This BLOG is a way of sharing the highlights of our travels near and far with family, friends and anyone who is interested. This has mostly been about our international travel with a couple of domestic trips. It recently occurred to me that my international followers may be interested in my travels in my own backyard. 'The trouble with not having a goal is you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.' – Bill Copeland
Category: 01 Travel Event
Activities or experiences during bigger trip such as layover, cruise, special event
The monument is located 24 kilometers north of Puerto Natales . Of the three caves, the largest and most important is located 150m and is 30 m high, 80 m wide and 200 m deep.
After a spot of souvenir shopping it was on the bus for the last 20 kms into Puerto Natales.
Boarding Patagonia Cruise
We had a few hours to fill in before boarding the Skorpios III our home for the next three nights. Most people managed to find something for lunch and even achieved some shopping before the shops closed for siesta.
Thank you Robbie Barrett
Around 2.30pm everyone had gathered in the main square to board bus before the very short trip to our ship.
Our cabins
All aboard at 3pm with the allocation of cabins and quick safety briefing. We met in the bar and raised a glass for a safe cruise with the champagne that Robbie Barrett had organised for each cabin. This was a nice gesture and kicked off the cruise in fine style.
At 5pm it was time for tea, a good thing because dinner is served at 9pm every night.
Dinner was next on the agenda and proved popular with a starter of king crab, beef and mushroom sauce creme’ brûlée all washed down with a few very nice chilean wines.
A few kicked on for awhile is the bar but most turned in early as the ship got underway.
Sailing through Angostura Kirke, Morla, Vinuna, Unioun, Collingwood and Sarmiento channels.
After a couple wonderful days in Newmarket, a place that will definitely be added to my must visitagain list.
We set off for London where a few days doing everything except the main tourist site is on the plan.
Before leaving Newmarket I was trawling around looking for somewhere to stay on they way and stumbled over the ‘ The cricketers Arms’ hotel in Rickling, This pub over looked the green and sounded just perfect.
On arrival we checked in early and were amazed by this wonderful little place that has been the watering hole to cricketers from the nearby Rickling Green where cricket has been played since 1800’s.
The staff were fantastic and we just loved everything about this place, so well appointed and the builder in working on the next part of the restoration, which appears to be an ongoing as all the old world charm is being maintained with new tasteful fit out in the various areas.
We had a lovely shared plate for lunch a couple drinks before returning to the room to re-organise bags, take in the views from our room the ‘Lord’s’ suite. Our key was hanging from s small cricket bat and the wifi password was even in the cricket theme.
Dinner was perfect and we had our first steak since arriving and it was cooked to perfection the staff were attentive and made sure they made our evening enjoyable.
Our room overlooked the green and we could have holed up here for a few days but we were due in London so sadly after and lovely breakfast and lots of laughs with the girls on staff we headed off for the hour drive back to Heathrow
Back to London and Camden Markets
The drive back to Heathrow apart from my not changing the gps back to setting that ensured we avoided all major roads so we came in by the all the small places which in itself was great but it did make the trip a bit longer than it should have been.
We did get to see so much more that on the motorway, so worth it.
Our little black mercedes (I wouldn’t own one our Hyundai was better appointed) was returned in one piece but a bit muddied than we got it.
Another 900 miles of driving for Ian and only a few disagreements on directions but with gps even if you go wrong you always come out right eventually.
We grabbed the shuttle back to Heathrow (I think we were on the bus and on our way back within ten minutes of pulling up). At terminal 3 we caught the Heathrow express to Paddington Station (Easy and about 20mins in duration).
We found ourselves at the front of Paddington station with little idea of which direction our hotel was so after walking around for awhile we grabbed a cab that had us at the door within 10 minutes, we were close to finding it on foot but with have negotiated the canal so glad we go the cab in the end. Our hotel is only about 5 minute walk to Paddington Station and underground once you know where it is. After a quick check in it was back over to canal about 3 minutes walk from the hotel, we turned left and headed for Little Venice where we caught the canal boat for the 50 minute ride past London Zoo and lots of fun canal boats to Camden Market. The youtube video will do it more justice than these few photos
Camden market is a very busy place with everything you can imagine not to mention food from all parts of the world, I decided on a snack pack from Poppies Fish and chips van. The cod cocktail pieces were really good and hit the spot it seemed like a long while from breakfast and I guess at 3pm, it was.
