Author: kimspathway

Wed 25 July    9009 steps

We headed into town and did the customary Hop on Hop off tour. I think we chose the wrong operator as their rival’s trolleys were a lot more frequent than ours. When ours finally did arrive, it was a blue minibus because the trolley had broken down.
We hopped off at the next attraction, Capitol Hill, and followed the driver’s instructions to the museum, which was not there. We had to wait at least 20 minutes before we could hop on the next trolley, which fortunately had a better guide.
We hopped off at the next stop, to go to the Farmer’s Market for lunch. It  was actually just behind Capitol Hill and we could have walked if the map had indicated the footpath.
To get to the farmers market, you pass through the Bicentennial Park. Again, a wonderful open area for public to enjoy, free of charge. There are fountains for kids to play in and a huge map of Tennessee carved in granite. There is also a granite wall along the park that records the history of Tennessee from start to modern day. It is very interesting, but you need more than a day to absorb all the information.

The market was not very busy, but I found some art  (tomato and corn) and Goat soap which I thought Annelet could investigate and a stall that made me think of Simon. There was a nice food court and we shared a Chinese 2 entree platter, similar to what we had had in LA. We washed it down with a bottle of locally produced wine.

As our luck would have it, when we finished the next “trolley” was the blue van. We needed to take it back to the start. It was a long drive around and somewhere along the line the aircon packed in. It was like being in a traveling sauna.
The good side of the story is that the van was actually the staff bus, and when it ended its tour, we were able to stay on and get a free ride to the other side of town, where we were going to The Grand Ole Opry. Miraculously after the 10 minute wait for the staff, the aircon worked again and we were much more comfortable.
The driver of the van and other passengers recommended that we eat at the Scoreboard, near the Grand Ole Opry, so we did. I had a large frozen drink and we shared a barbecue platter. We also got a free bowl of pork scratchings – heavenly! Of course, we came nowhere near finishing so we took a “to-go” box for lunch and probably supper.

The show at the Grand Ole Opry is broadcasted on the radio and follows a set format. There is the host, who introduces the artists and periodically reads out commercials for the sponsors. Each performer gets to do 3 songs. The first artist was  a legend in country music, but I think he should have retired a while ago. Then we had a young guy who was quite good; a blond stereotype; a group of 3 ladies who did a gospel number; a hill billy group; and a redneck, who started off by pledging allegiance to the flag. At least he got everyone to remove their hats! One group stood out, Delta Rae, from North Carolina who were excellent. Google them, especially “No peace in quiet”.  They are brilliant.

Chuckle of the day: We took takeaways after our incredible meal and of course the secutity guard hanked them out my bag. “No outside food or drink allowed in the building”
I explained I wasn’t going to eat them and they were clearly sealed. He said I should place them in my “veer hic kel”. I explained I had come by Uber.
He repeated . “No outside food or drink allowed in the building”
David took the bag and placed it next to a rubbish bin, against the wall. It was still there, untouched, when we came out and I had some for breakfast before our cycle.
What I learnt: Country music is not my thang.

Tues 24 July – I left my watch at home, but according to David about 5000 steps

As usual after a day of driving, David gets free reign in terms of cycling. He found a cycle path through a green belt that took him over a bridge and straight into down town. He found the walk of fame. They have honored all types of music there, not just country.

.We set off to Nashville together in the afternoon. We started at the Johnny Cash museum, followed by the Patsy Cline museum. Both were interesting and informative, but nothing like Graceland.
We moved on to Broadway. It is a milder version of Beale Street. They do not block off the traffic and hence there is not as much of a holiday feel. The demographics had also definitely changed. We had drinks at a few pubs with live music and decided we had had enough country.

