How to Locate the Devil's Crossroads of Robert Johnson in Mississippi
- 1). Gain an appreciation of the music of Robert Johnson; chronologically if necessary. Hear the early recordings versus the older ones. On at least three different tracks Johnson suggests that his episode with the devil actually took place.
- 2). Begin the journey in Memphis. To experience the full effect of the blues, devote an evening to Beale Street, preferably B.B. Kings bar, but any joke joint on this famous street will suffice.
- 3). Locate Clarksdale, Mississippi on a dependable map. Note that it's located less then eighty miles from Memphis, Tennessee, on U.S. Highway 61 South. It makes perfect sense that Johnson would appear somewhere out of the Mississippi delta, with guitar on back, walking to Memphis, and then confronting Lucifer. Begin the drive.
- 4). Trace Highway 61 South to where it first meets U.S. 49. This location is at Lula, Mississippi and travels east into Helena, Arkansas. This isn't really a crossroad but rather 'T' intersection. Many travelers searching for the actual crossroads get confused and are wrongly convinced this is the location.
- 5). Continue south towards Clarksdale, taking the loop around the city to Desoto Avenue. It is here that the two highways separate, and this is also the place many misconstrue as the crossroads. Note that in the early 20th Century there were no loops around cities and that most of the highways, especially in the south, were merely dirt or graveled roads with maintenance involving only scheduled grading. The actual crossroads will be found in the heart of Clarksdale.
- 6). Take Desoto Avenue north into the city and upon reaching State Street, park. There is a right turn lane that has a grassy island with several trees. This is the location of the Crossroads Monument. Situated upon a baby blue post are two guitars (replicas and much larger then a standard guitar, of course). One guitar points north toward Highway 61 and one points east toward Highway 49. Below the guitars is a sign stating "The Crossroads."
- 7). Stop up the street at the Delta Blues Museum and get completely immersed in the history of this music genre. While there are some references to Robert Johnson, note that he wasn't actually from Clarksdale, but rather passing through. Clarksdale has notable blues legends in its own right.
