Day 23, Saturday, Oct. 12, Graceland RV Park, Memphis, Tennessee

Today was a "free day", so I worked on the blog until Joan came by and asked if I wanted to go to a mall. Since Marcel didn't want to go to the Pyramid, I went with Gus & Joan.
Having seen so much cotton growing, we bought some articles at Kirkland's (a home decor store), then stopped at Aldi's on the way back - of course!

After lunch, we went to Walmart then fueled up at Cisco $2.899/gallon.

Walked around the parts of Graceland that we could (without a ticket). It is all new! Vastly different from the last time we were there.

Rain started at 4:30, and continued into our Happy Hour at 5:00. Larry brought out his "Harley Davidson" margarita machine, which cheered up the mood! The rain continued, heavy at times.





At 6:00, the Campground Cookout was ready, prepared by our leaders & followers. We enjoyed beef chili, white chicken chili, with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream and cornbread pancakes! Yummy!












After dinner, Stan & Betty brought out a cake and ice cream for Glen, to celebrate his 84th birthday!


Following the dessert, everyone made a dash back to their rigs in the rain.

Day 22, Friday, Oct 12. Memphis, Tennessee

It was a jacket day but sunny to start, 12C.
At 8:00, we all boarded the bus for a full day tour of Memphis.As we started out, Joyce McBride, who is from Tennessee, gave us a narration about all of the well-known businesses that originated in Tennessee, At the conclusion, she handed everyone a mini Moon Pie!

At 8:15, we stopped at the Welcome Centre and picked up a tour guide who took us along Adams Avenue which is in the Victorian Village District. We passed by several beautiful mansions. One was the Mallory-Neely House which was built around 1852 in the Italianate style as an early Victorian villa.










At 9:00 we arrived at Sun Studio for a personal tour. Sun Studio is a recording studio opened by rock-and-roll pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis on January 3, 1950. It was originally called Memphis Recording Service, sharing the same building with the Sun Records label business.
Our young tour guide was very energetic and knowledgeable. He explained how the first recording of Elvis was made by Marion Keisker, who was Sam's secretary. (Sam was away at the time!) And the rest is history!







            On December 4, 1956 an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash took place at Sun Studio. During the session Phillips spotted an opportunity for some publicity and called a local newspaper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar. Bob Johnson, the newspaper’s entertainment editor, came over to the studio accompanied by a UPI representative named Leo Soroca and a photographer.The following day, an article, written by Johnson about the session, was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title "Million Dollar Quartet". The article contained the now-famous photograph of Presley seated at the piano surrounded by Lewis, Perkins and Cash. 

Then we were back on the bus, and toured the waterfront, passing by the Hotel Chiska, where Dewey Phillips broadcast Elvis' first recording.  Calls and telegrams flooded the studio as Dewey blasted Elvis over the airwaves repeatedly that evening, introducing the soon-to-be megastar to Memphis and forever changing modern American music.

Our next stop was the Peabody Hotel, to see the Peabody Ducks Parade. Back in the 1930's Frank Schutt, General Manager of the Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Tennessee sippin' whiskey and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were selected as "guinea pigs" , and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Thus became a Peabody tradition which was to become internationally famous.


We went up to the roof to see where the ducks live in their "castle" . Can you believe that???
When "off duty", the ducks live in their Royal Duck Palace on the hotel's rooftop. The $200,000 structure is made of marble and glass and features its very own fountain with a bronze duck spitting water. It also includes a small house- a replica of the hotel - where ducks can nest with a soft, grassy "front yard"


Then it was on to the St. Jude Pavilion.
 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers. The hospital costs about $2.4 million a day to run, and there is no cost to the patient to be treated  It is located in Memphis, and is a nonprofit medical corporation. All medically eligible patients who are accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay. St. Jude is one of a few pediatric research organizations in the United States where families never pay for treatments that are not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. In addition to providing medical services to eligible patients, St. Jude also assists families with transportation, lodging, and meals. Three separate specially-designed patient housing facilities— Tri Delta Place for short-term (up to one week), Ronald McDonald House for medium-term (one week to 3 months), and Target House for long-term (3 months or more)—provide housing for patients and up to three family members, with no cost to the patient. These policies, along with research expenses and other costs, cause the hospital to incur more than $2.4 million in operating costs each day.

After that thought-provoking visit, we passed by the "Pyramid" which was originally built for

basketball, but is now a huge Bass Pro Shop.

The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2004. In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops "megastore", which includes shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range, with an outdoor observation deck adjacent to its apex. The Pyramid was built in 1991. Is 321 feet (98 m) , 32 stories tall and has base sides of 591 feet (180 m)

Patiently waiting?

We drove across the Mississippi River on the Hernando De Soto bridge (Interstate 40) into Arkansas, then back in time to go to B.B. King's Blues Club, located at the top of Beale Street for lunch. They served up a typical southern buffet of fried catfish, macaroni & cheese, pulled pork, roast chicken, coleslaw and cornbread muffins.

