Day 13 - 15: Shopping in Clarkesdale and the Shack Up Inn, heading home
Day 13: This morning we checked out of the Casino Hotel in Tunica and headed back to Clarkesdale to give back to the local community…by going shopping.Merry, Lauren and I walked up and down the main street, going into shops and talking to the owners.The first one we went to has really adorable gifts.We each got a few things and spent about twenty minutes talking to the women running it.They were very sweet and got excited when we told them that we were staying at the Shack Up Inn that night.The whole experience of standing and talking to them reminded me of something that Katie said on the first day.She commented about how she had worked in retail in North Carolina and in D.C.In the south, patrons were very likely to strike up a conversation and engage the sales person.In D.C., this would never happen.People wanted to get in and out and on with their lives.Standing and talking for so long with these women made me laugh on the inside about yet more differences between the south and other areas of the nation.
After we shopped, we walked over to Ground Zero for lunch.This restaurant is owned by Morgan Freeman and doubles as a juke joint at night.After having been to Po’ Monkey’s two nights before, it was quite a different environment.Before getting off of the bus, Dr. Smith asked us to think about authenticity.These two juke joints could not differ more.Ground Zero seemed like a complete tourist attraction and, while fun, did not have the feel of traveling back to the days of sharecropping that Po’ Monkey’s did.The food was great and the environment still fun, just different.
Tonight we’re staying at the Shack Up Inn. It is made up of several old sharecropping shacks that have been gathered together to allow tourists the experience of living in that time.These homes now have running water and air conditioning, so it’s not quite the same, but still a lot of fun.The shack where Lauren and I are staying is really adorable!
Days 14 and 15: The past two days we’ve mainly been traveling. I think we’re all starting to be ready to be home, but it’s pretty bittersweet because we’ve had so much fun and grown so close.We traveled home through Tennessee, stopping in Knoxville for our last night.