Shack Up Inn draws visitors from around the world with unique cultural experience

By BECKY GILLETTE - MBJ Contributing Writer

CLARKSDALE-The Shack Up Inn only started in business in 1998, but proudly declares itself "the state's oldest B&B." But in the case of the Shack Up Inn, the B&B stands for Bed & Beer. "We realized early on we couldn't fool with breakfast," says Bill Talbot, one of the owners of a unique "six pack" of sharecropper shacks that make up one of the state's most unusual lodging establishments.

If you stay at the Shack Up Inn, most likely you'll find few Mississippi residents among the guests. But it has quite a cult following among people from Europe and big cities in the U.S. such as New York and Los Angeles. The inn attracts visitors looking for a uniquely Southern experience in the town known as the Birthplace of Blues.

The business started in 1998 with a shack, a former tractor's shed, primarily used by a songwriter's group from Nashville. One of the business owners, Tommy Polk, is a songwriter from Nashville. Polk started bringing other writers, and the group would write songs all day and then perform at night next door at the Commissary (the bar that provides the beer part of this B&B).
In 1998 the owners paid $600 for the shack of Robert Clay, a tractor driver. It cost another $2,500 to move the shack to the property. When the writers weren't around, the shacks sat empty. Then some tourists from Europe came by and asked about renting the shacks.
"All of the sudden we got busy with tourists, primarily from Europe, who wanted to stay in the shacks," Talbot said. "We added two more in 2000, and another two 2002. So now have six pack of shacks here at the Bed & Beer." The shacks are homey and comfortable, furnished with a lot of antiques and recycled building materials. But this is not a five-star hotel. "We aren't for everyone," Talbot says. "The Ritz Carlton, we ain't."

But there's no doubt this business has found a niche. In addition to a great deal of press in European newspapers, it has also merited stories in USA Today, Gentleman's Quarterly and other national and international publications. A piece in National Geographic Travel Magazine is scheduled to run soon.

A big part of the attraction is the novelty factot. "I'm sure this is one of a kind," Talbot said. "There are a lot of quirky people out there. What amazes me is we have become a destination. We have had people come here to stay at the Shack Up In instead of people just passing by who find us. Morgan Freeman's restaurant helps out. People can stay at the shack and eat wonderful food."
The Shack Up Inn doesn't advertise, doesn't have a sign, and isn't even listed in the phone book. But visitors from around the U.S. and the world find their way there largely because of the publicity and the Web site, www.shackupinn.com. The shacks are part of Hopson Plantation. "Immerse yourself in the living history you will find at Hopson," the Shack Up Inn's Web site says. "Virtually unchanged from when it was a working plantation, you will find authentic sharecropper shacks, the original cotton gin and seed houses and other outbuildings. You will glimpse plantation life as it existed only a few short years ago. In addition, you will find one of the first mechanized cotton pickers, manufactured by International Harvester, as you stroll around the compound. Spend an evening enjoying live music and good conversation at the Commissary and then go to sleep in one of the renovated shotgun shacks. Its corrugated tin roof and Mississippi cypress walls will conjure visions of a bygone era. Restored only enough to accommodate 21st century expectations (indoor plumbing, showers, heat, air conditioning and fully equipped kitchens in some, kitchenettes in others), the shacks provide comfort as well as authenticity."

Talbot says the Internet is responsible for a lot of their overseas travel. "Guests find it an interesting cultural experience," Talbot said. "Our guest book reflects that. We have had wonderful comments from people in every corner of the world. We have had people from a lot of countries. We have Ethiopian doctors coming tonight." Europeans, in particular, are in love with the blues. "Europeans know more about us than we do," Talbot said. "They know the history of the blues. Mississippi is fortunate to be on the music map as the birthplace of blues greats. In Coahoma County, there was an explosion of blues artists. And all these Europeans know about it."

Clarksdale is probably one of the best-known small towns in America simply because of the blues. People come to visit the Delta Blues Museum and other attractions related to this rich period in American musical history. Despite being well-known and attracting a lot of international visitors, Clarksdale doesn't have a well developed tourism industry. The Delta Blues Museum and most places are closed on Sunday, which can make it difficult for visitors even to find a place to buy breakfast on Sunday.

"Clarksdale gets a lot of tourism, and a lot of people aren't aware of it or are in denial," Talbot said. "Clarksdale hasn't realized yet that tourism could save the town. There is no industry here to speak of. A lot of things are closed on Sunday. It is a tough market. I think if more people would come on board, it would help everybody out. There is an effort being made by several people in Clarksdale to make everyone aware of the potential for tourism. Statewide tourism officials are also beginning to see the potential here. A lot of jobs could be opened up."

In addition to Talbot and Polk, two other partners in the business are Guy Malvezzi, a Clarksdale businessman, Jim Field, an architect from Colorado. and James Butler, who lives at Hopson Plantation. Lodging rates run from $50 to $75 per night. For more information on the Shack Up Inn, call 1-662-624-8329 or (if that number is busy) 1-615-385-4345. Contact MBJ contributing writer Becky Gillette at mullein@datasync.com or (228) 872-3457.