By Josh Troy
Clarksdale Advocate
The Viking River Tours cruise from New Orleans to Memphis briefly stopped in Clarksdale on Saturday. The cruise began in New Orleans last week and had stops in locations such as Baton Rouge, La., Vicksburg, and Greenville. The cruise stopped in Rosedale on Friday night, and passengers took a bus to Clarksdale on Saturday and were able to get a brief look at the community.
Passengers left Clarksdale in different groups and took buses to Memphis. Some of the sightseeing locations in Memphis included Graceland and the Civil Rights Museum. Scott Barretta, a Mississippi Blues Trail markers writer, was helping Viking River Tours.
“The idea is that there are blues tours and it’s a nice little town,” said Barretta about stopping in Clarksdale. After getting off the bus, tourists entered The Bank building and received brochures about Clarksdale. Memphis will be the final destination of the weeklong vacation for many of the passengers on the cruise, and they will fly home from the Memphis International Airport.
“It’s very different,” said tourist Gil Lissy. “I’m from Portland, Ore. One side is Mount Hood, and the other side is the ocean. “It’s been fun. I loved the food.” Lissy said jambalaya was his favorite food on the vacation.