We wandered around for an hour or so before walking to the Camden Market underground where purchased an Oyster card and headed home with a change at Kings Cross station
We decide on chinese at the Pearl Ling nearby for dinner, food was great service was slow but we had nothing else planned so was no real concern.
We arrived back in Lexington on the 3rd August (happy birthday Charlie). The main reason for returning to Kentucky was that we were fortunate to be able to book a tour of Three Chimneys Stud Farm at Midway KY.
Three Chimneys Farm is one of the premier breeding farms in Kentucky. They provide shuttle stallions to Australia, in fact, two of their stallions had left for Australia a few days before we arrived. Big Brown is standing at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley NSW and War Chant is standing at Yarradale Stud in Western Australia for the 2011 breeding season.
We found a covered bridge about 30 miles from the farm so decided to drive over and take a look. The bridge had been damaged during flooding in 1997 so it is not in use but maintained for visitors to the area.
Our tour time was 1pm and as we arrived in the area 45 minutes early decided to find a bite to eat before heading to the farm.
What better than sharing one Darlin’ Jeans Granny’s grilled sandwich. It was yum and we both really enjoyed it. This place was really old world but very popular with visitors and locals.
The tour was fantastic, we only toured the stallion area but were really impressed with the barns and the whole set up. The stallions we saw were; Flower Alley, Sky Mesa, Dynaformer, Lewis Michael by Rahy who is retired and is living out his days in luxury at Three Chimneys Farm. The stallions each have their own box on the farm, four to a barn.
Previous occupants brass nameplates remain on the box along the name of the current occupant. Each stallion has their own day paddock and is turned out everyday weather permitting. Also found it interesting that all stallions with the exception of one or two are exercised on the track or hot walker every day to maintain their fitness
Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown (1977) and stood at the farm for all but the last month of his life. The farm has a statue of Seattle Slew which is popular with visitors.
So that’s it all the things we wanted to do have been checked off for the road trip now we just have the drive back to Dallas to begin the next phase of our trip. Visiting family in Abilene and a trip to Aspen with Scott and Leonie.
We are heading home (Dallas) via Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and will cover as many miles as we can each day.
On Tuesday 28th July we set off towards Boston after negotiating our way out of NYC. We decided to stay south of Boston and head in to see the sights of Boston.
We stayed at a place called Milford which will always be remembered for ‘The Duck’. We found a little Thai place (Thai Pepper) not far from the hotel, didn’t look much from the outside but it was very nice inside. Ian had the ‘Boston Duck’ which Ian has not stopped talking about since. My pad thai was excellent too but the duck was sensational, apparently. I will never know I couldn’t even get a little taste. Seriously I did get the smallest taste and agree it was very good.
Up early for a short run into Boston after parking we booked on a trolly tour (which included a cruise on the harbour). The tour was really good and we stayed on for the entire nineteen stops so that we could catch the lunchtime cruise on the harbour.
Hard to believe that so much of Boston is built on reclaimed land, the area around the harbour has been really well developed and caters to visitors. We went past Fenway Park where the Red Sox baseball team’s home ground. The trolly driver was really informative. Boston is a very organised and clean city with lots of historical significance for this country.
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial “Capital of New England” for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. This link show all the trolly stops and what we saw at each stop. The harbour cruise was very informative and gave us and opportunity to learn about the many historical locations along the foreshore. We were able to see the USS Constitution which is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world’s oldest floating commissioned naval vessel. Launched in 1797. The battle with Guerriere earned her the nickname of “Old Ironsides” and public adoration that has repeatedly saved her from scrapping. After a not so good lunch (all fried seafood, though the oysters were good) in the oldest restaurant in USA.
The Union Oyster House was established in 1826 and has been retained in its original state. Although the food was to our liking the trip back in time was worth the time. Union Street was laid out in 1636, but there are no municipal records documenting the Oyster House’s date of construction. All that is known is that the building has stood on Union Street as a major local landmark for more than 250 years.
After lunch we headed for Portland Maine, we decided that we would only have the one night here so that we could spend two days at Niagara.
After checking in to our hotel we headed up to Two Lights which is reported to be a must see spot as well as check out the Lobster Shack. We decided to head back to town for dinner at the Old Port Sea Grill and thoroughly enjoyed our seafood platter.
Tomorrow we are setting off on our longest drive in a day this trip. We plan to be in Buffalo New York by tomorrow night. States visited along the way Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York 556 miles in 8 hours including three short stops.
