Our Trip to the Shack Up Inn

As in, shacks. As in, old sharecropper shacks turned into rad as hail places to kick it in for a weekend. And that is juuust what we did.

Shack Up Inn

The weekend before Thanksgiving we met a big group of friends at this unassuming nook in Clarksdale, Mississipsisipsispsispsii. This place is beyond cool. Two quaint campground-style neighborhoods filled with tiny shacks, all facing each other like little friends, with a main lobby/bar/restaurant/gift shop right in the middle of everything. It’s basically all you need in life. That and momosas. But I’ll get to that in a sec.

Let me just say right off, this is not a sponsored post. The Shack Up Inn has zero idea that I’m blabbing about them. I just adore the place! You’ve seriously got to get a glimpse of this. And by glimpse I mean 29348293472 photos.

Shack Up Inn

This was our shack! One room, two adults, two babies, a dog, and a poncho. And it was PERFECT. See, I don’t like camping. I hate bugs and I’m mildly terrified of nature, but this kind of thing is my spirit. A working bathroom, a comfy bed, a coffee maker and rocking chairs. Done.

Wait, I mentioned the bar, right?

Shack Up Inn

See Aaron on our teensy little porch? That gives you some perspective on the size of the place. You just want to stick it in your bra, don’t you?

Shack Up Inn

It was amazing, our first morning there, we woke up to a light rain, while a next-door neighbor mandolin player sat on his teensy front porch and serenaded the rest of us front-porch coffee drinkers with some bluegrass tunes. Oh hi, the most charming thing in the world to wake up to.

Also, front porch. (Why am I saying that so much?! Shacks, that’s why.)

Shack Up Inn

This bottle tree thingy was in the middle of the courtyard. They say it’s supposed to trap evil spirits in the bottles at night and destroy them in the sun the next day. Aka: keep the blues away. But dudes, we were in the Delta. There ain’t no trappin’ the blues!

Aaaaand you want to punch me.

Shack Up Inn

This is the view from the courtyard looking at the restaurant/bar/lobby/gift shop. Nothing else you need in life, you guys.

Shack Up Inn

Our shack even came with modern Ikea highchairs! Just kidding. We brought those.

That wasn’t funny.

But look how well they adapted to shack life. I think I definitely need a rocking chair for our newly renovated front porch at home.

FRONT PORCH.

Shack Up Inn

So our Arkansas crew arrived on a Friday afternoon, meeting up with the rest of our friends that evening. Here we all are at dinner, which was in the restaurant, which is the bar, which is also the lobby/gift shop. Really, you need nothing else in life.

You may see a few familiar faces. James, Aubrey and their crew, Sarah, Todd and Iris monkeying around in the back with Erin and Tom. Heidi on the right hand side with Smudge, and Rebecca with Clem. And then my lil’ clan. Wait, where are we? I don’t see us. We were sitting right there behind Heidi. Crap what happened to us? SEARCH PARTY FOR FOUR. YOU CAN EAT WHEN YOU FIND THE WEIDNERS. (name that (rip) comedian)

Shack Up Inn

This is the way you change a diaper in a shack. And I need to say, Aaron is not that wide in real life. Something happened with the shadows and the vortex of multiperplexities of the abyss, and he looks hunchbackily weird. But I can assure you, he’s a fine piece of meat. (<—-oh gawd why.)

Shack Up Inn

Speaking of shadows and the multiperplexities of the abyss, something happened to this photo too, and it added what seems to be another pregnant belly to my existing postpartum belly. I can assure you, that’s straight caffeine in that cup, my pretties.

Shack Up Inn

This was right before the babies asked to go slaughter a deer for dinner and chop the wood for warmth that night. AND I LET THEM.

Shack Up Inn

This is the bar/stage area/restaurant/lobby/gift shop. You can clearly see how there’s nothing else you need in life.