We headed off Broadway to Printers Alley and found a restaurant called Skulls, where there have an awesome duo singing the blues. Such good music and much more to my liking. Unfortunately, the other diners were not interested in the music and were very loud, making it difficult for us to hear. It irks David that they don’t even remove their hats at table.
It was a ‘cheffy’ restaurant and we figured it would have small portions, so we ordered starters. I had a healthy portion of a devine lobster bisque and David had mushrooms stuffed with snails. Then the entrees arrived. They were huge and delicious, pork chop for me and ribeye for David. Luckily David was in eating mode after his long cycle, so nothing went to waste.

We lingered over dinner and finally we walked down the alley and heard great music coming from a doorway. It was late, but we went into the pub and found a guy playing guitar and singing. His name was Chris Ferrara and we caught a couple of his songs before closing. He was so good we bought a CD.

Chuckle of the day: Imagine if I took Tinky & Tonky into a downtown pub with me

What I learnt: Of the music streets we have been to, this is my order of preference:
First and foremost: Bourbon Street, New Orleans; Second: Beale Street, Memphis
Thereafter 6th Street,  Austin and Broadway in Nashville are pretty even. However, I enjoyed the dancing in Texas, at White Horse and Giddy Up. We didn’t see any people dancing in Nashville.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mon 23 July  – 4441 steps
Song: Cotton fields by CCR (and others)

We decided we were saturated with the music history of Memphis and headed off to Nashville for the next dose. Tennesee has various scenic road trip routes.
We followed the Cotton Junction trail. The landscapes were pretty and the houses were interesting. There was a lot of cotton!

We were starving, but the first recommended place, Gus’s World Famous Fried chicken had so many cars outside we decided we could wait for Brownsville and the recommended barbecue joint.
We got to Brownsville, drove around the square and past the 100-foot metal sculpture by Billy Tripp. We did not bother stopping. Not saying it is not art, but it did not work for me. When we arrived at the BBQ it looked like a run down shack with no cars outside. It was a lovely day so we decide to get a takeaway and find a picnic spot. The owner, Helen, is one of only a few female pit-cooks and she has been running the shop for 20 years. She hasn’t done much with the decor but her food was excellent. By the time I left people were queuing up to the door for their orders.

It was getting late and we had found no suitable place for our picnic, so we decided to stop at a shop, have a quick bite and then have the bbq for supper. We stopped at  The Old Country Store just outside Jackson. Little did we know they serve a full southern buffet for about $12 per person. There were salads, breads, soups, fried chicken, fried catfish, chicken casserole, beef stew, veggies and that is just what I remember. I enquired about a crock pot of white soup/stew and the chef looked at me as if i were crazy, “Chicken and dumplings?” Oh and peach or berry cobbler for dessert. We ate and ate and ate.  BBQ was going to have to wait till tomorrow.

The traffic on the Nashville highways was quite hectic and the interchanges are very confusing. We did a few detours before we finally arrived at our RV park. The RV sales company next door was flying the largest flag I have seen to date.
Smile of the day: Americans, their flags and their RV holidays:

What I learnt: KFC is not the best southern fried chicken I have eaten.

 

 

 

Sun 22 July   –  6708 steps
Songs: Anything and everything by Elvis played all day.

Today was the day for Graceland.

We planned to spend about 3 hours there and then move on. We spent more like 6 until we could absorb no more and we walked home. You start off in the lobby, get fitted with an iPad and headphones and then a shuttle takes you across the road, through the gates to the back of the house, where you watch an introductory video. Then you go to the front of the house and walk past the rooms on display. You have to remember that it was decorated in the seventies, a decade not renown for its elegant furnishing, but oh my word, it is gaudy. He may have changed the music industry and even created new fashion, but I cannot say his home decor was tasteful. The more bling the better. He bought Graceland when he was 22 and added significantly to it over the years, including carports for the cars he loved, a pool, a racketball court, a recording studio, rooms to house his awards and a meditation garden. Graceland was clearly his happy place.

