Going down to the crossroads in Clarksdale

The traveler: Rhett Arens, West Lakeland Township.

The blues birthplace of Clarksdale, where musician Robert Johnson reputedly sold his soul to the devil, looked abandoned yet colorful early one morning in February. Arens had detoured through Mississippi on the way home from Florida to find the "crossroads" where Johnson made the deal "for the ability to make unearthly sounds with his guitar." Arens added, "This photo shows how drenched Clarksdale is in the blues. I was able to sit down with the doorman at Red's Lounge and enjoy a beverage even though the juke joint was closed due to COVID. I noticed him sitting at the back door so I stopped, introduced myself and the stories began to roll. He had worked at Red's for 30-plus years." Arens used a Sony RX100 VI with no filter.