We had already had a long day of travelling before we even got on the plane to Atlanta. We dragged our luggage to the local bus and into the train station at Solihull to catch a train to Reading. Then a coach got us to our terminal at Heathrow Airport.
Great Rail Journeys welcome us and deal with checking in for us; which is fantastic. My seat is an aisle at the back of the plane and Alan's seat is at the front of economy class. Our GRJ group have been put into alphabetical order and our names are different so we are not together. It appears this has happened to quite a few of us, so the tour manager swoops us round trying to put us together. Finally, we get aisle seats one behind the other.
I find it hard to sleep on a plane and only cat-nap while watching films. Going out I watched The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Age of Adaline and Woman in Gold.
Wednesday, 14 October 2015
Atlanta 9.10.15
Today we go to see Margaret Mitchell's house, where she wrote 'Gone with the Wind'. I have looked forward to this all though the holiday. I imagine she lives in a fairly large house in the country. Not quite as grand as Tara perhaps but a nice pile nevertheless.
First we tour Atlanta on the coach. Shaw House is a large grand house in the country; but it is not Margaret's. It is a 1928 copy of a Georgian Manor built by a Cotton Merchant. Inside 'servants' show us the house as it would have been. A butler greets us at the door and a maid dusts the drawing room. The 'lady of the house' plays the piano in the morning room and 'permanent house guest/architect' shows us his basement flat with his fabulous collection of pottery. The site has a small working farm, a gift shop, restaurant and a museum with a Cocoa Cola bar (a cafe with Coke not tea and coffee). Cocoa Cola's global organisation is based in Atlanta.
Finally, we see Margaret Mitchell's house. The house is not as grand as I thought it would be, but it was large; I really should have googled it. As we entered - her accommodation was labelled Appartment 1. It was only then that I realised it was not her house. Margaret Mitchell Marsh and her husband rented the ground floor flat. The whole house with a considerable extention on the back and a separate movie building in the side garden was now a museum devoted to Margaret Mitchell and her book. Although I was disappointed I still enjoyed the house and my time in it.
Margaret Mitchell wrote lots of short stories and plays in her youth some of which were published. 1926, when she was in her mid-twenties, living with her husband in the small apartment, she broke her ankle and had to rest at home for months. She was bored and decided to do a project and wrote a few chapters of a massive book. Over the next 3 years she wrote most of the book and spent until 1935 re-reading and editing it. The project was never intended to be published or even read by anyone else in its entirety. She did tell friends that she was writing a book. One of these friends, Louise, told a publisher friend of hers at Macmillan, who came to see Margaret. Margaret denied there was a book and sent him away, fortunately she changed her mind and took the manuscript to his hotel just as he was leaving Atlanta. The manuscript is so big he has to purchase a new case to carry it. He read a few chapters on the train and decided to send it back to his publishing house to a reader. He was not due back for a while and it would be read while he was on the road. The reader confirmed it was good enough to publish and after many edits it was out by June 1936. 1 million copies were purchased within 3 months of publication and by 1965 it followed the bible, being the second most purchased book in the world. Margaret received 500 dollars advance and the family still receive 10% of sales. The film followed the book closely but some characters and stories were left out as it was too long. Margaret was happy with the film.
First we tour Atlanta on the coach. Shaw House is a large grand house in the country; but it is not Margaret's. It is a 1928 copy of a Georgian Manor built by a Cotton Merchant. Inside 'servants' show us the house as it would have been. A butler greets us at the door and a maid dusts the drawing room. The 'lady of the house' plays the piano in the morning room and 'permanent house guest/architect' shows us his basement flat with his fabulous collection of pottery. The site has a small working farm, a gift shop, restaurant and a museum with a Cocoa Cola bar (a cafe with Coke not tea and coffee). Cocoa Cola's global organisation is based in Atlanta.
Finally, we see Margaret Mitchell's house. The house is not as grand as I thought it would be, but it was large; I really should have googled it. As we entered - her accommodation was labelled Appartment 1. It was only then that I realised it was not her house. Margaret Mitchell Marsh and her husband rented the ground floor flat. The whole house with a considerable extention on the back and a separate movie building in the side garden was now a museum devoted to Margaret Mitchell and her book. Although I was disappointed I still enjoyed the house and my time in it.
Margaret Mitchell wrote lots of short stories and plays in her youth some of which were published. 1926, when she was in her mid-twenties, living with her husband in the small apartment, she broke her ankle and had to rest at home for months. She was bored and decided to do a project and wrote a few chapters of a massive book. Over the next 3 years she wrote most of the book and spent until 1935 re-reading and editing it. The project was never intended to be published or even read by anyone else in its entirety. She did tell friends that she was writing a book. One of these friends, Louise, told a publisher friend of hers at Macmillan, who came to see Margaret. Margaret denied there was a book and sent him away, fortunately she changed her mind and took the manuscript to his hotel just as he was leaving Atlanta. The manuscript is so big he has to purchase a new case to carry it. He read a few chapters on the train and decided to send it back to his publishing house to a reader. He was not due back for a while and it would be read while he was on the road. The reader confirmed it was good enough to publish and after many edits it was out by June 1936. 1 million copies were purchased within 3 months of publication and by 1965 it followed the bible, being the second most purchased book in the world. Margaret received 500 dollars advance and the family still receive 10% of sales. The film followed the book closely but some characters and stories were left out as it was too long. Margaret was happy with the film.
Saturday, 10 October 2015
Going Home
Soon we will be off to catch the plane home. Most people are looking forward to going home now. It has been a hectic holiday of packing and unpacking, trips round cities on the route, finding places to entertain ourselves and of course seeking out restaurants.
As I said before I can't sleep properly on a plane so I watch films. On the way back I watched, A Night Out - which is very good, about what happened on VE Day when Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret leave the palace. Also watched Amy, about Amy Winehouse and finally 45 years with Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtney. I was still waiting for that film to start when the cast rolled up.
As I said before I can't sleep properly on a plane so I watch films. On the way back I watched, A Night Out - which is very good, about what happened on VE Day when Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret leave the palace. Also watched Amy, about Amy Winehouse and finally 45 years with Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtney. I was still waiting for that film to start when the cast rolled up.
Tupelo - Elvis's Birthplace 2.10.15
Afternoon 2nd October
Following our splendid lunch at Casey's, we all got back on the coach to head for Tupelo - Elvis's birthplace. Tupelo did not disappoint. We saw Elvis's two roomed (shotgun, as we were to learn later) house that his father and uncles built before he was born. Vernon Priestley borrowed 180 dollars from his employer and bought the wood to built the house on his employer's farmland. Unfortunately, Vernon was having difficulty repaying his employer by the time Elvis was born and toddling about and he got himself into a little trouble. Vernon raised a pig and sold it for 4 dollars but, as the buyer had negotiated down Vernon thought that too cheap; so he made the mistake of changing the cheque from 4 to 14 dollars. This was fraud and Vernon went to jail. He only served 8 months of his 2 year sentence because people spoke up for him, still during the 8 months he lost his job and his home. The family had to move in with relatives until he managed to get other accommodation.
