November 12, 2010
I am really falling behind in posting this so I will condense it. Ran into sunshine somewhere between New York and Tennessee and spent more time outside.
We took the ferry from Digby NS to Saint John NB. And of course brought the rain with us, crossed the border at St.Stephen/Calais (St Stephen is the home of Gagnon Chocolates, but I resisted) Border crossing was fairly painless, they asked a lot of questions about why a Canuck was travelling with a Yank, and then after a stern warning, that I was only allowed to stay 6 months, took our tomatoes and let us go.
Fairly uneventful trip across Maine and New Hampshire (most of the leaves had been blown off the trees by Igor and Earl I guess) We stopped in Albany for a few days visiting with Jerry’s friends Charlie and Mary. They are great tour guides and had a list of things for us to do and even found a friend of theirs that was willing to let us park at his home for a few days. Thanks so much guys, we would have missed a lot if Charlie hadn’t done his homework first.
Then on to Virginia, where we met up with a cousin of Jerry’s that he hadn’t seen in 55 years. She did mention that he had changed some. Nice meeting you Leola and hope the next visit is sooner.
From Virginia it was on to Tennessee. Stayed three days at Raccoon Valley in Knoxville, First time we had nice warm weather in more than a month. Did not go to Dollywood...... but we did manage some geocaching. It was fun walking around tho, and listening to the music. At the visitors centre we were entertained by Claire Lynch in the afternoon and the lead singer from HackandSaw in the evening.
From Knoxville we went to Nashville, and of course had to visit the Grand Ol Opry House. The area was somewhat deserted, since the cleanup from the floods in May was still going on. Downtown Knoxville was busy as the Country Music Awards were only a couple days away and Tootsies was having a 50th birthday party at the Rhyman Theatre. Kris Kristopherson, Mel Tillis, Little Jimmy Dickens and Terry Clark were in town. It was fun walking around tho, and listening to the music.
Then on to Memphis....Spent the first day seeing the Rock and Soul Museum and wandering up and down Beale Street. The blues, soul and ruck culture is just steeped into all the buildings and clubs and you almost felt that BB King or Elvis could come strolling out of any door. Had to call my son from the Blues City Cafe in the middle of a Jerry Lee Lewis set (he didn’t sound suitably impressed,) Thought I raised him better than that. My grandson Cooter would have loved the place.
Next day we did a bus tour, around the city of Memphis, visited the spot where Martin Luther King was shot as well as other notable sites.
Had a catfish, turnip greens and hush puppy dinner in Tunica Mississippi at the Blue and White cafe. We wandered through the museum in Tunica. Very interestin g displays and free.
Then on to Oklahoma City. Guess you noticed we just breezed through Arkansas. Had dinner last night with an old friend of Jerry’s and her family. Very good meal and conversation. We have to get some repairs done on the bus, so stayed the night in the Freightliner yard.
The rain has caught up with us again. So after we are finished here it will be on to Texas. I think we are both ready to sit still for awhile and Yuma beckons.
