Day 67 - Memphis - Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Day 67 – 14th August 2005 -6:00 GMT Total Miles 11938

The southern hospitality is quite amazing, we stood in the hotel lobby for a few minutes and five people came and said hello, people walk up to us in the streets and just when we think they are about to ask for money, they say “Hello hope your having a good day” and walk off. Anyway today we drove from Memphis across Tennessee to Nashville, we bought sandwiches and stopped off on the way and ate at a picnic bench on the side of the road. The journey took about 4 hours and we arrived in Nashville around 5pm. We walked down to the city centre and every bar, restaurant and even the candy store had a country and western band playing live. We stopped at a restaurant and ate. When we finished our waitress warned us that a big storm was coming and when we got outside it had started with thunder and lightning. So we caught a Taxi back to the hotel and spent the night in front of the TV.

Day 66 - Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Day 66 – 13th August 2005 -6:00 GMT

Got up reasonably earlier and drove about 15 minutes out of Memphis along Elvis Presley Boulevard to Graceland. (Elvis Presley’s Home).


Graceland 

We bought a Platinum ticket and started in a Museum called Sincerely Elvis which had a lot of his personal belongings. We then went on the tour of his House and Gardens, we first visited his main house and looked around all the rooms with the crazy decorating, then we go out to his fathers office which dealt with all his fan mail. Then you cross over his gardens and visit the Trophy room which has a long corridor full of his Gold and Platinum Singles and Albums, and then it goes through his films. Then you cross the gardens again into his Racquetball courts which is floor to ceiling in his awards.


Trophy Room 

Lastly we enter his meditation garden where he is buried with his parents.


Elvis Presley's Meditation Garden 


Elvis Presley's Grave 


Elvis Presley's and Family's Grave 

After the tour of his house we visited his car museum which had his famous Pink Cadillac and Rolls Royce’s etc.


Entrance to Elvis Presley's Car Museum 


Elvis Presleys Pink Cadillac 

We then had a look around Elvis’s two customised planes. We then went back to the hotel for a couple of hours, then went for a walk along the banks of the Mississippi River


View of The Mississippi 

and then along main street to the Lorraine Hotel which is where Martin Luther King was assassinated.


Site Where Martin Luther King was Assasinated 


Lorraine Hotel Where Martin Luther King was Assasinated 

We caught a tram back to the hotel.


A Memphis Tram 

In the evening Jill and I went back out and walked around the Peabody Mall and back down Beale Street where we ate at a bar with a blues band playing classic blues by Elvis, Ray Charles, Little Richard and many other.


Beale Street 


Jill on Beale Street 

Day 65 - St.Louis - Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Day 65 – 12th August 2005 -6:00 GMT Total Miles 11727

Checked out of the hotel at 12pm and drove across St.Louis, filled up with petrol opposite the Anheuser Busch Brewery, home of Budweiser and the largest brewery in the world. It gives free tours every 15 minutes.


Budweiser Brewery 

Carried on driving along the I-55 and stopped at Jackson for lunch and a quick shop at Wal-Mart where I bought a Playstation Portable out of my Casino winnings. We drove through Missouri and Arkansas until we reached Memphis in Tennessee, we checked into the Marriot Hotel in the city centre. It happens to be Elvis Week this week and it is 28 years ago on the 16th that he died. We spend the next couple of hours doing all our washing and then walked down to Beale Street which is full of Bars with live Blues bands playing.


Beale Street 

We saw B.B. Kings bar,


B.B. Kings Bar 

but settled at The Kings Palace for dinner, which had a live blues band, after dinner we went out to their street patio where another Blues band were playing and churning out the favourites like Johnny B Goode and Sweet Home Chicago. We went back to the hotel just before midnight


Reece and I with a Beer 

Day 64 - St.Louis, Missouri, USA

Day 64 – 11th August 2005 -6:00 GMT

Had a walk around downtown St.Louis and got some lunch from a nearby Café.
Then had a look at the Old Court House


The Old Court House 

and walked through the Western Expansion Park.


Western Expansion Park 

We decided we would go to the top of the Western Expansion Archway also known as the St.Louis Gateway Arch.


Jill and I at top of the Arch 


St.Louis Gateway Arch 


Me by the Gateway Arch 

We bought a joint ticket which also gave us an hour boat ride down the Mississippi on a paddle steamer. Under the arch is a large underground museum and the entrance for the tram to the top of the arch. We had to sit in very small space like capsules which holds five people and they travel up and round the arch like a big wheel car.


The Capsule 

It takes four and a half minutes to get to the top and you get spectacular views over St. Louis and the Mississippi.


View of St.Louis 


St.Louis Cardinals Stadium 


View North of The Mississippi 


View South of The Mississippi 

We spent about 30 minutes at the top of the arch then had a look around the museum which was all about Western Expansion. We then got on the Paddle Steamer and traveled up and down the Mississippi it was nice to have a boat ride but the scenery is very dull just factory’s.


Jill and I on a Paddle Steamer on The Mississippi 

We then went back to the hotel for a couple of hours and then went out again and it started to rain, this is the first time we have been in the rain in over 30 days. We walked through the park again and along the waterfront to an area full of pubs and restaurants, we stopped at the old spaghetti factory for dinner, where we all had a 3 course meal. I then went back to the President Casino for a few more hours of Blackjack and won $412. Caught the free shuttle back to the hotel.


The President Casino