Elvis's mother, Gladys always watched over Elvis hoping to keep him safe. She had lost his twin in childbirth and always blamed herself and did not want to lose Elvis.
The site also included a museum with lots of Elvis momentos, a restaurant where they do marriages and the Church where Elvis attended and first sang. A few years after he became famous Elvis heard that his old house and some land around it were for sale. He arranged for Tupelo to buy the property and he contributed his earnings from two Tupelo Dairy Fairs towards it's upkeep as a museum. He once sang at a Tupelo Dairy Fair in his early days, so they were pleased to get him back as a star.
The coach travelled on to Memphis and an orientation tour passed Beale Street, which is where it all happens apparently. Later in the evening Alan and I walked down Beale Street and shared a plate of ribs, chips and coleslaw with a live band playing in the background. A great place which my hairdresser recommended. Although I don't like crowds, particularly at night and drinking, Beale Street was closed to traffic on Friday and Saturday nights and police cars were parked at each junction; which had the effect of making the street feel safe.
No train schedule suitable for this segment of the journey. Amtrak only run one service on each track per day.
Following our splendid lunch at Casey's, we all got back on the coach to head for Tupelo - Elvis's birthplace. Tupelo did not disappoint. We saw Elvis's two roomed (shotgun, as we were to learn later) house that his father and uncles built before he was born. Vernon Priestley borrowed 180 dollars from his employer and bought the wood to built the house on his employer's farmland. Unfortunately, Vernon was having difficulty repaying his employer by the time Elvis was born and toddling about and he got himself into a little trouble. Vernon raised a pig and sold it for 4 dollars but, as the buyer had negotiated down Vernon thought that too cheap; so he made the mistake of changing the cheque from 4 to 14 dollars. This was fraud and Vernon went to jail. He only served 8 months of his 2 year sentence because people spoke up for him, still during the 8 months he lost his job and his home. The family had to move in with relatives until he managed to get other accommodation.
Elvis's mother, Gladys always watched over Elvis hoping to keep him safe. She had lost his twin in childbirth and always blamed herself and did not want to lose Elvis.
The site also included a museum with lots of Elvis momentos, a restaurant where they do marriages and the Church where Elvis attended and first sang. A few years after he became famous Elvis heard that his old house and some land around it were for sale. He arranged for Tupelo to buy the property and he contributed his earnings from two Tupelo Dairy Fairs towards it's upkeep as a museum. He once sang at a Tupelo Dairy Fair in his early days, so they were pleased to get him back as a star.
The coach travelled on to Memphis and an orientation tour passed Beale Street, which is where it all happens apparently. Later in the evening Alan and I walked down Beale Street and shared a plate of ribs, chips and coleslaw with a live band playing in the background. A great place which my hairdresser recommended. Although I don't like crowds, particularly at night and drinking, Beale Street was closed to traffic on Friday and Saturday nights and police cars were parked at each junction; which had the effect of making the street feel safe.
No train schedule suitable for this segment of the journey. Amtrak only run one service on each track per day.
Last day Saturday 10th October 2015
Saturday 10th October
Last day today. We are having our final complimentary breakfast at Omni Hotel Resort, Atlanta. We were lucky enough to get a complimentary breakfast for both mornings of our stay here because we had to swop hotels. We should have stayed at the Marriott in Atlanta but they were having a refurb so Great Rail Journey arranged a sudden swop to the Omni. It is better apparently and we get free WIFI and breakfast, so we forgive them. We are definitely on a winner because the buffet breakfast here costs 26 dollars and has everything; cereals, pancakes, full English, loads of fruit, grits (yuk), porridge (no thanks, not the thick grey slop of America) rest is good though. A saving of 102 dollars; I do like a bargain!
Yesterday (Friday 9th October) we went on the great big wheel they have here in Atlanta. I was terrified and held on for grime death. I was ok when I could see the structure besides us, but as you go up high over the top you lose that inner view and appear to be swinging in the air with no visible means of support. Alan was too busy taking photos of the view to be scared. At one stage he moved to get a different view and I screamed, at that point I could easily have dropped to the floor of the car, as a way of feeling safe. Each time we passed the start I pleaded to be let off. The car in front of us had a small boy in it, with his father, the boy was in floods of tears which did not stop until he got off; his Dad was trying to distract him, pointing to the park and skyscraper views but the boy was having none of it. I identified, felt the same and was relieved to get off. Thank goodness they take the photo first.
We have a few hours to kill before our 6pm coach to the airport for our 10 pm flight from Atlanta. We decided to visit Underground Atlanta, which we rath assumed was an actual Underground. It wasn't!
It was a place under Carter Street overpass. There were some permanent shops but a lot were in the form of stalls similar to our Birmingham markets back home.
Later I persuaded Alan to go on the CNN tour (Cable News Network). Their global organisation is run from CNN building in Atlanta. Luckily, it just happens be in the same complex as our Hotel Omni. The tour was quite informative. Explaining about auto-cue and green screen; we had heard of these things but it was well illustrated.
First, you ride on the longest escalator ever into a large globe of the world, where they take a photo of you sitting at a desk 'reading' the news. We did not do that as we have had several professional photos on the trip. We were taken into a news room and they explain how broadcaster sees lots of screens and choose which goes live. When 'live' appears above CNN on screen it is live. Next a volunteer does a news item, reading the auto-cue; she was very good. Then another volunteer stands in front of the Green Screen and we see a map of the world's weather appear behind her. She also holds a green cape and illustrates how Harry Potter's cloak of invisibility works. Eventually, we come back down to the ground floor and are deposited in the enevitable gift shop.
When we were getting a Pizza snack we met up with Sue and Brian again. Before long it was time to go to the Motor Lobby for our cases and the airport coach.
Last day today. We are having our final complimentary breakfast at Omni Hotel Resort, Atlanta. We were lucky enough to get a complimentary breakfast for both mornings of our stay here because we had to swop hotels. We should have stayed at the Marriott in Atlanta but they were having a refurb so Great Rail Journey arranged a sudden swop to the Omni. It is better apparently and we get free WIFI and breakfast, so we forgive them. We are definitely on a winner because the buffet breakfast here costs 26 dollars and has everything; cereals, pancakes, full English, loads of fruit, grits (yuk), porridge (no thanks, not the thick grey slop of America) rest is good though. A saving of 102 dollars; I do like a bargain!
Yesterday (Friday 9th October) we went on the great big wheel they have here in Atlanta. I was terrified and held on for grime death. I was ok when I could see the structure besides us, but as you go up high over the top you lose that inner view and appear to be swinging in the air with no visible means of support. Alan was too busy taking photos of the view to be scared. At one stage he moved to get a different view and I screamed, at that point I could easily have dropped to the floor of the car, as a way of feeling safe. Each time we passed the start I pleaded to be let off. The car in front of us had a small boy in it, with his father, the boy was in floods of tears which did not stop until he got off; his Dad was trying to distract him, pointing to the park and skyscraper views but the boy was having none of it. I identified, felt the same and was relieved to get off. Thank goodness they take the photo first.
