Memphis

When we woke up, David had gone to get his starter, just as promised. The hotel was nice, Candlewood Suites, apparently intended as an extended-stay chain. We used free laundry facilities, a gym, an indoor pool and it had a full mini kitchen. I made eggs for breakfast and the girls got their fill of morning cartoons. In the meantime, David finished fixing the car and we were ready to get movin' in the city.

I really wanted to go to Mud Island Park because Missy recommended it as a family-friendly and educational place. We were on our way when we saw one of those little brown signs that said "Sun Studios". David really wanted to go and I figured a simple studio wouldn't take long, so we headed straight to the sun. Once there, they said that you could only tour the place with a guide and the tours ran on the hour. We still had another 1/2 hour before the next tour began and David REALLY wanted to do it. They informed me when I went to purchase tickets that Arianna would be unable to go past the gift shop because she was too young. At first I was a little miffed because that meant I would have to stay back with her. Once they informed me that for my inconvenience, David's ticket would be free and Ari and I got free snacks til the cows came home, I was in! It was great, we played "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and she played the DS while I read the local paper detailing this year's Bonaroo. We also had our share of free snacks and drinks. Once the tour was over about 45 minutes later, they told me Ari and I could go into the studio for a few minutes. We did and Arianna immediately proclaimed the room boring and began to throw a tantrum about wanting to leave. The Sun Studio people were so correct, she couldn't handle it! I did get to glance around enough to see people standing in line to pose with Elvis's microphone. Apparently, not much has changed in that little room. This studio is where Johnny Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins (among others) go their start. We shopped the gift shop then headed to Beale Street for lunch.

By this time, the kids were starving. Let me tell you about Beale Street. It's supposedly where music happens in this town, especially the blues. It literally consists of about 4 blocks. That's it. Well, we ate at a place called Lil' Anthony's. They were apparently a soul food and breakfast place but were out of just about everything. I felt like we got mediocre food and mediocre service at a tourist's price. I wish we'd had the BBQ instead. I love me some Bar-B-Que! By the time we left the restaurant, it was pushing 4:00. Did I mention it took FOREVER for our foor to come out? We walked a block or 2 and started talking about Mud Island and I decided we just needed to go. We still had to drive to Nashville.

We left with me not getting to visit the park, take a Sun tour or eat famous Memphis Bar-B-Que. Boo Hoo. Don't feel too badly for me. By this time, my attitude about the trip changed. The day before, I was ready to go home. With a comfortable hotel sleep, pleasant Tennessee weather and the promise of our trip getting back on track, I was refreshed and ready to go.

We drove to Nashville and were pleased to find a lovely, shaded and comfortable campground with NICE BATHROOMS. Everyone slept well and the weather was perfect for sleeping. Who needs A/C?

Things I Learned: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his last speech and was killed in Memphis. This is probably common knowledge but I didn't know. The guy who created the infamous Piggly Wiggly food chain is a Memphian. He donated his pink marble home to the city and it's now a museum. Not only were rock legends born here but this is also the home of the Blues. Tennessee is called the Volunteer State. This seems kinda silly until you learn the backstory. During the Civil War, recruits in the South were scarce and positions underfilled. Tennessee had 10 times the required number enlist. Dang! Impressive!