More of Memphis

We explored a little more of Memphis today but my opinion hasn't changed. Yesterday, we purchased 'Hop On - Hop off' Bus tickets for the exorbitant price of $22. This morning we walked down to the city's Welcome Place where the bus is supposed to pick up every hour. Well 10 o'clock came and went, without a bus. After 20 minutes, Kathy went in to see the 'Welcome' people who phoned the bus company. They promised to send a bus which eventually arrived another 20 minutes later.

First stop for us this morning was Sun Studio where a lot of Rock Stars recorded their songs, including Elvis, Johnny Cash and many more.

The front Room of Sun Studio

Sun Studio was opened in 1950 by rock pioneer Sam Philips. During the next few years, he recorded many artists such as Rocket 88, Howlin' Wolf, BB King, James Cotton Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Radio WDIA in Memphis was one of the first stations to play Sam's recording. When the building of the radio station was being demolished, Sun Studio went in and salvaged the radio studio which is now proudly displayed in Sun Studio.

The studio of Radio WDIA

The microphone which recorded all the greats including Elvis and Roy Otbison

We then took the bus to the National Civil Rights Museum. It's situated on the site of the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was murdered. I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing about how the whites treated the slaves and after slavery was abolished, the African Americans. It was plainly inhumane. 

It then explained the struggle they had to be able to get educated and later get the vote. Unbelievable.

The Lorraine Motel. The wreath shows where Martin Luther King was murdered

The Lorraine Motel, now site of the Civil Rights Museum

It was getting past lunch time so we decided to dodge the beggars in Beale Street and check out one of their restaurants. I had a burger with a dark Irish beer and it was wonderful.

My lunch

Lunch at Silky's to the sounds of a live blues band

After lunch we rocked up again at the Hop On Hop Off bus stop where we were let down once again. We waited twenty minutes for the bus but it never turned up. It was starting to rain,so we walked up the street and took a city bus for a dollar.

Tomorrow we're boarding the American Queen for New Orleans.

Graceland Memphis

Not impressed with Memphis at all, it's pretty grotty. I actually call it Beggarsville. Every few metres along any street you are accosted by someone being very friendly, then asking for money. Beale Street which is the live music street is also packed with beggars.

The temperature has lifted and it was quite warm, as we made our way to Elvis Presley's home, Graceland. It's basically a Theme Park dedicated to the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Amazing how much money he had even from an early age. He bought Graceland when he was 22 in 1977, for the sum of $100,000. Today the entire money-making machine is owned by Lisa-Marie, his only child and a singer in her own right.

Graceland, the Main Building

One of the living Rooms

The stairs leading to the Basement Media Room

Elvis liked to watch several Channels simultaneously

One of the Trophy Rooms

Even the Racket Ball Room has been converted into a Trophy Room

In 1977, Elvis was playing with friends in the above Racket Ball Room, when he told friends he is going for a lie down. That's where he suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of 42.

Elvis is buried next to his mother and father in the grounds of Graceland

You soon see how much money he had. There are two Rolls Royce motor cars in his collection besides numerous other cars including Cadillacs and Jeeps and even a John Deere Tractor is in his collection.

But the most famous car in his collection is his pink Cadillac which he gave to his mother, because she favoured it.

We had a bite to eat in the Diner in a typical 50s booth.

Rob, Kathy, The Blogger and Moi.

One of his guitars

You can see how much money Elvis had, not only by the number of cars and the opulence in the house, but on the backlot are a couple of airplanes. The larger one is a Convair Delta 880 jet liner. Elvis had the interior converted into a dining room, lounge room and bedroom.

Convair Delta 880 'Lisa Marie'

Lockheed Jetstar

Both airplanes are for sale as Graceland is planning major renovations. Neither of the planes are servicable.

Memphis TN

We left Gatlinburg this morning at 7.30 AM where it was -12 Deg C. and still dark. It took 8 hours to get to Memphis where the temperature is 12 Deg C, basically a heatwave for us. We haven't experienced above freezing temperatures for nearly a week.

We have a few days in Memphis before we board the American Queen. We're staying at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown.

Tomorrow we'll go exploring.

We're driving to Memphis

After a few days in the wonderful Smoky Mountains, we're driving down to Memphis.

