Greg makes friends at the Lodge Factory Store in South Pittsburg (no H), Tennessee. We bought fun assorted cast iron items: a present for Michael, a wee pot for warming, a small pan with a lid, and nifty scrubbers. Shopping can be fun, y’all.
Rockets in Huntsville, Alabama! We were just passing through but will definitely include space travel adjacent activities on a future excursion.
One of those “if you know you know” situations in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, but even if you don’t, I’ll tell you! Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is world famous for the likes of Cher, Boz Skaggs, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Canned Heat, Bob Seger, Cat Stevens, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, George Michael, and the Black Keys, to name a few.
Muscle Shoals is also the birthplace of Helen Keller, which is a fascinating juxtaposition of sound and message.
Are we there, yet?
Memphis!! You know why.
Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Chris Isaak, Conway Twitty, Howlin’ Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Buffet, Melissa Etheridge, Merle Haggard, Roy Orbison, and many more…
A. Schwab, since 1876, though it moved around a little on Beale Street, retains the vintage charm. We bought taffy (banana and walnut) and a t-shirt.
Seen while waiting…
Unlike Broadway in Nashville, Beale Street, at least near lunch time, was downright sleepy: no music pumping, no crowds thumping. Since we are mostly daytime people, we didn’t return to hear any after dark blues. But goll-ee, is their neon fantastic!
W.C. Handy – the Father of the Blues and quite the snappy dresser.
Gardenia in bloom on the street, like it ain’t no thang! I caught the scent from a block away. Heaven.
Heartbreak of heartbreaks at the Lorraine Motel, which is now part of the National Civil Rights Museum. This is where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 while staying in room 306. It is still such a stunning loss.
Dr. King was in Memphis to support the Sanitation Strike, which the I AM A MAN Plaza honors.
Walking in front of this building with Juniper, a man hollered at us from across the street. “I had a dog like that! She was so good!” Ours is, too.
E L V I S ! !
Another of my must do in the South eating experiences – fried green tomato! It was even better than it looks.
We stayed a few blocks from Overton Park and this most fabulous mural.