USA Guide
The South
The Delta
The Mississippi Delta is not in fact a delta at all; technically it's an alluvial flood plain, a couple of hundred miles short of the mouth of the Mississippi. The name stems from its resemblance to the fertile delta of the Nile (which also began at a city named Memphis); the extravagant meanderings of the river on its way to Vicksburg deposit enough rich topsoil to make this one of the world's finest cotton-producing regions.
Though the main thoroughfare south is the legendary Hwy-61, the backroads, characterized by huge empty views, interrupted by roadside shacks, tiny churches and the sound of the blues, provide the best route for exploring.