Getting into Dodge

May 9-11

We left Memphis, after finding Rondevous Ribs(down an alley and in the basement)and enjoying dry rub ribs and brisket. We headed to Dodge City, Kansas, a place I never thought I'd see. BUT, Joe had called Spartan Chassis about an overheating problem and then offered to fix it for free if we got to Dodge. So-----here we are.
We left over the flooded Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. We stayed in St. Charles, Mo. on Sunday and would have loved to sightsee-there even was a trolley. We headed across Missouri, in the rain, and into Kansas on Monday. We did see buffalo shortly after crossing into Kansas--but no prarie dogs. We were surprised how hilly the countryside was. We ended up staying in a truckstop that was in front of the church. We realized that we were't in Ct. anymore when we went to bed and heard pigs squealing in the truck next to us. Luckily, the truck did not stay the night. Tuesday,we followed 156/56-The Santa Fe Trail -southwest to Dodge City. We passed two windmill farms. It's hard to show just how big they are. We also passed some small oil rigs. Both were in the middle of fields. Along this ride the countryside flattened out and looked like i had thought it would.

Beale Street

May 7,

We took a ride to West Memphis, Arkansas to see the Tom Sawyer Campground, where we had wanted to stay. When we called Tuesday they said it was closed due to high water. After hearing so much about it from Andy-we had to at least see it. The Mississippi was about a foot below the campground and we were told it will be under water by Saturday and they will probably be reopened by next Saturday but we'll be long gone.

We then went to explore Beale St. When we got to the Beale St. area, all you could smell was ribs. We ended up eating ribs at B B King's and they were excellent as was the music, Will Tucker Band. We were told to remember his name as he's only 16 and he'll be famous some day. The neon on Beale St. was art in itself.

Graceland

May 6,

We are staying at the Memphis-Graceland RV Park, behind the Heartbreak Hotel across from Graceland on Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis, Tn. Blue Suede La., Hang Dog Way and Jail House Rd. are among the street names in the park. Everything around Graceland is well thought out, even the gifts in the giftshops, of which there are 14. We did really enjoy the Graceland tour and the step back in time. It is quite obvious that Elvis and his friends really enjoyed life and he made it all possible with his music. We were also very impressed with his many awards-both musical and humanitarian. I'm afraid I'd forgotten just how good looking he was-----I guess I was just too young!

Tupelo

May 4,
We went to Elvis's birthplace in Tupelo today. The home in which he was born, the church he attended, a museum and of course, a gift shop are located in large park. The land for the park was donated by Elvis after he returned to Tupelo to play at the fair. The statue depicts him at 13. The house was built by his daddy for $180 and is only two rooms. The furniture is similar to what the Presleys would have had and the woman who told about the house was a Presley cousin. Throughout Tupelo, there are decorated guitar pointing to buildings involved in Elvis's life. We went back on the Trace to see the Chickasaw Village site and were disappointed to find only pictures. I was hoping for a recreation.

Natchez Trace

May 3,
We woke to a beautiful day instead of the thunderstorms predicted, so we decided to start up the Natchez Trace toward Nashville. The Trace is a route that closely follows the old route taken by Native Americans and rivermen going through farmland and forests. We stopped at a cypress swamp that was really beautiful with sunlight filtered through the leaves and birds singing everywhere. We ended our trip for the day in Tupelo at a nice campground with cable and wifi, where we found that the rains in Nashville were alot more severe than we thought. We may have to postpone Nashville until another time.

Timberlake St. Park

May 2,
While waiting for the weather to clear, tornado warnings and heavy rain, we stayed at Timberlake State Park in Ridgeland, Ms.($20 a day). Between showers, we took a ride to the Mississppi Craft Centet. They had a wide variety of very interesting items, each with a pretty heavy price tag. Though we didn't buy anything but books about the Natchez Trace, we enjoyed the creativity. Mama Duck and her three babies kept us amused the rest of the day. We got enough rain that the babies could swim in the puddles.

Steamboat Nachez

April 27,
Today we ate our first beignets at Cafe Dumond and had a cup of their great cafe au lait. We listened to a calliope concert before boarding the Steamboat Nachez for a cruise down the Mississippi. We saw the ships, tugs and barges that make New Orleans one of the busiest ports in the world. The narrator on the trip was much more informative than yesterday's bus driver as he told of the river's role in history and today.
After the cruise, we rode the Riverfront Streetcar and walked much of Decatur St. We stopped at Margaritaville and for the first time weren't impressed. The balconies and narrow streets are very charming. We noticed the barstool as we walked by an Irish Pub.....If the stool fits