We have a few hours to kill before our 6pm coach to the airport for our 10 pm flight from Atlanta. We decided to visit Underground Atlanta, which we rath assumed was an actual Underground. It wasn't!
It was a place under Carter Street overpass. There were some permanent shops but a lot were in the form of stalls similar to our Birmingham markets back home.
Later I persuaded Alan to go on the CNN tour (Cable News Network). Their global organisation is run from CNN building in Atlanta. Luckily, it just happens be in the same complex as our Hotel Omni. The tour was quite informative. Explaining about auto-cue and green screen; we had heard of these things but it was well illustrated.
First, you ride on the longest escalator ever into a large globe of the world, where they take a photo of you sitting at a desk 'reading' the news. We did not do that as we have had several professional photos on the trip. We were taken into a news room and they explain how broadcaster sees lots of screens and choose which goes live. When 'live' appears above CNN on screen it is live. Next a volunteer does a news item, reading the auto-cue; she was very good. Then another volunteer stands in front of the Green Screen and we see a map of the world's weather appear behind her. She also holds a green cape and illustrates how Harry Potter's cloak of invisibility works. Eventually, we come back down to the ground floor and are deposited in the enevitable gift shop.
When we were getting a Pizza snack we met up with Sue and Brian again. Before long it was time to go to the Motor Lobby for our cases and the airport coach.
Thursday, 8 October 2015
Marching Bands have been sighted!
The highlight of New Orleans for me (Jean) was seeing a marching band on Bourbon Street. We enjoyed the music scene. Derek and I came for the music and we haven't been disappointed. A really great group of fellow travellers.
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
Another perspective on the National Civil Rights Museum
The most important place we wanted to visit on our free day in Memphis was The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel - the site of the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr on 4 April 1968. (Says Sue and Brian)
We took the replacement trolley shuttle bus down there & came across a lady who said she was the last person to be evicted from the Lorraine Hotel. This was because the State was going to turn the building into the museum.
Standing in line for the security check & tickets we discussed how familiar the scene looked as we have seen these images so many times since that tragic day. This really is history in our life time.
You start with an art gallery then into a 12 minute film about the Civil Rights movement. We were welcomed by a young guide singing a slave holler song. After the film it was a self guided tour with so much to see. The multiple galleries covered in great detail all aspects of civil rights over the centuries.
After going through the hotel rooms where Dr King was staying before he made his fateful appearance on to the balcony we then went across the road to the building & the reconstructed bathroom from which the shot was fired.
This is one of the best arranged museums we have experienced as each exhibit flows on to the next so it was just about impossible to miss anything.
We spent 3.5 hours there & we still had to rush towards the end as it was coming up to closing time.
(Written by Sue and Brian: Kiwi.Brit, other people on our Great Train Journey through the Southern States of America.)
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
National Civil Rights Museum
The Lorraine Motel Memphis - Now The National Civil Rights Museum
Martin Luther King visited the Lorraine Motel on his tour making Civil Rights speeches in 1968. He and his aids, including his brother, shared rooms 106 (aids) and 107 (MLK). It had been raining hard and he had not expected people to come out to the local church to hear him speak, so he sent an aid to check the audience out. The aid found a full house waiting to hear a speech and telephoned MLK at the Motel (this was way before mobiles) to say the place was packed and they were waiting for him. (This was way before mobiles). Martin Luther King decided to attend but he hadn't written a speech and had to 'speak from the heart' about the need for action if his vision was to be achieved. The place erupted into applause, as the film shows him moving off the Dias. They returned to the Motel, relaxed, satisfied with the speech and woke in good spirits the next morning. On 6th April 1968 as Martin Luther King was leaving his room, just passing the door of room 106, a shot rang out and Martin Luther King dropped to the floor. There is a photograph taken seconds after the assassination with him slumped on the floor and his aids pointing towards the direction of the shot. James Earle Ray had shot through a bathroom window opposite the Lorraine and made off in the confusion.He was later discovered in London and stood trial in Memphis. He died in prison.
All this is illustrated in the Museum and so much more. As you walk through it takes you through the origins of slavery, the impact on black culture and shows the ways it was perpetuated; such as not allowing slaves to be educated, intimidation and violence to hold them down and legislation to keep them in their place. It was an up hill struggle for equal rights and Martin Luther King was just one of the many who were stopped by violence.
Martin Luther King visited the Lorraine Motel on his tour making Civil Rights speeches in 1968. He and his aids, including his brother, shared rooms 106 (aids) and 107 (MLK). It had been raining hard and he had not expected people to come out to the local church to hear him speak, so he sent an aid to check the audience out. The aid found a full house waiting to hear a speech and telephoned MLK at the Motel (this was way before mobiles) to say the place was packed and they were waiting for him. (This was way before mobiles). Martin Luther King decided to attend but he hadn't written a speech and had to 'speak from the heart' about the need for action if his vision was to be achieved. The place erupted into applause, as the film shows him moving off the Dias. They returned to the Motel, relaxed, satisfied with the speech and woke in good spirits the next morning. On 6th April 1968 as Martin Luther King was leaving his room, just passing the door of room 106, a shot rang out and Martin Luther King dropped to the floor. There is a photograph taken seconds after the assassination with him slumped on the floor and his aids pointing towards the direction of the shot. James Earle Ray had shot through a bathroom window opposite the Lorraine and made off in the confusion.He was later discovered in London and stood trial in Memphis. He died in prison.
All this is illustrated in the Museum and so much more. As you walk through it takes you through the origins of slavery, the impact on black culture and shows the ways it was perpetuated; such as not allowing slaves to be educated, intimidation and violence to hold them down and legislation to keep them in their place. It was an up hill struggle for equal rights and Martin Luther King was just one of the many who were stopped by violence.
Memphis to New Orleans 5th October 2015
It felt like we had taken root in Memphis. We were at the Holiday Inn Downtown Memphis for 3 nights and even had a day off yesterday from the pre-arranged trips. Which means we were able to have a lie-in, a leisurely breakfast at the Peabody Hotel across the street, (See other page for the Ducks) and make our own way across town to The Civil Rights Museum at The Lorraine Motel; where Martin Luther King was assassinated. (See other page)
Today it was time to say goodbye and leave Memphis. Oh! We had a really early start. The cases had to be outside our room by 5.30 am and we had to be assembled and on the coach by 6 am. It was far too early for the Holiday Inn Downtown Memphis or anyone else to be serving us breakfast so we were all hoping the Amtrak train would have enough food on board. Meals are served on a first come first served basis so like the Aldi ad "Once it's gone it's gone."
