Ben and I make this trip every time we come to Mississippi and this time, downtown Clarksdale had changed so much that I could hardly recognize it (although the drive into town remained much the same).
Rural poverty.
Tamales out of a trailer (and we saw someone selling buffalo catfish out of the back of his truck).
The first year we went, there was Morgan Freeman's blues and BBQ joint,
the Delta Blues Museum, a killer guitar shop, and a bunch of run
down, closed storefronts like the Super Soul Shop.
Within the last two years, a bunch of
boutiques had sprouted up. It
was disturbing to walk down the street seeing desolation on the right
and gentrification on the left, literally.
There was even a fancy coffee shop (the only
place I've found in Mississippi besides the casinos to get a latte!).
All the shops exploited the
blues history of the town and catered to tourists (most of whom show up
once a year in April for the Juke Joint Festival). The poor folk who
live there certainly cannot afford the blues that these folks are
selling.
A place to stay.
Advertising LAST April's Juke Joint Festival.
Selling self-promotional materials
And imported folk art.
Ben and I make this trip every time we come to Mississippi and this time, downtown Clarksdale had changed so much that I could hardly recognize it (although the drive into town remained much the same). 
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