Saturday 15th - Taxarkana

Since my last blog in Nashville I've been doing the following :-

Wed 12th - drove from Nashville to Memphis. Listened to Reba McEntrye and two Gram Parsons CDs. Tired in the afternoon - had a brief nap in a rest area. Memphis greeted me with lightening bolts, claps of thunder, and a rainstorm. Hotel was dreadful - proprietor couldn't understand English and didn't seem to have heard of Elvis ! Room had loads wrong with it - bedside lamp wouldn't work, no plug for the bathroom, no shampoo, poor lighting. Power cut off briefly at one point as thunder clapped overhead, but it soon came back and the rain diminished. Room was actually quite comfortable but dismal. No breakfast facilities either.

Thurs 13th - Was pleased to find really good "Waffle House" breakfast cafe near the hotel. Rain had stopped too ! After bacon, eggs, and the most delicious orange juice it was off to Graceland. Did the full tourist bit - taken round the mansion and the grounds and did all the other exhibits. Spent considerable time at Elvis' grave; during part of this I was thinking of the scene in Spinal Tap and the "too much f****n reality" quote, but also it gave me great pause to reflect on my own life, of which Elvis has been such a large part. Battery in Digital Camera conked out in the middle, so I had to resort to the Blackberry. Stayed there all day, then got some grub and went back to the hotel.

Fri 14th - After another lovely breakfast I drove into Memphis and after a false start found a multi-storey car park in a reasonable spot. Price for all-day parking was $6 - that's less then Horsham, and this was the middle of town. Walked down Union Avenue to the original Sun Studios, where Elvis recorded his very first single. Guided tour was very well done by a very knowledgeable lady. Was photographed holding his original mike in the place where Elvis stood (between Bill Black and Scotty Moore) to record "That's All Right Mama" in 1954. Was so astonishing to be in the actual studio, seeing the original equipment ! Then caught a bus back into the centre and had lunch on Beale Street. In the afternoon I went to the Rock'n'Soul Museum, which had some fascinating exhibits showing what life was like for rural people in the South in the early 20th century. After that I walked to the banks of the Missisippi and read for an hour, then returned to the car. I then drove out to McLemore Avenue looking for the original Stax Studios. I found the street but not the studio, and so made my way back for the evening. Then found to my frustration that the fridge in my room had frozen some of my beers solid ! Oh well, good for me I suppose (and, as I was to find out, an omen of things to come !).

Sat 15th - drove from Memphis to Little Rock and then Texarkana listening mainly to Elvis but also a Johnny Cash CD called "American Recordings" which I really enjoyed. Stopped at a lakeside park about half an hour west of Little Rock and it was really beautiful. Treated myself to a Marriott Hotel in Texarkana after the two grotty hotels in Nashville and Memphis. The hotel is just into the Texas border, and I discovered that Texas is dry ! I'd bought a couple of beers in Arkansas, so I'm stocked up for tonight, after which I'll be dry for a week (I imagine you can get get beer or wine in a restaurant, though) - good for me I suppose. Had a swim in the outdoor pool here, and now I'm writing this !

It has been a magical time in Nashville and Memphis, and I've managed to see all the sights I wanted to. For the rest of the trip I have far fewer specific goals, so it'll be more a case of driving, relaxing, and checking things out as I go. I am sleeping very well here, better than in my flat (I never refer to it as "home", since it is merely a stopping-off point). Life on the road seems to suit me - maybe I should have been in a Rock and Roll band after all !