The train left Memphis at 6.50 am and breakfast service starts at 7 am so it couldn't have worked out better for us. Our seats in the train coaches were roomy similar to first class seats on BA flights but in comparison the dining car was quite small and cramped. None of the food was prepared in the galley 'kitchen' meaning they were warmed up and served. The continental breakfast seemed the safest bet; not requiring cooking. However, Alan, bravely chose the omelette, which he said wasn't too bad considering.
The train bumps and grinds it way from Memphis Tennessee through the Mississippi State Line on to the State Capitalof Jackson through the Louisanna State Line onto New Orleans at a steady 50 mph. Each town we pass is steeped in Civil War history. General Sherman is thought to have used the burning of Jackson as a practise for the burning of Atlanta. Atlanta is where we go after our 3 night stay in New Orleans.
It felt like we had taken root in Memphis. We were at the Holiday Inn Downtown Memphis for 3 nights and even had a day off yesterday from the pre-arranged trips. Which means we were able to have a lie-in, a leisurely breakfast at the Peabody Hotel across the street, (See other page for the Ducks) and make our own way across town to The Civil Rights Museum at The Lorraine Motel; where Martin Luther King was assassinated. (See other page)
Today it was time to say goodbye and leave Memphis. Oh! We had a really early start. The cases had to be outside our room by 5.30 am and we had to be assembled and on the coach by 6 am. It was far too early for the Holiday Inn Downtown Memphis or anyone else to be serving us breakfast so we were all hoping the Amtrak train would have enough food on board. Meals are served on a first come first served basis so like the Aldi ad "Once it's gone it's gone."
The train left Memphis at 6.50 am and breakfast service starts at 7 am so it couldn't have worked out better for us. Our seats in the train coaches were roomy similar to first class seats on BA flights but in comparison the dining car was quite small and cramped. None of the food was prepared in the galley 'kitchen' meaning they were warmed up and served. The continental breakfast seemed the safest bet; not requiring cooking. However, Alan, bravely chose the omelette, which he said wasn't too bad considering.
The train bumps and grinds it way from Memphis Tennessee through the Mississippi State Line on to the State Capitalof Jackson through the Louisanna State Line onto New Orleans at a steady 50 mph. Each town we pass is steeped in Civil War history. General Sherman is thought to have used the burning of Jackson as a practise for the burning of Atlanta. Atlanta is where we go after our 3 night stay in New Orleans.
Graceland - Wow - 3.10.15
Memphis. - Holiday Inn, Union Street for 3 nights
Had a good night's rest and an adequate continental breakfast. Now we are off to Graceland to see Elvis's adult home.
I didn't know what to expect from Graceland. Seeing Elvis's car in the music museum yesterday sort of hinted it might be a bit over the top. It didn't disappoint. Graceland was totally over the top; with its Jungle room in particular. The tour does not allow you upstairs so ghouls will be upset not to see the bathroom where Elvis is said to have died. Elvis did not allow visitors upstairs to his private quarters so the family, who still own the house, have kept that tradition; which I think is quite nice. However, I think once the immediate family (Priscilla and Lisa Marie) relinquish the house that will change.
I bought the book about Priscilla and Elvis's life there and you can hear her voice as she describes how the rooms were used and the house, although over the top to me, fitted Elvis's lifestyle and catered for the continual aids/visitors who flooded in and out of the house each day. Elvis was never alone and rarely just with Priscilla. According to the book, which I was glad I read on the holiday, Elvis was a typical man of his age, with what we would think of as sexist views now, very demanding and Priscilla's mentor teaching her how to dress, make-up and be a woman. This is why her photos with big, 'up' hair do and black eye lined eyes taken round her wedding bears no resemblance to the post divorce and more recent photos of Priscilla.
The Graceland tour is really well organised. They provide an I-pad, earphones and a bus up to the house. There is no let up with the tours. They say you can go at your own pace, but the hordes are silently insistent and you cannot go back because the I-pad goes forward. You quickly find yourself outside walking towards Vernon's office, where he and his secretaries took care of all the bills and 3,000 items of fan mail per day. Then on to the paddock where they look after rescue horses now as the horses owned by Elvis and the family have passed on. Finally, there is the memorial gardens where Elvis and the families remains are buried. You are then at the rear gate and a shelter where you wait for the bus. No one is allowed to walk up to or back from the house; everyone has to use the bus provided.
The afternoon was spent visiting Sun Studio, where Elvis's early records where recorded and Stax Studio where Johnny Cash recorded and Elvis visited. There is one recording, never released at the time, where a few artists were caught jamming but as Elvis was amongst them it could not be used as they would not have permission from RCA.
Had a good night's rest and an adequate continental breakfast. Now we are off to Graceland to see Elvis's adult home.
I didn't know what to expect from Graceland. Seeing Elvis's car in the music museum yesterday sort of hinted it might be a bit over the top. It didn't disappoint. Graceland was totally over the top; with its Jungle room in particular. The tour does not allow you upstairs so ghouls will be upset not to see the bathroom where Elvis is said to have died. Elvis did not allow visitors upstairs to his private quarters so the family, who still own the house, have kept that tradition; which I think is quite nice. However, I think once the immediate family (Priscilla and Lisa Marie) relinquish the house that will change.
I bought the book about Priscilla and Elvis's life there and you can hear her voice as she describes how the rooms were used and the house, although over the top to me, fitted Elvis's lifestyle and catered for the continual aids/visitors who flooded in and out of the house each day. Elvis was never alone and rarely just with Priscilla. According to the book, which I was glad I read on the holiday, Elvis was a typical man of his age, with what we would think of as sexist views now, very demanding and Priscilla's mentor teaching her how to dress, make-up and be a woman. This is why her photos with big, 'up' hair do and black eye lined eyes taken round her wedding bears no resemblance to the post divorce and more recent photos of Priscilla.
The Graceland tour is really well organised. They provide an I-pad, earphones and a bus up to the house. There is no let up with the tours. They say you can go at your own pace, but the hordes are silently insistent and you cannot go back because the I-pad goes forward. You quickly find yourself outside walking towards Vernon's office, where he and his secretaries took care of all the bills and 3,000 items of fan mail per day. Then on to the paddock where they look after rescue horses now as the horses owned by Elvis and the family have passed on. Finally, there is the memorial gardens where Elvis and the families remains are buried. You are then at the rear gate and a shelter where you wait for the bus. No one is allowed to walk up to or back from the house; everyone has to use the bus provided.
The afternoon was spent visiting Sun Studio, where Elvis's early records where recorded and Stax Studio where Johnny Cash recorded and Elvis visited. There is one recording, never released at the time, where a few artists were caught jamming but as Elvis was amongst them it could not be used as they would not have permission from RCA.
