Travel

Blue Canoe: The Best Place to Eat in Elvis' Hometown Tupelo

For any music lover (and who doesn’t love music, right?) the Americana Music Triangle is a place of pilgrimage.

Was it coincidence or destiny that in the tiny triangle between Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans nine distinct musical genres were born — Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock ‘N’ Roll, R&B/Soul, Gospel, Southern Gospel, Cajun/Zydeco and Bluegrass?

My favorite remain, however, Jazz and Rock ‘N’ Roll. I remember watching one of Elvis Presley’s movies when I was only a few years of age. It made an impact so big, I can still remember my delight. Of course, the King was gone years before I was born. But he managed to captivate my imagination through the small screen nevertheless. I was too young to understand then, but somehow I knew he was special.

Elvis was born in a two-room house in Tupelo, now part of the Americana Music Triangle. His birthplace, as well as Tupelo Hardware Company from where his mother bought him his very first guitar, can be and should be visited by any Rock ‘N’ Roll enthusiast.

The story goes that little Elvis wanted a shotgun for his 11th birthday. However, he didn’t get one. But then, a shop employee handed him a guitar and as he started strumming, it was love at first sight. He decided he preferred the guitar to the shotgun and the rest is history.

Tupelo seems to be a place of endless possibilities. You wouldn’t exactly expect this from a small American town, but wonderful things happen here all the time.

Take Natchez Trace Parkway, for example. Headquartered in Tupelo, the Trace was traveled by Native Americans over 8,000 years ago and it is now regarded as one of America’s Top 10 National Parks.

But Tupelo goes beyond relaxing nature and great music. And after doing some sightseeing and breathing in the special air charged with talent, it’s time to stop and recharge your batteries.

The best place to do so? The Blue Canoe bar and restaurant. This is a locally owned, funky place with killer live music and delicious food that appeals to all ages and to music lovers in particular.

Blue Canoe was recently voted as one of the 10 best places to eat burgers in Mississippi. It’s quite an accomplishment for a restaurant that offers only three types of burger — the BC Burger, the Smash Burger and the Surf & Turf Burger. The secret doesn’t seem to be in a long menu and variety of choices but in mastering a few recipes to perfection. The things are a bit different when it comes to their sandwiches, but trust me, everything looks just as delish.

Blue Canoe serves southern flared bar food that's kicked up a few notches. Additionally, it offers over 100 types of beers, out of which 35 are on tap.

Run by Adam Morgan, a Tupelo native committed to promoting local businesses and heritage, Blue Canoe offers entertainment ranging from Bluegrass and Indy to Tomfoolery and comedy. In fact, on the menu you will see written things like ‘Benton's bacon that we get from our friends at the Neon Pig’ and ‘duck fat sausage from LB's Meat Market.’ Of course everything tastes better when locally produced and sourced!

Are you an Elvis fan? Have you visited Tupelo? When you are next time in the area, don’t forget to stop by Blue Canoe to get your burger fix, a beer and relax on the beat of locally born music.

Brought to you by Tupelo

- Traveling Music
I don't care for constant music while I'm on a long trip, but I do sometimes feel the need for some energetic music. The remaining 3 CD's I ordered came today, and I'm loading them on my computer, one at a time and then listening...

- Friday Rolls Around Again
My life is just going by too fast these days. Did they remove one or two days out of each week? After a gorgeous day yesterday I heard the rain during the night, but not heavy enough to keep me awake. (Heartburn was the cause of that.) This...

- Make Like A Local & Meander Around Muizenberg
It's the weekend, you finally have the day to yourself and are free to roam the city in search of some good things life has to offer: Music, books, coffee, ice-cream and the beach. Look no further than the hub of Muizenberg in False Bay. ...

- The Rich Soil Of Mississippi
William Faulkner, Nobel prizewinner and author, once said, 'To understand the world, you must first understand Mississippi.' As one of the poorest and least developed states of America, Mississippi often ranks significantly below top tourist destinations...

- Amsterdam’s Off-centre Festival Is Just Right For Music Fans
If your musical preferences are a little more underground and you’d rather listen to trance than anything in the Top 40, you might find that there are many music festivals in Amsterdam to suit your tastes. One of these is the Off-Centre Festival, which...

Travel