An old blues juke joint called Poor Monkey Lounge. This is located outside of Merigold, Mississippi

Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi

The stage inside Ground Zero Blues club in Clarksdale, Mississippi

Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to go on a trip with Eagle Rider. Eagle Rider is a luxury motorcycle tour company based in Southern California that offers both guided and unguided routes around scenic destinations in the United States. I was fortunate to enjoy the Blues Trail of Honor Guided Tour, a three-day trip that started in New Orleans and ended in Nashville. Never having been on a motorcycle before, Eagle Rider provided me with an experience rider on a Harley Davidson motorcycle and I rode on the back. I was also provided with all the necessary safety gear.
The first night of the trip started on Bourbon Street, which was amazing. In many ways, New Orleans reminded me of France. With the architecture, the cobblestone streets and the food, I didn't feel that I was in the states anymore. The second day we got up early drove through the mountains to arrive at Natchez, Mississippi. This town was really historic and reminded me of my upstate visits to Hudson, New York. It was located right on the Mississippi river and was brimming with true southern heritage. One of the highlights of this town was the scene of the infamous Natchez Burning. This was one of the deadliest fires in American history, which killed over 200 people. This fire inspired blues performers to record songs such as "The Natchez Burning and "The Mighty Fire".
The third day of the trip we traveled from Natchez to Clarksdale. Clarksdale is home of the famous Ground Zero Blues Club. This Morgan Freeman owned club was dripping in blues music history and even the walls were covered in music inspired graffiti. The entire town of Clarksdale was raw and untouched and reminded me of a movie set. The last day of the trip we drove from Clarksdale to Nashville, stopping in between these two cities to visit the Delta Blues Museum. Nashville was lively and was again rich in blues history. But, that afternoon marked the end of my trip so I’ll have to save a proper visit to Nashville for another time. This was a great first trip to the south, which I'll never forget. From the accommodations to the food to the memories, I highly recommend a trip organized by Eagle Rider!