You then return via shuttle to the museum which houses his cars; motorbikes, clothes; show costumes and other memorabilia, all the while showing videos of Elvis, doing interviews; in concert and also his movies. It is mind boggling. So many music icons pay tribute to him for paving the way and inspiring them. Then you can move on to the airplanes, the Lisa Marie and another Lear Jet. After that we were exhausted. We knew there was more to see and absorb, but we walked straight back home and collapsed.

Chuckle of the day: David is now a huge Elvis fan.
What I learnt: I still think Elvis was the greatest. I learnt about his incredible generosity and the emblem he created for his business, a lightening bolt with the letters TCB, which stood for Taking Care of Business in a flash.

Sat 21 July  – 9160 steps
Songs: Walking in Memphis by Cher; Graceland by Paul Simon

It was so hot, we woke up early and set off. We arrived in Tupelo and saw the hardware shop where Elvis got his first guitar. We went on to the house that Elvis was born in. It is the original 2 roomed house, built by his father when he heard his wife was pregnant. They have now created a park around it.  You start with a short video about Elvis as a boy and how he would stop on the way home to listen to the music played in the Black part of town. They have also moved the church building where the Presleys worshipped to the same park. As part of the tour they have recreated a typical service that the family would have attended and you begin to understand how the music there also influenced Elvis. It was really interesting, but my best was watching David’s reaction. He had not been exposed to Elvis as I had been as a child and was really learning about how Elvis had combined all the music from the different areas around him and changed music forever.

We drove on to Memphis, stopping at a Civil War museum. It outlined the victories of General Forrest of the South, who was a hero or villain depending on your point of view. That he was good looking (or depicted as such) and clever is not up for argument. He was one of the commanders who had no military training, but was able to think out of the box and never lost a battle. He surrendered because Robert E Lee surrendered.
We arrived in Memphis and stayed in an RV park adjoining Graceland. We took an Uber into Beale Street, a toned-down version of Bourbon street. The music was more varied, more blues. I loved it.

We walked around for a while and settled on a pub/ restaurant called Rum Boogie. The band, Free World, was excellent. Vince Johnson, a musician who has been performing on Beale street for 40 years did a guest number. We ordered a starter sampler for supper. It arrived laden with wings, smoked sausage, chicken strips, cheese, fried pickles, natchos – all so good. We then popped over to an Irish pub, Silky O’Sullivans, with dueling pianos. It was great, but a little bit too country. I preferred the music at Rum Boogie, so we returned there and danced.

David’s chuckle of the day: Kim fell asleep after 2 minutes in the video we watched about the battle of something or the other.
What I learnt: I was privileged to be raised in a home where music played a pivotal role. My oupa was a pioneer in stereo sound and took his music seriously. My dad (aka Uncle Bob), together with Uncles Doug, Ken and Harold taught me to love jazz and blues.  My mom, (aka Aunty Dee) passed on her love for the classics and Elvis, for which I am ever grateful.

Fri 20 July  – 7361 steps

David got up early and went for a cycle in the surrounding countryside, where they farm beans and maize intensively.

 

We left Vidalia and crossed the Mississippi river back into Natchez. We did a tour of one of the old antebellum mansions, Stanton hall. It was built in 1857, by an Irish immigrant, Frederick Stanton, who started as a cotton broker, but soon realized the money was in growing cotton, so he bought plantations as well. Clever man! Unfortunately he died 2 months after the house was completed, but his family continued to live there, except for a short period when it was occupied by Union troops. It is now run as a museum and was very interesting.  Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take pictures inside the building and it was undergoing some renovations, so there was scaffolding on the facade, so I took a picture off  the internet, so you can get an idea of the size. The other pictures David took of the rear of the house and the outbuildings.

 

We traveled on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic route from Natchez to Nashville. Of course there were roadworks. David was so impressed that the flagman had his own vehicle. But he was more impressed by the fact that cyclists have right to the whole road.

