This Mississippi Monday we're featuring an amazing gem of a place in The Mississippi Delta, The Shack Up Inn- a bonafide “bed and beer” joint located on the old Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale, MS. We (Bekah + Kate of the ThimbleTeam) recently adventured out to The Shack Up Inn to experience it first hand and we are beyond enthusiastic to share about and recommend it here.
The Inn hosts a number of original sharecropper shacks, shotgun style shacks and rooms retrofitted into the original cotton gin all for rent by the night or 2-days on the weekend. Each is themed and decorated with various found objects from old photographs to guitars, quilts, retro radios- all perfectly mismatched and amounting to the most cozy and homey feeling place we've ever stayed. No frills, but loads of character and charm- right up our alley. The Inn hosts their own amazing restaurant and bar called Rust, and the friendly folks on staff were so enthusiastic and kind to share and point us in the right direction of all their favorite juke joints, restaurants, museums and go-to spots in the area. If you've never been to The Mississippi Delta or The Shack Up Inn, let us be the first to say that one weekend is not nearly enough time to soak it all in, but it sure is a good way to start.
Read on for our Q & A with some of the folks at the Shack Up Inn, and check out some snapshots we took along the way...
xx, Bekah + Kate
Q & A
What exactly is The Shack Up Inn and how would you describe it? A bed and beer.
How did it get started? In 1998 it started out as a place to hang out, and tourists showed up wanting to "let" the place.
Where in Mississippi are you located? Clarksdale, Mississippi, off highway 49 and highway 61.
How does Mississippi play a role in your business? Tourists come here seeking out the music, food, southern culture, usually in route from Memphis to New Orleans. We're as much a destination (the delta... not just Clarksdale) as the history and blues mecca.
What or who was your inspiration for starting your own business? It's often joked that Budweiser was the inspiration.
Who all is involved in your business? A small, devoted staff, a family of sorts. 2 owners and between the shack accomodations, desk, housekeepers, sound engineer, managers, accomodations, restaurant, etc. around 10 -15 at various times of the year.
What are your goals for The Shack Up Inn? To provide for our guests and tourists, and to give them the experience of the south.
What is your background? Growing up in the south.
Where do you all find inspiration? From what is around us, and finding a home for recycled materials.
(note from B + K : we found amazing recreations like this tire chair ALL over the property during our stay) 
What are your favorite local places to shop and dine? You experience the town and you tell us... we've got lots of recommendations though: Reds lounge, Cat head Blues and Folk Art, Delta Blues Museum, Rock and Blues Museum, The New Roxy Theatre, Yazoo Pass, Hambone Gallery, Foxtrot Gallery, Lambfish Art Co., Delta Blues Room, Messengers. Jessie's Place, house parties, Po' Monkeys...
What are some of the reasons you call Mississippi home? Because it
is home.
How do you think what you are doing is helping to shape your local community as well as the image of Mississippi? Mississippi's culture, history, the blues, the food, the South, it all speaks for itself. All you have to do is come here in order to experience it. What we are doing here is just a way of life, a culture, and we welcome like minded people to come and visit.
Visit the Shack Up Inn on their site HERE to learn more about their history, to view the Shacks and to start planning your MS Delta adventures. And thanks again to the hospitable and friendly folks at The Shack Up Inn and Rust. You can bet you'll be seeing us again soon!
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