Rosedale MS Mississippi
Frequently Asked Questions
At the foot of the levee that protects the town, on the lower Mississippi. River vessels call here to give passengers a concentrated taste of the Deep South, in a community of about 2,000 people.
Partly. The small downtown comes down to a few streets of old storefronts, brick churches and houses with shaded porches, and the levee is an easy climb. The delta’s music sites, however, need an excursion.
Two options depending on your taste: Great River Road State Park and Perry Martin Lake for nature, or an excursion to Dockery Farms and the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi for the blues. Add a walk on the levee and a plate of fried catfish.
Perry Martin Lake, an isolated old meander lined with bald cypress, with easy trails, picnic tables and viewpoints. Herons and turtles share the still water, and it is one of the few places in the region where you can actually reach the bank of the Mississippi.
Bolivar County is among the founding grounds of the genre, and the name Rosedale itself echoes through songs covered for generations. The legend of the crossroads where a musician is said to have sold his soul hangs somewhere between these fields and the dusty junctions of the region.
The plantation where Charley Patton and other pioneers worked, considered by many the birthplace of the blues. It features on most excursions from Rosedale, often together with the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi in Cleveland, about thirty kilometres away.
Fried catfish, delta tamales — a blended tradition handed down by Mexican labourers of the last century — and very sweet iced tea. The cooking is found in family-run places, not in restaurants designed for visitors.
No. Nothing here demands admiration: what stays with you is an atmosphere, that of a rural America with nothing staged. From the levee, the procession of towboats pushing grain barges provides a permanent show.
The US dollar and English. Cards are accepted in most businesses, but keep a few bills for the small family-run places.
A hat, water and insect repellent, especially for the trails: delta summers are hot and humid. Spring and autumn remain the most comfortable seasons.