 

Our first stop was at Mount Locust, a museum of an historic inn for weary travellers. Built in 1780, this home functioned as both a working plantation and as an inn, where travelers on the Natchez Trace could rest for the night. There were about 50 inns that existed during the period of greatest use of the Old Natchez Trace, but this is the only one that survived.

 

Then we went off the parkway to look at Windsor ruins. Windsor mansion was located on a cotton plantation and was one of the largest mansions built before the war with 29 columns in Greek revival style. It survived the Civil War, but was destroyed by a fire in 1890. It was a bit of a detour, but  well worth it.

 

We made a brief stop at the visitors centre in Clinton and drove back onto the Natchez Trace Parkway, till the Cypress swamp, where we walked a short trail. It was fascinating, so quiet and peaceful. Just as I was reading a notice saying that there were alligators, but they were shy and difficult to see, I notice a branch “floating” upstream. David verified that it was indeed an alligator.

 

It was getting late, so we decided to camp at the state run Jeff Busby camp along the trace. There are no services, but is free. What a bargain we thought. David caught up on some reading and I experimented with some turkey mince and made a delicious meatloaf. Of course, it had loads of bacon and they do make good bacon here.

 

As for the campground, what a mistake! Without power, we could not run the air con and it was as hot as anything, with high humidity and no breeze. Our RV soon turned into a sauna and neither of us slept very well.
My chuckle of the day:  We had driven 5000 miles and needed to do an oil change. We find a place in Natchez, where the mechanic had such a southern drawl it was difficult to make out what he was saying.  David was clueless and his face while trying to understand what was being said was priceless. David told me later he thought the guy must have a bolt in a tongue piercing.
David’s chuckle of the day: Outside the visitor’s centre, there was a beautiful Ferrari. We watched as it took at least 15 minutes for the old couple in it to get out. ( And yet David still wants one)
What I learnt: I can’t remember if I have written about parkways before or if I was just discussing with David. If I have, please ignore the following.
In the USA, parkways differ from usual highways because they are designed for recreational use, no trucks and no billboards. The speed limit is usually 50 mph and cyclists have right of way. They basically are long parks with a road down the middle. They are created for their scenic qualities and also to join places of interest. They are ideal for road trips and it is a pleasure to drive on them. They are maintained by the National Park Service (NPS) who manage parks, monuments and other conservation and historical properties, making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment. They do a great job and we, (SA and Swaziland), can learn a great deal from them.

 

 

Thurs 19 July – 9327 steps

Why Natchez, I can’t think of any song about it. I suppose Old Man River could work.
However, it is one of the oldest settlements along the Mississippi River, it has a historical site where the Natchez people once lived, before the French and Spanish arrived. It is more or less on the way to Memphis and this tour guide was tired.
We had a pleasant enough drive from New Orleans, stopping at Bar-B-que in Independence for lunch. I had a brisket po-boy which was devine. It is just a roll with lettuce, (tomato, but not for me), pickles and mayo, which is then jam packed with juicy, chopped slow-cooked brisket. Messy eating, but I think I have now done most of the Louisiana cuisine specialities, which I have really enjoyed.

We crossed into Mississippi and stopped at the Grand Village of Natchez.  The history displayed in the free museum and the video about the Natchez mounds was very interesting, not so much the mounds themselves. Still, it was a nice green space and I could imagine the golfers in the family inventing a Farm rules game and teeing off.

Our campsite was close to Natchez, but actually across the river back in Louisiana. We were parked up close to the banks of the Mississippi, with lovely grass in front of us and after supper we went for a peaceful long walk on a paved strip along the banks of the river.

Observation of the day: David asked for butter and was given this spread. It seems as if it is very difficult to get unprocessed natural products in USA.

What I learnt: In each city or town we have been in, the authorities have provided parks, walkways, boardwalks for the public to use. They are well maintained and designed to encourage people to be outdoors, playing games, hiking, cycling etc. I believe if our taxes went towards creating and maintaining a level of security in places like this, instead of creating private homes, SA would be a happier place.