The Peabody Ducks - so quaint
The Peabody Ducks
4th October 2015
The Peabody Hotel is a fine Memphis Family owned Hotel in Downtown Memphis; opposite the Holiday Inn where we stayed. A quaint 80 year old tradition of marching ducks exists and is a tremendous draw into the Hotel every morning and afternoon. The Hotel has 5 resident ducks on the top floor which are looked after by a farmer and at 10.30 am each morning people start to gather in the Hotel Lobby in preparation of the 11 am Peabody Duck March. The Duck Master, resplendently dressed in a fine red coat, holding a black walking cane with an ornamental gold top rolls out a red carpet from the lift through the lobby to the fountain and puts a red carpeted staircase against the indoor fountain for the ducks to walk along and climb into the fountain pool. He tells the story of how 5 ducks were found in the Hotel fountain one morning after a hunting party had returned with their live decoys the night before/early morning. Being slightly worse for drink but having no where to put the ducks they popped them into the fountain expecting it would be fun seeing the staff chase the ducks around in the morning. However the ducks had stayed in the fountain and it was decided to keep them. Next the Duck Master chooses an Assistant Duck Master from the assembled audience. Today it is a very excited and prettily dressed 6th Birthday girl who gets a framed certificate, a model duck and use of a small replica cane. Her job as Assistant is to join the Duck Master on the lift to fetch the 5 Peabody Ducks down from their night accommodations. A military march with brass instruments rings out as the lift, Master, Assistant and The Peabody Ducks arrive. As soon as the ducks hit the red carpet they make a dash for the fountain, rushing down the red carpet, some jump up the carpeted stairs and into the water; a couple escape and jump in via the marble fountain wall. The Duck Master waves his stick at them and shouts, "Up the stairs", the ducks ignore him and are already swimming together in the fountain. Having waited 45 minutes throughout the preparation and sat as we were told to, the whole Duck March took 15 seconds or so. The well behaved crowd then came forward to take photos of these lovely ducks, patiently waiting for us to go away so their day in the fountain could begin. At 5 pm every day the whole process is reversed and the ducks go back up to the top floor on the lift.
4th October 2015
The Peabody Hotel is a fine Memphis Family owned Hotel in Downtown Memphis; opposite the Holiday Inn where we stayed. A quaint 80 year old tradition of marching ducks exists and is a tremendous draw into the Hotel every morning and afternoon. The Hotel has 5 resident ducks on the top floor which are looked after by a farmer and at 10.30 am each morning people start to gather in the Hotel Lobby in preparation of the 11 am Peabody Duck March. The Duck Master, resplendently dressed in a fine red coat, holding a black walking cane with an ornamental gold top rolls out a red carpet from the lift through the lobby to the fountain and puts a red carpeted staircase against the indoor fountain for the ducks to walk along and climb into the fountain pool. He tells the story of how 5 ducks were found in the Hotel fountain one morning after a hunting party had returned with their live decoys the night before/early morning. Being slightly worse for drink but having no where to put the ducks they popped them into the fountain expecting it would be fun seeing the staff chase the ducks around in the morning. However the ducks had stayed in the fountain and it was decided to keep them. Next the Duck Master chooses an Assistant Duck Master from the assembled audience. Today it is a very excited and prettily dressed 6th Birthday girl who gets a framed certificate, a model duck and use of a small replica cane. Her job as Assistant is to join the Duck Master on the lift to fetch the 5 Peabody Ducks down from their night accommodations. A military march with brass instruments rings out as the lift, Master, Assistant and The Peabody Ducks arrive. As soon as the ducks hit the red carpet they make a dash for the fountain, rushing down the red carpet, some jump up the carpeted stairs and into the water; a couple escape and jump in via the marble fountain wall. The Duck Master waves his stick at them and shouts, "Up the stairs", the ducks ignore him and are already swimming together in the fountain. Having waited 45 minutes throughout the preparation and sat as we were told to, the whole Duck March took 15 seconds or so. The well behaved crowd then came forward to take photos of these lovely ducks, patiently waiting for us to go away so their day in the fountain could begin. At 5 pm every day the whole process is reversed and the ducks go back up to the top floor on the lift.
Monday, 5 October 2015
Incline Railway at Lookout Mountain - Chattanooga.
Incline Railway at Lookout Mountain
Still the 29th September and our second historic railroad visit takes us to the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway on a wet, overcast afternoon. For Europeans the standout virtue of this place is its beautiful poetic name, although a few travellers recall that hard-hitting tennis ace Rosco Tanner came from here. So it is a little mortifying to discover that a very significant landmark in mechanical engineering development is here in the form of this cable operated railway which dates from 1895. It is a serious bit of engineering too! Ascending the mountain which gives it its name via a ramp of varying slopes it follows a not-entirely straight course of about a mile which includes a section climbing at 72.7% that is claimed to be the steepest passenger railway incline anywhere. Presumably, what exactly constitutes a "railway" comes into this somewhere.
The line is set-up for tourists now, but you have to be impressed by it. There are two passenger cars which alternate up and down the hill and are linked by a continuous steel cable running on rollers. The passenger vehicles are like a conventional tram or street-car, but the centre aisle between the seats is like a stairway because the cars are always standing on a slope! The electric winding-motor at the top of the incline is just 250 horsepower which tells you how little effort is required to overcome friction and inertia in a smooth running rail based system where the gravity component of the force equations is balanced out by one car going uphill while the other is going down. The line uses ideas which were adopted in other incline railways around the world such as a "three rail" section on the upper part of the slope which cleverly avoids a moving point-switch where the line divides to permit descending and ascending cars to pass each-other. Incidentally, that electric motor which powers the whole thing now is bolted straight on to the cast-iron baseplate of the vertical steam engine which once did the duty.
The summit is near to a Civil War battle site, but time constraints and the all enveloping low cloud and rain filled mist which covered the mountain during our visit prevented us from seeing anything of it. Chattanooga could just be made-out through the haze however, and one could be sure that on clear days the summit would afford spectacular views. This railway is certainly well worth a visit for anyone with an interest in mechanisms and can be thoroughly recommended.
Everyone seemed to enjoy our ride on this bit of history, although the slightly hectic pace of our two railroad visits made us all feel quite relieved to board our bus for the short trip back to the hotel in Chattanooga.
Still the 29th September and our second historic railroad visit takes us to the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway on a wet, overcast afternoon. For Europeans the standout virtue of this place is its beautiful poetic name, although a few travellers recall that hard-hitting tennis ace Rosco Tanner came from here. So it is a little mortifying to discover that a very significant landmark in mechanical engineering development is here in the form of this cable operated railway which dates from 1895. It is a serious bit of engineering too! Ascending the mountain which gives it its name via a ramp of varying slopes it follows a not-entirely straight course of about a mile which includes a section climbing at 72.7% that is claimed to be the steepest passenger railway incline anywhere. Presumably, what exactly constitutes a "railway" comes into this somewhere.