We got up early again and after breakfast we set out to walk to central park. Down Fifth Ave with a stop in at the Trump Tower, hard to believe that this is or was owned by one man.
Before we arrived at Central Park we dropped in at the Apple store which was under wraps. So many people and so much beautiful technology in one place.
When we arrived at the entrance near
Fifth Ave and organised a carriage ride through the Park. Our Irish driver (most of the carriages are Irish owned) has been in New York for 11 years. This was fun and gave us a small insight to the park and some of the things happening in the park. It was good weather and a lot cooler than the previous day. After we tipped our driver we set off on a long walk through the park, there is so much to see and there was no hope of us seeing it all. We did get to see
the Zoo and many off the sights at the Downtown end of town.
How big is Central Park?
Our Irish Carriage Driver
843 acres or 6% of Manhattan’s total acreage, including:
150 acres in 7 waterbodies
250 acres of lawns
136 acres of woodlands
How many playgrounds are there in Central Park and where are they?
There are 21 playgrounds scattered throughout the entire park.
Where is…?
Horse park himself like this
on command
Balto – East 67th Street near the East Drive
Alice in Wonderland – 75th Street just north of Conservatory Water
Hans Christian Andersen – 74th Street just west of Conservatory Water
The Obelisk (Cleopatra’s Needle) – 81st Street behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art
There also are 48 other fountains, monuments, and sculptures in Central Park.
How many trees are there in Central Park?
24,000, including 1,700 American Elms.
How many benches are there in Central Park?
Over 9,000, which would stretch 7 miles if placed end to end.
How many bridges and arches are there in Central Park?
36
How many species of birds are there in Central Park?
More than 275 species of migratory birds have been sighted in the Park, a major stopping point on the Atlantic flyway.
How many fountains are there in Central Park?
Gazebo in used in Home Alone 2
There are seven ornamental fountains and approximately 150 drinking fountains. The ornamental fountains are:
Angel of the Waters at Bethesda Terrace
Burnett Fountain at Conservatory Garden’s English garden to the south
Conservatory Garden’s Italian garden in the center
Untermyer Fountain at Conservatory Garden’s French garden to the north
Cherry Hill
Sophie Loeb Fountain
Pulitzer Fountain at Grand Army Plaza
Central Park Zoo
After the park we headed back downtown with a stop off for lunch at John’s Pizzeria. The pizza was the best I’ve eaten, the base was just perfect and we had the John’s Pizza (cheese and John’s special tomato sauce) with added pepperoni and black olives. Did I mention it was huge but oh so yummy?
We continued to stroll back towards the hotel walking off our lunch there is so much to see but the best part is just experiencing the sites and sounds of such a busy place. We headed back to the hotel around 4 for a rest and catch up on email and calls home etc.
We decide we would have Korean BBQ for dinner, there were plenty in the same street as our hotel to choose from. In the end we settled on Wonjo. The BBQ meat (BBQ at our table) was really good and the accompanying sides were fun to try and we liked everything they dished up. The meal was finished with the sweetest orange I have ever eaten.
Day 2 Walking 4 miles
An early night as we are planning to head to times square to watch the Good Morning America morning show.
After a near flawless drive in to the big apple we had delivered the car to the valet and the bags to the doorman (too early to check in) we set off to walk downtown to take the ferry to Staten Island.
It was a long walk but we made it all but the last 20 odd blocks a total of 71/2 miles. We were a bit foot sore but recovered enough to walk another mile to Tony Di Napoli’s for dinner.
This place came highly recommended by brother-in-law Scott and he was right on the money. The anti pasta was the best we’ve ever had and the Lobster Ravioli in creamy tomato sauce was equally good.
One of 5 new Towers
Ground Zero
Back to the walk and the ferry. It was very hot walking but worth it as you get to see so much more. Ian was able to eat at least three yes that’s right three hot dogs on the way down. He bought them off the street vendors and gave them the thumbs up. We were purchasing lots of water which was readily available for every vendor and really cold.
We spent quite awhile at ground zero they are making great progress on the new towers . It is hard to imagine what it would have been like on 9/11.