The spread

Our last stop of the day was at the Lorraine Hotel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. We toured the National Civil Rights Museum,  which is a complex of museums and historic buildings; its exhibits trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present. The museum is built around the former Lorraine Motel, which was the site of the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. 


Thus ended a very busy day! 

Day 21, Thursday, Oct 11, Cape Giardeau, MS to Graceland RV Park, Memphis, Tennessee

BRRR. Chilly morning at 12.4C as we packed up and prepared to head off to Memphis.
At 9:07 we were on the road under sun/cloud and 55F. We are taking the scenic route by the book instead of the highway.
At 9:26 we crossed the Mississippi River and re-entered Illinois.
We drove alongside the river and saw two barges, one going upstream and one downstream.
As we went through Cairo, there was a low, unmarked bridge. We ducked and passed safely under the bridge.

The next challenge was crossing the Ohio River on a very narrow bridge with a lot of heavy truck traffic. Terr was leading today. Lucky him!
 Once across the bridge, we entered Kentucky.





Driving on, at 11:45 we entered Tennessee and saw fields of cotton. The temperature has warmed up to 63F with clear sky & sunshine.


We stopped at the roadside for lunch in Ridgley, then continued on, arriving at the Graceland RV Park at 3:00.

We had a "pre" Happy Hour with Gus, Joan, Terry & Sharon, then joined the rest of the group at the picnic area for Happy Hour. David and Mickie Ratcliffe (Tennesseans) surprised us all with an assortment of Tennessee Moonshine along with shooter cups for samples. What fun!

There were lots of samples for everyone!

Currently, Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine nationally retails fifteen flavors of moonshine made using authentic East Tennessee recipes, jarred and shipped directly from the company's Gatlinburg distillery. 


Original Moonshine (100 proof), White Lightnin'™ (100 proof), Lightnin' Line (80 proof): Strawberry Lightnin', Lemon Drop Lightnin' and Hunch Punch Lightnin'TM, and the 40 proof line including: Moonshine Cherries™, Peach Moonshine™, Apple Pie Moonshine™, Blackberry Moonshine™, Strawberry Moonshine™, Lemon Drop Moonshine™, Pineapple Moonshine, Watermelon Moonshine, Sweet Tea Moonshine and Charred Moonshine™ are available selectively in 49 states and Canada.^[8] Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine products are sold in a traditional Mason-style jar.

At 6:00, we all enjoyed dinner prepared by the Wagonmasters and Tailgunners. It included Pulled Pork on a bun, cole slaw, salad, baked beans and macaroni salad. Great dinner!
By the time we finished, it had cooled to 15.4C

Day 20, Wednesday, October 10. Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Wi is terrible which has delayed my posting.
We had a "free day", so it was a good day to get laundry done. The day started out cloudy and 23.6C
Had about an hour of light rain, then it cleared.

Went for a walk on a path which went into town & back. It is a very humid 27.7C.

We drove in to town to see the famous murals on the seawall. The Mississippi River Tales is a mural containing 24 panels covering nearly 18,000 square feet (1,700 m²) of the 15-foot (4.6 m)-high downtown flood wall in Cape Girardeau. It illustrates the history of the area beginning with the Native Americans who inhabited the area between 900 and 1200. Each panel tells a story: Missouri gaining statehood in 1821, the coming of the railroad in 1880, the Big Freeze of 1918-19 and the completion of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, among many others. 
After centuries of floods, construction on the Mississippi Flood wall began in 1956 to protect the city from the waters that periodically ravaged the town. The massive flood-control project was completed eight years later in 1964 at a cost of more than $4 million. The system of earthen levees and concrete walls parallels the River for 7,210 feet, approx 1.3 miles and rises as high as 16 feet. It includes two pumping stations, five gates and six drainage structures.

One of the flood gates

On our return to the park, Joan & I played 18 holes of golf (mini), which provided plenty of laughs!  

During our Happy Hour with Gus, Joan, Terry & Sharon, one of our fellow travellers, Chris joined us. His home is in Panama City, which was decimated by Hurricane Michael. His home sustained a lot of damage, but he is staying with the trip for now as he cannot return home for at least a week.

At 5:00 we had our Drivers meeting followed by a wonderful Pot Luck to end the day.

Day 19, Tuesday, October 9, Moving on to Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Sunny and 23.1C (73.5F) to start the day as we packed up.

At 9:48am, we pulled out as the temperature hit 82F. Two minutes later, we crossed the Missouri River and got on the I-270 towards Memphis.

Travelling with Terry & Sharon and Gus & Joan, we stopped at Walmart in Festus at 11:00.

Arrived at Cape Camping RV Park in Cape Girardeau at 2:20pm and got settled.