The line is set-up for tourists now, but you have to be impressed by it. There are two passenger cars which alternate up and down the hill and are linked by a continuous steel cable running on rollers. The passenger vehicles are like a conventional tram or street-car, but the centre aisle between the seats is like a stairway because the cars are always standing on a slope! The electric winding-motor at the top of the incline is just 250 horsepower which tells you how little effort is required to overcome friction and inertia in a smooth running rail based system where the gravity component of the force equations is balanced out by one car going uphill while the other is going down. The line uses ideas which were adopted in other incline railways around the world such as a "three rail" section on the upper part of the slope which cleverly avoids a moving point-switch where the line divides to permit descending and ascending cars to pass each-other. Incidentally, that electric motor which powers the whole thing now is bolted straight on to the cast-iron baseplate of the vertical steam engine which once did the duty.
The summit is near to a Civil War battle site, but time constraints and the all enveloping low cloud and rain filled mist which covered the mountain during our visit prevented us from seeing anything of it. Chattanooga could just be made-out through the haze however, and one could be sure that on clear days the summit would afford spectacular views. This railway is certainly well worth a visit for anyone with an interest in mechanisms and can be thoroughly recommended.
Everyone seemed to enjoy our ride on this bit of history, although the slightly hectic pace of our two railroad visits made us all feel quite relieved to board our bus for the short trip back to the hotel in Chattanooga.
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Tennessee Valley Railway - Chattanooga
Tennessee Valley Railway
29th September and we are off to the Tennessee Valley Railroad for our first planned excursion. Chattanooga was once an important railroad junction and interchange point for river traffic which made the whole area a focus for the skirmishes which helped to decide the US Civil War, and this little preserved railway line climbs over the Missionary Ridge which featured in these exchanges. Railroads around here are perhaps an even more run-down shadow of their former glory than elsewhere in the USA, and little of the town's heavy industry remains for modern visitors to see, so there was something rather forlorn about this short line. It is not like the smart and really quite slick heritage railways we enjoy in Britain.
The railway's starting point is a time-capsule of a depot building; all polished wood and old typewriters, but the train is a bit of a let-down with a couple of old cars hauled by an old army diesel-electric engine. It is a sedate trundle up to Missionary Ridge tunnel which is an extraordinary narrow-bore job cut in the 1850s and very like the early railway tunnels on Britain's network. Our journey is illuminated by our conductor Curtis who gushes a torrent of facts in a Tennessee drawl, but with an enthusiasm for detail shared by train-fans the world over. So, our minds wander off a little onto the scenery outside of the car which, hereabouts, is suburban back woods and backyard South. Sporadic isolated wooden houses with their accumulated junk and peeling paint loom out of the trees and scrub between periodic bridges where the old railway crosses a modern road. The gulfs in wealth which separate Americans are (again) brought to our notice on the trip, and later in the day it was not really a surprise to learn from the local TV news that another gun-murder had taken place in this area.
East Chattanooga is the end of the line where turning the locomotive on the turntable is a big event! Here there is an interesting collection of rolling-stock including the very last steam locomotive to be built for a US railroad by the once mighty Baldwin Locomotive Company at its huge Eddystone works, but the large catalogue of vehicles in various states of dis-repair in a drab workshop suggests that this railway has the same problems of funding and manpower that dog struggling preservation schemes in Europe.
(I can't take credit for this writing or supply of information, Alan writes the technical information on my blog.)
29th September and we are off to the Tennessee Valley Railroad for our first planned excursion. Chattanooga was once an important railroad junction and interchange point for river traffic which made the whole area a focus for the skirmishes which helped to decide the US Civil War, and this little preserved railway line climbs over the Missionary Ridge which featured in these exchanges. Railroads around here are perhaps an even more run-down shadow of their former glory than elsewhere in the USA, and little of the town's heavy industry remains for modern visitors to see, so there was something rather forlorn about this short line. It is not like the smart and really quite slick heritage railways we enjoy in Britain.
The railway's starting point is a time-capsule of a depot building; all polished wood and old typewriters, but the train is a bit of a let-down with a couple of old cars hauled by an old army diesel-electric engine. It is a sedate trundle up to Missionary Ridge tunnel which is an extraordinary narrow-bore job cut in the 1850s and very like the early railway tunnels on Britain's network. Our journey is illuminated by our conductor Curtis who gushes a torrent of facts in a Tennessee drawl, but with an enthusiasm for detail shared by train-fans the world over. So, our minds wander off a little onto the scenery outside of the car which, hereabouts, is suburban back woods and backyard South. Sporadic isolated wooden houses with their accumulated junk and peeling paint loom out of the trees and scrub between periodic bridges where the old railway crosses a modern road. The gulfs in wealth which separate Americans are (again) brought to our notice on the trip, and later in the day it was not really a surprise to learn from the local TV news that another gun-murder had taken place in this area.
East Chattanooga is the end of the line where turning the locomotive on the turntable is a big event! Here there is an interesting collection of rolling-stock including the very last steam locomotive to be built for a US railroad by the once mighty Baldwin Locomotive Company at its huge Eddystone works, but the large catalogue of vehicles in various states of dis-repair in a drab workshop suggests that this railway has the same problems of funding and manpower that dog struggling preservation schemes in Europe.
(I can't take credit for this writing or supply of information, Alan writes the technical information on my blog.)
Saturday, 3 October 2015
Jack Daniels - 30.09.2015
One of our stops on the way to Nashville was a visit to Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery at Lynchberg. We turned off the highway 24 at a lovely town called Manchester in Coffee County. It was a beautiful, small place with a main road full of well maintained detached houses, with neat open frontages; a prosperous place with lots of banks and finance companies. There was a large area with lots of cars a parked which could mean lots of people in jobs around the car park. The next couple of turns took us into Jack Daniels.
Jack Daniels is in the second smallest dry county. You buy the bottle and get the whiskey free. We drew into the coach park and saw a large beautiful house slightly raised with well kept front gardens.
Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery at Lynchberg was much more interesting than I thought it would be. It was a much bigger operation than Jameson's in Southern Ireland, well the bit of Jameson's they take you round anyway. Jack Daniels was spread over (142 acres) a large garden area. It was large enough to hold 87 barrel houses. Each barrel house is 7 story's high and contains a million galleons of whiskey. The cave on the grounds surrounds the spring which is the reason Jack chose Lynchberg for his whiskey business. The water is very pure and special, 2,000 barrels of water are taken a day from the spring.
Jack Daniels is the oldest and first Whiskey Distiller to register for Tax (1866, during the Civil War). Jack's real name was Jasper Daniels and when he was 3 a neighbour used to let him watch while he made moonshine. Jack (a short adult man of 5ft 3inches) started producing good whiskey in his teens and was already earning when his father died, leaving him to raise his step sister Belle. His sister and later her family lived with Jack until his death at 61 in 1911. Jack's nephew Lem Motlow, Belle's son, inherited the business. He had been running the business with Jack for many years and was not there to help Jack open the safe one morning. Jack got very frustrated and kicked the safe, broke a toe and refused medical assistance. If only he had put his foot in his own whiskey he may not have developed gangrene and died.