Remembering Ladder 24
Firefighter that died 9/11
A memorial called “Reflecting Absence” honors the victims of the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The memorial, designed by Peter Walker and Israeli-American architect Michael Arad, consists of a field of trees interrupted by the footprints of the twin towers. Pools of water fill the footprints, underneath which sits a memorial space whose walls bear the names of the victims. The slurry wall, which holds back the Hudson River in the west and was an integral part of Libeskind’s proposal, remains exposed.
Ladder 24 Fire Station
Walker and Arad were selected from more than 5,000 entrants in the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition in January 2004. Construction of the memorial is due to be completed by September 11, 2011.
Eventually we made it to the ferry just in time to take the next ferry to the island. It was a pleasant crossing and it was a chance to sit for awhile and watch the city recede into the distance. We disembarked and waited for the next ferry back again.
Staten Island Ferry
We decided against exploring the island as the main purpose was to actually catch the ferry. We enjoyed the return trip and then set off up town it was now 98 degrees but felt hotter of the street. Not the hottest I ever been but it was warm. Last time we were in new york it was -5F which is -11C. I think next time we will come in autumn or spring.
As previously mentioned dinner was great and I would highly recommend Tony’s to anyone, we were lucky to get there early enough to avoid a wait but by the time we were leaving they were out the door waiting on a table. We have a very nice local wine with our dinner as recommended by our waiter Gregorio.
Tomorrow we are off to explore Central Park and of course I HAVE to visit the apple store.
After a stopover in Columbus Ohio we arrived in downtown Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
We actually crossed in to the state of West Virginia for a short while on our drive to Pittsburgh, three states in one day, might be our record.
What a surprise we parked near the market square and walked all over the downtown area which was well laid out and buzzing with lunchtime workers.
Smithfield Bidge
Station Square
Same bridge builder as Brooklyn Bridge
We walked across the Smithfield bridge to have a look at the Monongahela Incline. The Monongahela Incline, built by John Endres in 1870, is located near the Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh. It is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the USA. It is also one of two surviving inclines (the other is the nearby Duquesne Incline) from the original 17 passenger-carrying inclines built in Pittsburgh starting in the late 19th century.
Its lower station is across the street from the Station Square shopping complex, and is easily accessible from the light rail system at the Station Square station. Station Square is a 52-acre (210,000 m2) indoor and outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex located in the South Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,United States. With 275,000 square feet (25,500 m2) of retail space, it features 65 stores, restaurants and entertainment venues, including The Ampthitheatre at Station Square and the 396-room Sheraton at Station Square.
Pittsburgh is the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates (Baseball) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Football). The Pirates were playing the day we were in town they continued on their winning way beating the Cincinnati Reds.
On July 15, and again on July 18, the Pirates moved into first place of the NL Central. This marked the first two times that the Pirates were in first place this late in the season since 1997.
We stayed at the La Quinta Pittsburgh and headed for Harrisburg PA. We stayed off the interstate and were able to see some of the smaller places along the way. We crossed the Appalachian Mountain range but on the roads here it is hard to tell as all inclines and declines are so gradual. It not until you look behind do you realise how high you have climbed. Directly to the north of Harrisburg is the Blue Mountain ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Due to the heat haze it really was blue.
We stopped of for a break along the Juniata River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately 90 miles (145 km) long, in central Pennsylvania in theUnited States. The river is considered scenic along much of its route, having a broad and shallow course passing through several mountain ridges and steeply-lined water gaps.
We pulled into the La Quinta in Harrisburg and Ian said, “We have been at this hotel before” he pointed out where we parked last time. I checked the records and yes we did stay here in 2009 the only difference in 09 it was snowy and very cold and in 2011 it was 40 degrees and humid.
Parking space we were in 2009
After a restful night we headed to the Amish country to take a look around. We had been here before but due to the cold we didn’t get to see too much. It was pleasant and they take such pride in their home. All homes had some colour in the garden. Lots and lots of corn they grow it in any clear space even right up to the villages and homes. We visited the farmers market in Bird in Hand,
I tasted many cheeses and meat samples that are made available to to visitors. The food was so good I wanted to buy it all. We settled on a pretzel (me) and tropical smoothy (Ian). The pretzel was good but the smoothly was sensational, the best I ever tasted. It was made with banana, passionfruit, mango and yoghurt. The bakery also had some great pies and cakes, I particularly liked the birthday cake made out of cup cakes. The Cookie Monster was really well done.