It's a long day on the road...

Cades Cove TN

Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Smoky Mountains National Park, the place we went to spend the day. In early days, Cades Cove was settled by the Cherokee Indians. In 1818, the cove was then settled by European settlers such as John Oliver and his wife Lucretia Frazier and others. By 1820, the population of Cades Cove grew to 671 with the size of cove farms averaging between 150 and 300 acres.

Today, Cades Cove belongs to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where a ring road leads   through the cove. Visitors can enjoy the many buildings left by the early settlers.

There is lots of wildlife, including bears and deer. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), we didn't see any bears, but the ranger at the visitor's centre assured us there are about 1,500 bears living in Cades Cove and the numbers are increasing.

The temperature all day today was hovering around the 0 Deg C mark.

My daughter Carol has requested a map of the area, so here are a couple.

This map shows part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Anyone interested, Dollywood (Dolly Parton's Theme Park) is about 20 minutes away from Gatlinburg. We didn't go there.

This map shows where Gatlinburg is in relation to the park

 Now let's have a look at some pictures I took today on the drive through Cades Cove.

A typical settler's home

The Oliver Family hut

Kathy and the Blogger imagine keeping warm in one of these houses

About half way along the loop is the Cades Cove Information Centre where they sell books, CDs and DVD's as well as souvenirs of the place.

Information Centre

Another Mill in another Woods

Another settler's hut

Finally we spotted some deer in the woods

 The early settlers in Cades Cove were very god fearing folk, both Baptists and Methodists. At one stage both lots started disagreeing with each other and both the Baptists and the Methodists split and started individual churches, so now there were two lots of Baptists and two lots of Methodists.

Primitive Baptists Church, one of the two split churches

Rob took the opportunity to preach fire and brimstone to us

A few more deer crossed our paths

Another settler's hut

And a storage hut

Tomorrow is our last day here in the Smoky Mountains. The temperature forecast for tomorrow is -2 Deg C top, -11 Deg C during the night.. Too cold for us to go outside. We're having a lay day in this fabulous B&B in Gatlinburg.

The day after, we have a long drive to Memphis TN.

A Mill In the Woods

After a fabulous breakfast in our B&B, this morning we went to explore the Newfound Gap Road through the centre of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was a chilly morning about 5 Deg. C. The drive though the forest was spectacular with lots of pull-out to admire the views.

Laurel Springs B&B where we're staying B&B 

The Blogger admires the view

The Chimneys Range

Ice on the side of the road gives you an idea of the temperature

Then there was this white stuff everywhere

The Blogger looks cold

When we saw a sign on the road 'Mingus Mill This Way' we had to stop and go investigating.  After a short walk we came to this interesting working mill.

The Mill in the Woods

I had a chat with the miller, a very interesting man with a very heavy southern drawl. When I asked him if he was born in Tennessee, he drawled, No sirrr, I was born raaght here in North Carolina. Wow, I didn't even realise we had crossed the state border.

The mill was grinding cornmeal

A little further up the road, back in Tennessee, it started to rain, which really made the Smoky Mountains live up to their name.

The 'smoky' Smoky Mountains

After a stop for coffee and cake in Cherokee country, we started heading home to Gatlinburg again. But once again turned off the road for a walk, this time in the rain, to Cataract Falls.

The Blogger at Cataract Falls in Tennessee

Laurel Springs Lodge, Gatlinburg

We're staying in a wonderful B&B in Gatlinburg.  The brochure said: Gatlinburg was a sleepy, peaceful mountain village. The guests woke in the morning rested and relaxed. They enjoyed the sound of the river rushing out of the smoky mountains and savored the smell of biscuits baking and fresh coffee brewing.  There was excitement in the air as guests prepared to explore the mountains above Gatlinburg.  Talk was about the mountains becoming the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. These sights, sounds, and excitement have not changed in 80 years. They are still being experienced today!  The Lodge was known as Miss McCauley's boarding house for many of its early years. Miss McCauley was a music teacher in Knoxville.  She hosted hundreds of guests and often had school children "camping" on her screened porch, enjoying all the excitement the smoky mountains had to offer. 

The Laurel Springs LOdge at Gatlinburg

So now let's go and explore the Smoky Mountains.....