The company continued with Lem following Jack's way of doing things as far as possible. Lem went on to have 5 children, his 4 sons inherited but sold to Brown Foreman in 1956 for an amount equal to £300 million dollars today. Lem's daughter is the only one left now and she is 103. The 142 acre site is now worth 2,500 dollars per acre, which was about a years salary for Jack back in his day.
Jack Daniels is in the second smallest dry county. You buy the bottle and get the whiskey free. We drew into the coach park and saw a large beautiful house slightly raised with well kept front gardens.
Jack Daniels Whiskey Distillery at Lynchberg was much more interesting than I thought it would be. It was a much bigger operation than Jameson's in Southern Ireland, well the bit of Jameson's they take you round anyway. Jack Daniels was spread over (142 acres) a large garden area. It was large enough to hold 87 barrel houses. Each barrel house is 7 story's high and contains a million galleons of whiskey. The cave on the grounds surrounds the spring which is the reason Jack chose Lynchberg for his whiskey business. The water is very pure and special, 2,000 barrels of water are taken a day from the spring.
Jack Daniels is the oldest and first Whiskey Distiller to register for Tax (1866, during the Civil War). Jack's real name was Jasper Daniels and when he was 3 a neighbour used to let him watch while he made moonshine. Jack (a short adult man of 5ft 3inches) started producing good whiskey in his teens and was already earning when his father died, leaving him to raise his step sister Belle. His sister and later her family lived with Jack until his death at 61 in 1911. Jack's nephew Lem Motlow, Belle's son, inherited the business. He had been running the business with Jack for many years and was not there to help Jack open the safe one morning. Jack got very frustrated and kicked the safe, broke a toe and refused medical assistance. If only he had put his foot in his own whiskey he may not have developed gangrene and died.
The company continued with Lem following Jack's way of doing things as far as possible. Lem went on to have 5 children, his 4 sons inherited but sold to Brown Foreman in 1956 for an amount equal to £300 million dollars today. Lem's daughter is the only one left now and she is 103. The 142 acre site is now worth 2,500 dollars per acre, which was about a years salary for Jack back in his day.
A Life Size Statue of Jack Daniels
The Spring provides 2,000 barrels of pure water a day.
Chattanooga - 29.09.2015
Public Liability (oops sorry) Public Library Michael
We encountered Michael outside the Chattanooga Public Library. He was talking to himself at quite a pace, listening to an answer and chatting some more. He did not have a mobile phone and although I am no Doctor, I sort of assumed he had a few mental health issues. My unclinical diagnosis, after a 2 minute, at a distance, 'consultation', is that Michael has schizophrenia; that he was listening and responding to a host of internal insistent voices.
It was raining and we were sheltering from the rain. We decided to sit on the small wall, outside but under the Library canopy. This was interpreted by Michael to mean we wanted to hear Michael's story and donate to his personal economy. He seemed to be having some hassles with a wheelchair bound, disabled older lady who at one time had lived 4 floors below him in his apartment block in Chattanooga. She was, Michael assured us, a racist, a card holding member of the KKK, who was accusing him of a multitude of misdeeds; such as theft, assault and rape. He had been arrested on a few occasions on the 'say so' of this vindictive women and she was always believed, over him; because the Chattanooga Police Department were racists too! Whether all this was real or imagined Michael firmly believed it. Whether Michael had a genetic/inherited disorder or whether his psychosis had been brought on by marijuana or other mind altering substances was also not evident (he was not actually using at the time). Nevertheless less this poor black man had some serious issues that were not being satisfactorily addressed and so did the disabled white lady. They were, if she was real, making each other's lives miserable. If they could see things from each other's perspective they may be able to help each other rather than do more damage. By all accounts, well actually just the one account, Michael's, the police were not helping either of them. The U.K. have similar people with these issues and we don't really deal with them any better. The police often get involved and the rule of law plays out to its conclusion. The system throws desperately ill people to the ravages of society.
We gave Michael a few dollars and we felt slightly fore lore when we left him. We were powerless to do more and sadly Michael's life would play out and conclude on his own sad path.
We encountered Michael outside the Chattanooga Public Library. He was talking to himself at quite a pace, listening to an answer and chatting some more. He did not have a mobile phone and although I am no Doctor, I sort of assumed he had a few mental health issues. My unclinical diagnosis, after a 2 minute, at a distance, 'consultation', is that Michael has schizophrenia; that he was listening and responding to a host of internal insistent voices.
It was raining and we were sheltering from the rain. We decided to sit on the small wall, outside but under the Library canopy. This was interpreted by Michael to mean we wanted to hear Michael's story and donate to his personal economy. He seemed to be having some hassles with a wheelchair bound, disabled older lady who at one time had lived 4 floors below him in his apartment block in Chattanooga. She was, Michael assured us, a racist, a card holding member of the KKK, who was accusing him of a multitude of misdeeds; such as theft, assault and rape. He had been arrested on a few occasions on the 'say so' of this vindictive women and she was always believed, over him; because the Chattanooga Police Department were racists too! Whether all this was real or imagined Michael firmly believed it. Whether Michael had a genetic/inherited disorder or whether his psychosis had been brought on by marijuana or other mind altering substances was also not evident (he was not actually using at the time). Nevertheless less this poor black man had some serious issues that were not being satisfactorily addressed and so did the disabled white lady. They were, if she was real, making each other's lives miserable. If they could see things from each other's perspective they may be able to help each other rather than do more damage. By all accounts, well actually just the one account, Michael's, the police were not helping either of them. The U.K. have similar people with these issues and we don't really deal with them any better. The police often get involved and the rule of law plays out to its conclusion. The system throws desperately ill people to the ravages of society.
We gave Michael a few dollars and we felt slightly fore lore when we left him. We were powerless to do more and sadly Michael's life would play out and conclude on his own sad path.
Friday, 2 October 2015
Coachs around Nashville 1.10.15 and 2.10.15 from Nashville to Memphis
Nashville. 1.10.15
Morning trip round Nashville to see Music Hall of Fame and RCA Victor Studios. Recording Company of America is quite a small recording studio, considering they bought the contract for Elvis Priestley from the even smaller Sun Studio in Memphis (which we tour later). We heard of a host of famous people they had recorded apart from Elvis Priestley.
Journey through Tennessee to Memphis 2.10.15
Via Jackson
We had a short comfort break, after an hour of travelling from Nashville, at The Patsy Cline and Chet Atkins rest stop. Patsy Cline was a famous country singer and Chet Atkins was the power behind RCA, which we visited yesterday because they recorded artists such as Elvis's Priestley. We all found lots of maps in the toilet area which will prove useful in Memphis.