We then made the three hour drive to Wayne New Jersey 24 miles out of New York, we are going to have a rest day here before heading into the big smoke’. Looking forward to going to a Yankees game on Monday,
We decided that our first day in Kentucky would be a rest day. We had a lie in then went to Best Buy to replace our trusty TomTom who started to freeze up on startup occasionally.
We decided it was time to upgrade and we purchase the new an improved model for under $150. After our short shopping trip, we had a light lunch (as light as you can get here anyway) before heading back to the room to relax.
Barbaro won 2006 Derby broke down in Preakness
put down in 2007 after a year of trying to save him
Day 2 Louisville we set off to find Churchill Downs home of the Kentucky Derby. We did the behind the scenes tour of the course and it was very informative.
The saddling paddock. The horses are saddled in the stalls
after they are walked over from barn before the race
Walking through the betting area
Grindstone’s saddle 1996 winner
Such history they have never missed holding the race since 1875. Through two world wars, the civil war and the battle of Little Big Horn the race has been run.
After Churchill Downs, we headed downtown to check out the Steamboat Belle of St Louisville on the river. It was another hot day so we headed back to the hotel around three to rest up and cool off.
Day three we headed to Lexington via Versailles to explore the Keeneland track and drive past some of the many stud farms in the area.
Some pictures from our morning spent at Keeneland race track
Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial assemblage of photo negatives and newspaper clippings.
In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Keeneland was ranked #1 of the top ten tracks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
Keeneland was founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing–auction entity on 147 acres (0.59 km2) of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack Keene, a driving force behind the building of the facility.
It has used proceeds from races and its auctions to further the thoroughbred industry as well as to contribute to the surrounding community. The racing side of Keeneland, Keeneland Race Course, has conducted live race meets in April and October since 1936.
It added a grass course in 1985. The spring meet contains several preps for the Kentucky Derby (held the first Saturday in May), the most notable of which is the Blue Grass Stakes. The fall meet features several Breeders’ Cup preps.
All the stud farms are well fences often with two lines of fencing forming lanes around the property.
Downtown Lexington
Downtown Lexington
Haven’t heard from Three Chimneys Farm about the tour will try and take it in on the way back to Texas.
Yes, Kentucky is the home of KFC and no we didn’t eat any while we were here. KFC was founded and is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States.
The Colonel was born and raised in Henryville, Indiana, Sanders passed through several professions in his lifetime. Sanders first served his fried chicken in 1930 in the midst of the Great Depression at a gas station he owned in North Corbin, Kentucky. The dining area was named Sanders Court & Café and was so successful that in 1935 Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon granted Sanders the title of honorary Kentucky Colonel in recognition of his contribution to the state’s cuisine.
Wow what a surprise Nashville turned out to be. We had an expectation of street lined with bars and lots of music but not much else.
They do have music row and the honky tonk district, yes we saw the bar where Keith Urban got his break, but there is so much more to Nashville. History culture, pretty parks and gardens all go with the music and the bar to make Nashville a very interesting place to visit.
We purchased on the Trolley tour (audio failed on trolley) and due to a false start became a bus tour our guide was sensational and gave us so much information. I wish I could remember all the facts he told us during this very informative and very the entertaining 2 hour tour. Thanks Kevin you were worth waiting for.
Some of what we learned: Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee I always thought Memphis was the capital. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home to a large number of colleges and universities. It is most notably known as a center of the music industry, earning it the nickname “Music City”.
We destinations include Fort Nashborough being a reconstruction of the original settlement, the latter being a semi-restored Civil War battle fort; theTennessee State Museum; and The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. The Tennessee State Capitol is one of the oldest working state capitol buildings in the nation, while The Hermitage is one of the older presidential homes open to the public.
Nashville is often labeled the “Athens of the South” due to the many colleges and universities in the city and metropolitan area.
Numerous music clubs and honky tonk bars can be found in downtown Nashville, especially the area encompassing Lower Broadway, Second Avenue, and Printer’s Alley, which is often referred to as “the District”
The bells play on the hour
Civil War history is important to the city’s tourism industry.
View up to Capitol Building
Sites pertaining to the Battle of Nashville and the nearby Battle of Franklin and Battle of Stones River can be seen, along with several well-preserved antebellum plantation houses such as Belle Meade Plantation, Carnton plantation in Franklin, and Belmont Mansion
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Nashville and it would be a great city to spend more time in. After lunch at Demos (recommended by our trusty tour guide Kev) we set sail for Louisville Kentucky.
