The next morning, having never actually met the elusive park ranger, we left our cash in the campground drop-box and continued up Highway 61.
We passed through sleepy, atmospheric towns like Leland and Cleveland before stopping in Clarksdale, the undisputed birthplace of the blues. It is home to the Delta Blues Museum and the famous Ground Zero Blues Club (co-owned by Morgan Freeman). The club's walls are absolutely covered in graffiti from visiting fans, and live music pours from the stage almost every night.
Wandering the quiet Saturday streets, we admired the beautiful, colorful blues murals painted on the sides of old brick buildings. In an amazing twist, we ended up chatting with a local man sitting outside his small shop selling homemade harmonicas—only to realize he was actually one of the musicians painted on the mural directly across the street! When he asked where we were from, we were shocked to learn that just a few years ago, he had traveled to Switzerland to play blues concerts in Fribourg and Burgdorf!
It was a brilliant, serendipitous encounter. Aside from him and a few other blues-loving tourists, Clarksdale was deeply quiet on this post-holiday weekend. Before hitting the road again, we made one last stop on the outskirts of town at the iconic intersection of Routes 61 and 49—the legendary "Crossroads"—marked by a towering monument of two guitars.
Next stop: Memphis, TN!
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