Memphis

BASS PRO SHOP

We went into the Bass Pro Shop to have lunch at Wahlburgers Restaurant, owned by the actor, Mark Wahlberg and his brothers. The Pyramid in Memphis was built as a 20,000-seat arena but was converted when purchased by Bass Pro Shop and Outdoor World. 

Inside the Pro Shop is a giant cypress swamp with 100-foot-tall cypress trees and ponds filled with fish, alligators and ducks. Ten aquariums with 600,000 gallons of water and more than 1,800 fish. There is a 13-lane bowling alley, gun ranges, hotel with tree house rooms as well as an elevator to the Lookout Restaurant and an observation platform at the top.

BEALE STREET

Beale Street Historic District

The street is lined with restaurants, shops and music clubs.

Schwab Dry Goods, established in 1876 was filled with interesting novelties, but not one thing needed for an RVer.

This entire room was dedicated to hats. Kurt is wearing a french fry hat. Some were pizza, flamingos the assortment goes on and on.

This is a historic theater where Elvis performed.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

We spent most of a day wandering around these impressive 96-acre gardens.

It was extensive and very well maintained. There are ten unique gardens.

One section is called My Back Yard. The flower displays were designed as a house, with bedrooms, bathroom, dining room and kitchen.

A chrysalis swing.

The Daylily Garden contained a large selection of hybrid plants.

Before 1900 there were only two colors of lilies. This collection consists of over 1,000 varieties.

Japanese-style bridge over Lake Biwa in the Japanese Garden.

The Blecken Chapel is located between the Shade Garden and the Hydrangea Garden.

We ended our tour at the Rose Garden.

Graceland

After spending three weeks in the New Orleans area, we drove 370 miles to north Mississippi. Hernando Point Army Corp of Engineers Campground on Arkabutia Lake. Hernando Point offers full hook ups just 27 miles south of Graceland in Memphis. 

Many of the sites offer stunning views of the lake. We were on Site 3.

We spent a full day visiting Graceland and all the attractions and exhibits.

ELVIS' PLANES

1958 Convair 880 named Lisa Marie

We stepped aboard Elvis' two customized aircrafts to see how he traveled in luxury.  The seatbelt buckles are gold plated.

1962 Lockheed Jetstar, Hound Dog 2

GRACELAND MANSION

Elvis purchased this thirteen-acre estate when he was 22 years old for just over $100,000. He is the second owner of this house built in 1939.

The white living room has a custom fourteen-foot sofa and coffee table. A grand piano sits in the adjoining room.

The Pool Room is very unique. In 1974, it took three men 10 days to install the 400 yards of decorative pleated cotton fabric that cover the walls and ceiling of the pool room at Graceland. Today, it takes four archivists three days to remove the dust from each pleat with special restoration sponges, twice a year.

The final stop at the Mansion is the Meditation Garden, just beyond the swimming pool. His mother died within the following year of the Mansion's purchase. Elvis is buried with his mother, father and grandmother.

Adjacent to Elvis's grave, lie his only child, Lisa Marie who died in January of 2023. Next to Lisa Marie is her son, Benjamin, who died in 2020.

PRESLEY MOTORS AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

Perhaps one of the most cherished of Elvis' automobiles is his famous Pink Cadillac.

ELVIS INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE AND COLLECTION

This wall displays just a few of the hundreds of jeweled jumpsuits that Elvis wore in concert.

Just some of the Gold Records awarded to Elvis between 1956 to 1959.

New Orleans - Week Two

NEW ORLEANS BOTANICAL GARDEN

This ten-acre botanical garden is located within City Park, north of New Orleans. It is home to the largest collection of mature live oak trees in the world. Hurricane Katrina flooded 95 percent of City Park in 2005.

Fountain with pool filled with different varieties of lily pads in front of the Pavilion of Two Sisters.

There are several themed gardens within the botanical garden.

Within the Botanical Garden is the Historic New Orleans Train Garden with G-Scale trains running during the weekends.

Fifty different species of trees live within City Park.

White Orchids

The Flute Player Sculpture and Fountain

AUDUBON ZOO

From a record low of 15 Whooping Cranes in 1940, the almost extinct bird is making a slow comeback with the help of breeding programs such as this one at the New Orleans Zoo. U.S. Fish and Wildlife estimates that there are approximately 550 Whooping Cranes now in the wild.

The African Painted Dogs were very active.

This giant alligator is approaching the size of the 19-foot record holder.

Cajin Swamps is one of the areas within the zoo.

 This is not an albino alligator, but a leucism alligator. Unlike albino, this alligator's eyes are blue, not pink. A Louisiana fisherman came across a nest of white alligators in 1987. Thinking they were very rare, he scooped them up and donated them to the Audubon Zoo. This was the first discovery of the leucism alligator.

Scarlet Macaw

Straw-Necked Ibis from Australia

Peacock, in full display, wandering freely about the zoo.

We made a short daytrip, northeast into Mississippi to visit...

INFINITY SCIENCE CENTER

This Science Center opened in 2012.

The science center is contained within the 125,000-acre NASA Stennis Rocket Engine Test Site. Previously guests to the science center could visit the NASA rocket test facility but this bus trip is no longer offered.

A temporary exhibit of the Hubble Telescope including scores of pictures taken by Hubble.

Apollo Lunar Landing Module

Stage One of Saturn V. Fifteen were built with thirteen used.

Apollo 4 Command Module. This one was unmanned to test the heat shields.

NEW ORLEANS GARDEN DISTRICT AND FRENCH QUARTER

Parking and driving are a challenge in downtown New Orleans. On the days we visited the French Quarter, World War II Museum and the Garden District we parked at the Visitor Center and used RTA public transportation. The Streetcars are a fun way to get around town without needing to watch traffic and look for parking. Even with the use of RTA we had plenty of opportunity for walking.

The St. Charles Streetcar Line is a historic streetcar line in New Orleans, Louisiana. Running since 1835, it is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world. 

The Charles Street Line is a very scenic and relaxing way to tour the New Orleans Garden District. St. Charles is lined with historic mansions and live oak trees hundreds of years old.

We rode the St. Charles Line from the beginning at Canal Street to the end and back about twelve miles in total.

Next we walked Bourbon and Royal Street in the French Quarter.

We had an 80-item lunch buffet at the famous and historic Court of Two Sisters. We chose the lunch buffet, so we could easily try different New Orleans specialties, such as Shrimp Etouffee, Gumbo, Jambalaya and Bananas Foster (invented here) over vanilla ice cream. The BBQ pork ribs, and the hand carved rib roast were also outstanding. What a way to spend our last day in the "Big Easy".