Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Memphis and other 4letter words




Hi all!

The hubby and I just got back from an 8 hours drive from Memphis, TN to Dallas, TX. Memphis is pretty much suffering from hot as hell summer temperatures exacerbated by the humidity coming off the Mississippi river. So of course we leave the 100+ degree weather of Dallas for the balmy 90s of Memphis to visit hubby's aunt. The aunt is doing well for a woman on oxygen, managing her health one day/step at a time.

We had some time to kill in Memphis, so we did some sightseeing.

Okay people...repeat after me... Elvis is dead. He has left the building...for real. Go home. And by home I mean your home, not his. It looked like a line at Six Flags waiting to get into Graceland.

Hubby and I skipped that and ventured out to Mud Island, a strip of land great for golf, biking, hiking, etc. ...especially on a summer day. 3 hours and 10 miles later we'd riddin around Mud Island and basically become sweaty messes. Beale St. was fun but not nearly as entertaining as it would have been in the Fall or Spring when the weather makes it manageable.


Oh...and apparently the panhandlers there have my number. I got approached by just about everyone since my Southern sensibilities make it hard for me to ignore polite approaches, even if I know it is the prelude to begging.


The next day we visited Sun Records and stood in the recording room where Elvis, Chet baker, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash recorded. It was kinda cool to see the preserved history.

We then ventured out to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel, sight of the assassination of Martin luther King , Jr. I don't think I've ever been so moved by a museum. It truly is one of those places every child should visit, especially Black children who may feel like school is something to be taken for granted.
Memphis was fun. Just bring your GPS if you drive because I know we inadvertantly drove over the 2 bridges no less than 5 times because we got stuck in lanes that only led to the freaking bridge and once you are on, you go for MILES before you can turn around, and by miles I mean you enter a new state before you can come back.
Bye y'all!

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