Shack Up Inn

I have nothing funny to say about this except that I love that little guy looking at me on that dirty floor. We’ve both agreed that he’s going to stay this tiny forever. I’m so glad he sees it my way.

Shack Up Inn

So later that day we got some bbq for lunch. I don’t want to start any bbq wars or anything, buuuuut KC’s is better. Don’t hate. Just skate.

That’s not how it goes, is it?

Shack Up Inn

Then, that afternoon we spent a good chunk of time meandering our ways through lush cotton fields, momosas in hand. Not mimosas. But momosas. Sarah knows how it rolls.

Shack Up Inn

We picked a lot of cotton that day. Natalie ate a lot of cotton that day.

Shack Up Inn

“Listen, couple of cotton seeds become a couple of cotton plants. Fast forward a few years and you’re a fashion designer. But I get a 20% cut. 25%. 35%. Deal?”

Shack Up Inn

I posted this one on Instagram, but I’d never live with myself if I didn’t show you here! I was explaining the difference to him between cotton and cotton candy. He didn’t buy it. But he did eat it.

Shack Up Inn

This is Aaron carrying both babies and a blanket to meet our friends while I carried my phone and drink. Priorities! (mom, I’m kidding. sort of.)

Shack Up Inn

Here’s Sarah and Charlie! Charlie was off leash the entire weekend. She absolutely loved it.

Sarah was off leash, too, obviously, wait this isn’t coming out right.

Shack Up Inn

We also took a lot of photos of the babes. Babes in dirt, babes in mud, babes with kites, babes on blankets. These things happen.

Shack Up Inn

Cute dirty pants butt + red wooden bus = I want 814345234 more babies.

Until I have to do laundry.

Shack Up Inn

Erin bought all the kids kites to play with, and they were a HIT. Natalie even loved them, until she tried to eat all the string.

Shack Up Inn

James and Sailor, juuuust a cotton pickin’. I was probably pickin’ my nose. You’re waiting for the “just kidding!”

Keep waiting.

Shack Up Inn

That night we all cooked a gigantic friendsgiving meal, and as you can clearly see, Aaron was a hit with the ladies. Well, the ones under the age of five.

Shack Up Inn

Here’s Birdie trying to reach for the gelato that we brought for dessert. The front of that fridge was spray painted black. But like, horribly painted. Well you can see at the bottom! Look at that awfulness. Why does this exist? Whoever painted this fridge knows how to party.

Shack Up Inn

Our contribution to this fantastic meal? I almost don’t want to tell you, out of fear it would make you endlessly jealous of our skills. I guess I’ll go ahead and tell you. Jiffy cornbread. HEYYY. Two boxes. That’s right, bia.

Shack Up Inn

The Shack Up Inn. What a place. You just HAVE to make it there someday. Do it for the children!

Shack Up Inn

THE LOVE SHACK IS A LITTLE OLD PLACE WHERE WE CAN GET TOGETHEERRRRRRR.

You can’t believe it took me this long, can you?

The end.

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Oh wait there’s one more photo. See what the Shacks do to me?

Okay, now it’s the end.

 

 

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23 Responses to Our Trip to the Shack Up Inn