Within 15 minutes we were driving towards Jackson on route 40. The next stop was for an early Lunch at the Birth place of John Nathan 'Casey' Jones who was an engineer/train driver who died himself but saved lives in a train crash. The railway made him out to be a hero because he told the fireman to jump, saving his life, then Casey stayed with the train to slow it down from 75 mph to 35 mph before it hit an oncoming train; thereby dying himself as he was in the front, but passengers further back were saved. The Casey Jones Train Museum has a replica of the train involved and his quite surprisingly spacious house on the site. The house has many of the original pieces of furniture and personal items used by Mr and Mrs Jones. These have been donated by the family over the years. We watched the short film meant to glorify Casey only to notice, in fact, that Casey was a stickler for being punctual and was trying to make up a 40 minute delay; already accrued when he took over driving the train that day. His train was expected late so if he had been going at a slower speed and been happy to be a little late, for once in his record, the two trains being moved around would have been cleared off the track and into sidings by the time he was 'late' expected. The small area has a museum, Casey's house, shops and restaurants named after Casey Jones. We had a buffet lunch from a family run restaurant on the site. Whilst there we got talking to a Weather Man, on his lunch break, who confirmed that hurricane Joaquín was not going to hit America. It was a very pleasant hour and a half stop on the way to Tupelo.
Morning trip round Nashville to see Music Hall of Fame and RCA Victor Studios. Recording Company of America is quite a small recording studio, considering they bought the contract for Elvis Priestley from the even smaller Sun Studio in Memphis (which we tour later). We heard of a host of famous people they had recorded apart from Elvis Priestley.
Journey through Tennessee to Memphis 2.10.15
Via Jackson
We had a short comfort break, after an hour of travelling from Nashville, at The Patsy Cline and Chet Atkins rest stop. Patsy Cline was a famous country singer and Chet Atkins was the power behind RCA, which we visited yesterday because they recorded artists such as Elvis's Priestley. We all found lots of maps in the toilet area which will prove useful in Memphis.
Within 15 minutes we were driving towards Jackson on route 40. The next stop was for an early Lunch at the Birth place of John Nathan 'Casey' Jones who was an engineer/train driver who died himself but saved lives in a train crash. The railway made him out to be a hero because he told the fireman to jump, saving his life, then Casey stayed with the train to slow it down from 75 mph to 35 mph before it hit an oncoming train; thereby dying himself as he was in the front, but passengers further back were saved. The Casey Jones Train Museum has a replica of the train involved and his quite surprisingly spacious house on the site. The house has many of the original pieces of furniture and personal items used by Mr and Mrs Jones. These have been donated by the family over the years. We watched the short film meant to glorify Casey only to notice, in fact, that Casey was a stickler for being punctual and was trying to make up a 40 minute delay; already accrued when he took over driving the train that day. His train was expected late so if he had been going at a slower speed and been happy to be a little late, for once in his record, the two trains being moved around would have been cleared off the track and into sidings by the time he was 'late' expected. The small area has a museum, Casey's house, shops and restaurants named after Casey Jones. We had a buffet lunch from a family run restaurant on the site. Whilst there we got talking to a Weather Man, on his lunch break, who confirmed that hurricane Joaquín was not going to hit America. It was a very pleasant hour and a half stop on the way to Tupelo.
Thursday, 1 October 2015
Gaylord Opryland Resort
We arrived at the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel about 4 pm 30th September 2015. All the suitcases were unloaded from the coach and mine was among them. I waited in the designated room but only one of our two suitcases appeared. The Hotel btw is absolutely magnificent but I could not relax and enjoy the experience because I was worried about my passport, iPad and camera chargers and 8 new outfits; which included 3 pairs of shoes I had never worn. All these said items were languishing in my missing case. On my frantic search I passed members of the group enjoying themselves, sailing on the boat (Las Vegas style) or sitting in the pubs enjoying a drink and live music or looking at menus ready to eat or leisurely looking round the shopping complex, did I say it is a magnificent place? Whilst I tried to remain calm explaining to Lobby staff (because it is not their fault and no good comes of screaming at them like a banshee) my metorphoric duck legs were paddling furiously below the surface. How was I going to get out of this country? What was I going to sleep in? The shoes I have been wearing pinch now, I need one of the others for tomorrow's excursion round Nashville.
The GAylord Opreyland Resort is a 35 minute bus ride from Nashville. If you expect it to be in the heart of the vibrant music scene of Nashville you are doomed to disappointment, as some of our group travellers are. Anyway, having involved our Tour Director (yes, I have given him a promotion from Manager, because he was brilliant) I left it in his hands while we searched out some food. Ken did not disappoint! He found us in the Irish Bar and reassured me that my suitcase was now safely in my room. After quite a lot of retracing of the Bell Boy's steps the case was found in the room next door to mine. That is an hour of Ken's life he won't get back. Thank you Ken you were a trooper.
This is the fifth time a suitcase of mine has gone missing. And no, you do not get used to it! It is not so bad if it goes missing on the airflight home. I was dreaming of my insurance claim and my new clothes when at 3am a Glaswegian taxi driver knocked on my door to return a case from the airport it had gone to instead of Heathrow. He had to drive back to Glasgow. In Turkey my case was taken off the coach and left opposite a Hotel drop off and not found for the first 3 days of the holiday. At least it didn't take so long to find this time. And yeah, Ken arranged for our meals to be Comp't (free) for the two days of our stay. Result! Compensation, that's never happened before, so thank you Ken big time.
It is time to say goodbye to the Gaylord and it's free wifi, did I say it is a magnificent Hotel. We like free wifi. We have to go on the tour coach for a long drive to Memphis today. See you there!
The GAylord Opreyland Resort is a 35 minute bus ride from Nashville. If you expect it to be in the heart of the vibrant music scene of Nashville you are doomed to disappointment, as some of our group travellers are. Anyway, having involved our Tour Director (yes, I have given him a promotion from Manager, because he was brilliant) I left it in his hands while we searched out some food. Ken did not disappoint! He found us in the Irish Bar and reassured me that my suitcase was now safely in my room. After quite a lot of retracing of the Bell Boy's steps the case was found in the room next door to mine. That is an hour of Ken's life he won't get back. Thank you Ken you were a trooper.
This is the fifth time a suitcase of mine has gone missing. And no, you do not get used to it! It is not so bad if it goes missing on the airflight home. I was dreaming of my insurance claim and my new clothes when at 3am a Glaswegian taxi driver knocked on my door to return a case from the airport it had gone to instead of Heathrow. He had to drive back to Glasgow. In Turkey my case was taken off the coach and left opposite a Hotel drop off and not found for the first 3 days of the holiday. At least it didn't take so long to find this time. And yeah, Ken arranged for our meals to be Comp't (free) for the two days of our stay. Result! Compensation, that's never happened before, so thank you Ken big time.
It is time to say goodbye to the Gaylord and it's free wifi, did I say it is a magnificent Hotel. We like free wifi. We have to go on the tour coach for a long drive to Memphis today. See you there!
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