Keith Urban made his break playing in the corner of this bar
We are going to stay 3 nights in Louisville and have a rest day tomorrow. Looking forward to visiting Churchill Downs
Up early next morning and a quick bright side breakfast at the hotel the back in the car to find parking in Downtown, it was so easy to find somewhere. We parked in the Peabody hotel parking lot but could have taken our pick of several lots will loads of spaces. Unlike Sydney where at 9am on any given day you would have no hope of a park in the city and if you happened to fluke one you would need a bank loan to pay for the pleasure. Our parking was $10 easy to use and access straight into the Peabody.
Do you know what the Peabody is famous for? More on that later.
We spent a couple of hours walking the downtown area and watching it come to life, no early starts here. After checking out the area we visited the cotton museum which was very fantastic. The guide told us that lots of Australian cotton growers visit Memphis for industry workshops and conferences.
She had a good understanding of the cotton industry in Australia and the information she provided us on the cotton exchange was very interesting.
As it was nearing 11am we headed back to the Peabody to watch the Peabody duck march. A large crowd had gathered in the hotel foyer and waited for the ducks. This was fun and the story behind the march is interesting the link above will give more in the story.
After the Peabody, we headed back to main to catch the trolley for a roundtrip ride around Downtown. It was good to sit down for a while after all the walking in the humidity. We enjoyed the ride and had worked up a good appetite by the time we alighted from the trolley.
Decided to go to the Flying Fish for lunch. We had shrimp cocktails and shared a dozen oysters. Oyster not like ours but delicious just the same.
We enjoyed an hour sitting in the cool before we headed back to the river via Beale St.
Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately 1.8 miles (2.9 km). It is a significant location in the city’s history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are major tourist attractions in Memphis.
We caught the trolley again back down to the river to board the Island Queen for a riverboat ride on the Mississippi.
Cruising up and down the Mississippi was made really special by the informative tour guide who kept everyone entertained for the entire two and a half hours with interesting facts and history.
Mississippi Facts:-
“To Thick to Drink and Too Thin to Plough”
The Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States and the largest by volume. The longest is the Missouri River. In Memphis, the river is both an attraction and a thoroughfare for commerce and transportation.
The Mississippi River acts as the western border of Memphis. In downtown, it runs adjacent to Riverside Drive.
Approximately 2,300 miles long
20 feet – 4 miles wide
3 – 200 feet deep
0 – 1,475 feet above sea level
Flows 1.2 – 3 miles per hour
Each day, a steady stream of barges can be seen traveling up and down the Mississippi. These cargo bearing vessels carry sixty percent of all grain exported from the United States. Other products being shipped via the river include petroleum and petroleum products, iron and steel, grain, rubber, paper and wood, coffee, coal, chemicals, and edible oils.
After disembarking from the Island Queen we head back to the car and home…No dinner needed we were tired.
Sun Studios Memphis
On the way home we passed Sun Studio where rock-and-roll, country music, and rockabilly artists, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers, Ray Harris, Warren Smith, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis, recorded there throughout the mid to late 1950s until the studio outgrew its Union Avenue location.
Front Graceland
Back of house
Up and at ’em again next morning and even with the GPS deciding to freeze up we managed to locate Graceland. We paid the $35 a head to take the tour which was well done. Even for non-Elvis fans (like me), it was worth doing as the tour was well managed and gave what seemed like an accurate account of Elvis’ life at Graceland. Facts I didn’t know and now do Elvis had a twin that died as a baby and Graceland was a 13 acres farm about 9 miles (14.5 km) from Downtown and less than four miles (6 km) north of the Mississippi border.
Elvis’ Grave
One of Elvis’ many cars. Cut in two
with the table added for the diner
Family Graves in Meditation Garden
On the road again for the 4-hour drive to Nashville. Another uneventful drive with not much to see from the interstate. Dinner at Cracker Barrel hard luck Sarah I had the chicken fried chicken and gravy again.
We had a few hours to fill in before boarding the Skorpios III our home for the next three nights. Most people managed to find something for lunch and even achieved some shopping before the shops closed for siesta. 
Dinner was next on the agenda and proved popular with a starter of king crab, beef and mushroom sauce creme’ brûlée all washed down with a few very nice chilean wines. 
A few kicked on for awhile is the bar but most turned in early as the ship got underway. 
Our Adventures - Near and Far 