Moving Along!

Well, we arrived on Monday at Montgomery State Park. We spent two full days wandering around the town. We visited Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley,  got to tour his two private Jets and then we went downtown to check out the town nightlife. Beale Street is similar to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It is about two blocks long, blocked off from traffic and loaded with restaurants, bars and Crazy people. As the darkness set in the lights came on and then WOW, so much fun. We added to our collection of Big Ass Beer Cups and enjoyed a Memphis Rib dinner at a karaoke  bar featuring Jerry Lee Lewis music and a great band.

The next day we toured Stax Records which was a local company that really featured local Black as well as white artists like B.B.King, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, and many more. After Martin Luther King was killed in Memphis the studio felt the racial tension that they hadn't experienced before. Over the next few years the company changed and eventually went out of business. Years later it was reborn and now is a museum and a charter school.

Next we went to Sun Records and toured the studio where Elvis recorded his first record. It was interesting how he once jammed with Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins who was a music writer there. The studio still operates at night and U2 had their drum set there for musicians to use if they need one. Very Cool.

On Friday morning we left Memphis for Hot Springs, Arkansas.  We arrived early in the day and are camped at Hot Springs National Park. We are trying to get off the road earlier this trip so we are not setting up in the dark. There are limited spots here, and no reservations, just first come first serve. We managed to get in and are planning on staying until Monday morning. Today we toured the Bath Houses on Bath House Row and are planning on going to The Quapaw Bathhouse tomorrow to take a bath in the famous hot spring water.

We also had lunch at the Ohio Club the oldest bar on Bath House Row and was the spot Al Capone and other gangster mob members hung out. There was gambling and betting here during that time.

Many famous sport figures came to the hot springs like legendary Babe Ruth and the Dean Brothers. President Roosevelt came here several times because of his Polio.