The Wagonmasters told us about an interesting restaurant, Lambert's Cafe, home of the 'Throwed Rolls'. Off we went at 4:30 with Gus & Joan.
The chain was founded in 1942 and is known for throwing hot rolls to customers. It all started in 1981 when it was too crowded one day for the server to serve the rolls to a customer. Somebody yelled "Throw em" , so he threw them. Th rolls are fresh, right out of the oven. It was entertaining watching the rolls being tossed across the room!
They provide “pass arounds” at no charge to those ordering from the menu. These “extras” are brought to you by servers carrying pots or other containers of fried okra, fried potatoes, macaroni and tomatoes, black eyed peas, and sorghum and honey.
Definitely a fun place to eat! 

Day 18, Monday, Oct 8, Free Day, Sundermeier RV Park, St. Charles, Missouri

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada! Beautiful sunny morning, 21C.
What to do, what to do?
Oh, there is St. Louis Premium Outlet Mall nearby. Gus chauffeured Joan, Sharon & myself to the mall where we systematically covered the whole place. The only bargains to be had were at the Clark's Shoe store.

After that exhausting shopping spree, we were hungry, so went to Culver's for lunch.

There happened to be an Aldi's store across the road, so that was our next stop before heading back to the park. It was a hot, humid day with the temperature reaching 30C.

Once again, our Wagonmasters & Tailgunners prepared a "campground cookout" for us for dinner. Today's was Chicken Quesadillas with all the trimmings: tortillas, shredded chicken, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa. Very delicious and filling!

By 10:00pm, it had cooled down to 23.5C

Day 17, Sunday, Oct 7, St Louis, Missouri

We boarded the bus on a foggy, 24.4C (69F) morning. Today we are going to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, which were founded in 1859 and encompass 79 acres.  It includes a 14-acre (5.7 ha) Japanese garden, the Climatron geodesic dome conservatory; a children's garden, including a pioneer village; a playground; a fountain area and a water locking system, somewhat similar to the locking system at the Panama Canal. 
 










The first thing we saw when we entered the Linnean House, a greenhouse which was built in 1882, was the "Corpse Flower". It had just bloomed a couple of days ago, but there was no longer any putrid smell! It can go for years without flowering and when it does, only stays open for a day or two.  It is best known for making a big stink.

The Climatron is a greenhouse enclosed in a geodesic dome initiated by then Garden director Frits W. Went, the dome is the world's first completely air-conditioned greenhouse and the first geodesic dome to be enclosed in rigid Plexiglass (Perspex) panels.






The Japanese Gardens were beautiful with very interesting plants & flowers, and a small lake with a fountain. 

We also visited the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum, which was constructed between 1859 and 1850. It is one of only five original structures at the Garden built by Henry Shaw.Made of Missouri Limestone, and locally made bricks,  many of the original features remain, including tile floors, built in bookcases and woodwork. The original ceiling mural painted by Leon Pomerade, restored in 1930, has been recreated to incorporate identifiable plants, many of which are found in the garden.

This place mat indicates what is painted on the ceiling and the other side explains what the plants are - fascinating!

After touring as much of the gardens as we had time for, we stopped at the "Best of Missouri" Market for lunch and enjoyed brisket on a bun.

Then it was back on the bus and off to Anheuser-Busch brewery for a tour. The brewery is huge and opened in 1852. Nestled in the historic Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, our largest and oldest brewery site was selected based on its access to the Mississippi River, the large presence of German immigrants in the 1800’s, and the natural cave formations that were used to store beer prior to artificial refrigeration.
On the tour, we stopped at the stables where the Clydesdale horses are housed.
The Budweiser Clydesdales are a group of Clydesdale horses used for promotions and commercials by the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company. There are several "hitches" or teams of horses,^[1] that travel around the United States and others that remain in their official homes at the company headquarters at the Anheuser-Busch brewery complex in St. Louis, Missouri. At St. Louis, they are housed in a historic brick and stained-glass stable built in 1885. There are eight horses driven at any one time, but ten horses are on each team to provide alternates for the hitch when needed. Assorted Clydesdales are also used as animal actors in television commercials for Budweiser beer, particularly in Super Bowl ads.

Of course, there was the sampling of Bud Light included. Marcel was happy since he had two samples!




There was another sample then a bottle as a gift after the tour. 

Then it was back on the bus and off to church! We visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

The Cathedral was completed in 1914 and was designated a Basilica by Pope Jean Paul !! in 1997. The church is known for its large mosaic collection, which is one of the largest in the western hemisphere. Completed in 1988, the mosaics collectively contain 41.5 million glass tesseraepieces in more than 7,000 colors. Covering 83,000 square feet (7,700 m²), it is the largest mosaic collection in the world outside Russia. Incredible! 
More detail at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saint_Louis_(St._Louis)

On the way back to the campground, the skies became ominously dark, with lightening. When we got off the bus at 4:00, there were a few raindrops as we returned to our trailer. Moments after getting inside the skies opened and a thunderstorm arrived!
By 6:00 the rain subsided and we settled in for the evening.