Sights and Sounds of Memphis

 Home of the Blues, Birthplace of Rock 'n Roll 

and BBQ

BBKing

We ate great BBQ at his restaurant on Beale Street

Rock 'n Roll

Sun Studios became nationally known for giving the local area artists their start in the recording industry.  these included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, B.B.King, Rufus Thomas, Howlin Wolf and others.

"The Millionaire Quartet" birthplace

A great finish to the "musical tour"

We were able to listen to so many of the songs in the museum.

The National Civil Rights Museum

A sobering reminder of the struggle for civil rights

He was shot on the balcony of room 306.

"They said one to another, behold, here cometh the dreamer.  Let us slay him and we shall see what will become of his dreams."

Genesis 37: 19-20

There were 3 different theories of who was responsible for the assassination.

Most think the shooter was in the upper window of the building on the right.

This is the way it looked on the day of the shooting.  

Supposedly the city crews cleared the area immediately in order to 
"help the FBI in their investigation"

Bass Pro Pyramid

Note the observation deck at the top

Our elevator ride to the top in the tallest free standing elevator-

up 300 feet, great views looking down.

Looking straight down the side, you can see the top of the sign, and the top of the entrance.

Of course, you need to walk on the glass deck!

Seeing through the glass, and beyond.

and, of course, Bass Pro always has wildlife, but this one has alligators

and catfish.

Sights along the way

Victorian Mansion tour. Memphis

Built in 1871 along “Millionaire Row” occupied by prominent families whose wealth was built from carriage building to railroads, cotton and banking. In 1961 it was opened as a museum.

It is decorated seasonally. This time with the theme of “mourning” to see and learn customs following the Civil War.

In Utah we are accustomed to”funeral potatoes”, but here they had “funeral cookies” for all who came to the wake.They were wrapped in fancy paper along with uplifting biblical quotes.


We have seen several “hair wreaths”, and the Victorians turned it into an art form.It could be made from the deceased or from several family members.
The open end at the top signifies going toHeaven       

The grand entrance  and stairway 

up to the cupola on the third floor-widows walk

A long ways down!

Note the size of the Memphis Telephone Directory in 1894

One of the stranger customs in that time was the “Post Mortem Photography”

Widow's Walk at the top

Beautiful campground in Memphis

(Arkansas, that is)

Good morning 

Yes, this campground can get flooded!

Free laundry! (And excercise)

Check out these treehouses.

Lou thinks the owners of the campground move in here during the flooding.

Many are camped right on the river.

We often gather to sit and watch the barges.

Nice!

Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville, Illinois

 Cahokia Mounds 

Cahokia was the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico.

It is best known for the large, man-made earthen structures, and the area was a primary and important trade center.  The population grew until about 1200 AD, then suddenly declined and disappeared.  We find it interesting that it seems to mirror the population decline in Chaco Canyon. Nobody really knows the reason.

Monks Mound is one of the largest.

Ceremonial platform and houses lining the sides.

Archaeologists drawings of the housing and activities.

150 stairs to the top

View from the top

What goes up must come down.

Old Town St. Charles, charming little town on the river.

Interesting things to purchase.

(not me, thanks!)

Always like to pick up a bit more information on Lewis and Clark

The Boat Museum had life size replicas of their boats, but they had been loaned out for the celebrations in other cities.

The Keelboat is 55 ft long

loaded weight is 20+ tons

White Pirogue

39 ft long,

loaded weight 6 tons.