  1. Alison H. December 8, 2014 at 9:23 pm #
    Ahhhhh I love it! I am from the Delta & living in Memphis now...the Shack Up Inn is one of our favorite quick getaways...so glad you enjoyed it!!!
  2. Katie December 8, 2014 at 9:50 pm #
    The coolest. Theeee coooooolest. I want to go. With all the same people. I'm going to sneak in next time you guys get together...mkay?
  3. Phi @ the Sweetphi blog December 9, 2014 at 6:29 am #
    Wow! Bev! These photos!!!!! Totally gorgeous! Ever since you mentioned you were going to the shack up inn I've been hoping you'd do a roundup because I totally need to go there with my husband! It looks absolutely amazing! And those babies!!! Just too cute for words!
  4. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl December 9, 2014 at 6:32 am #
    Jiffy cornbread is from Michigan. You just got two notches cooler in my belt. Also, how on earth does on travel with Ikea high chairs?
    • Bev Weidner December 9, 2014 at 6:44 am #
      They snap apart! No wrenches, no drills, no tears.
  5. Jeanne (NanaBread) December 9, 2014 at 11:32 am #
    Love love LOVE this post. What a magical place - made even more magical by all those sweet bebees running around. Thanks for sharing, Bev. I want to go there now. And bake some Jiffy cornbread. TWO boxes, bia!
  6. Tracy | PeanutButter and Onion December 9, 2014 at 12:25 pm #
    This place sounds/looks amazing!
  7. Laura Jensen December 9, 2014 at 1:14 pm #
    Mitch Hedberg for the win!!!! We actually got to see him in Boston just a few months before he passed. I spent half the show telling jokes while wrapped up in the curtain on the side of the stage - sad sad story. These pics make me miss the South =(
  8. Laura Jensen December 9, 2014 at 1:15 pm #
    Eek - Mitch spent half the show in the curtain - not me. Shoot - should learn to proofread.
    • Bev Weidner December 9, 2014 at 2:49 pm #
      I'm just impressed anyone guessed this! Nicely done! (totally jealous that you saw him live.)
  9. Heidi @foodiecrush December 9, 2014 at 3:01 pm #
    What a fab visit, and meeting your babies live and in person and then having Natalie throw up on my slipper was certainly a highlight. I still haven't washed that slipper...maybe I never will. Let's have more campfire round abouts soon! Great to meet Aaron, he's a stand up guy. Let's go back!
  10. Anonymous December 10, 2014 at 9:27 pm #
    Aww Mitch!!! RIP. Love Mitch and this post! So amazing!
  11. Marie December 16, 2014 at 2:53 pm #
    How did you reconcile the history of the place while on your trip? Would be interested to hear that perspective a bit. I know this is meant to be a fun vacation post, but as it is a *different* kind of place to take a vacation, I wondered if this was on your mind at all?
    • Bev Weidner December 16, 2014 at 3:35 pm #
      Oh the whole area is rich with history! But I didn't want to bore everyone with a long history lesson. Aside from this spot being old sharecropper shacks, which I mentioned, here are a couple of links on the history of the Delta, and how the Shacks got started! http://www.shackupinn.com/#!ourstory/c161y http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/30/shack-up-inn-coolest-hotel-in-america-bill-talbot-guy-malvezzi_n_915184.html
      • Marie December 16, 2014 at 5:01 pm #
        ha - I love history lessons. Thanks for providing the links. I think the history of sharecroppers is one plenty of us learned very briefly in elementary school social studies. That a hotel exists using those structures is very interesting and unique. I think so important to recognize their story. Again, thank you for the links. I look forward to reading.
  12. Jill December 17, 2014 at 4:10 pm #
    Swear they don't let kids stay there!!!!
    • Bev Weidner December 18, 2014 at 6:30 am #
      Not usually, true. But if you explain the sitch, they may let you! We knew the owners, so it was okay. But if you want to go, just tell them about your kids and see what they say! They're awfully nice.
  13. Bethany Hughes May 20, 2015 at 2:52 am #
    The people living there look happy. So I guess money doesn't necessary equals happiness after all.
  14. Abby Bristol May 27, 2015 at 3:31 am #
    Great pictures! There's so much love and beauty in them! All the kids are very cute!
  15. その素晴らしいあなたの他のようなブログの記事:転記のD、感謝します。
  16. Alex Williams March 25, 2017 at 1:42 am #
    why cant 18-25 year old "kids " stay there??
  17. Quandale Dingle April 6, 2022 at 2:12 pm #
    Wow...... Incrdible i cant believe anyone would go there, it used to be a nazi camp
    • TeKay December 27, 2023 at 8:09 am #
      Never was a nazi camp. This is da South in the Delta of Mississippi not da Germans but da IH brats who farmed the South

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