April 20, 21 & 22, 2012-Memphis to Nashville

Friday.... Happy Anniversary to Pat and Me. (Helen, thanks for the Congrats)  We left Big Springs, AR hoping to outrun the rain, but it didn't work, so drove in the rain part of the day nd it was still overcast when we pulled into the RV Park just down the road from Graceland and the Hearthrob Hotel on Elvis Presley Drive.  We didn't arrive in Memphis until around 3:30 so just relaxed for the rest of the day and planned for Saturday.

Saturday..... We awoke to 50 degrees and gray skies.  We had breakfast and got dressed and then at 9:00 headed to all things Elvis to visit Graceland and all the trimmings.  We actually thought we might be on the Elvis gift shop tour as  there are 11 gift shops you go through as you tour all the things that come with the Platinum tour (which we signed up for).  We thought getting there early we would avoid some of the crowd.  Wrong, they bus people in and there are many groups that go on the tour.  The total tour took about 3 1/2 hours.

It was still overcast when we left our Elvis tour and returned to the RV for lunch.  Then low and behold the sun came out and it warmed up.  We decided to take a car ride around the town of Memphis and then to Millington, a Navy base where Pat was stationed for about 6 months, then we drove through the Shelby Forest.  We took Blaze with us as I was feeling we had been neglecting him.... he's so spoiled.

Here we are at a Park near downtown on the Mississippi River 

The above are pics of Graceland taken from Elvis Presley Drive

Sunday......This morning we woke up to 48 degrees but the sun was shining.  We had breakfast then got the RV ready to roll down the road to Nashville.  We got to Nashville a little after noon, got set up, and had leftover bbq ribs that Pat had purchased for last nights dinner in Memphis.  I like Texas bbq the best.

The sun peaks out every so often but mostly its cool and overcast.

We received a very sad e-mail this afternoon from Wayne regarding his wonderful friend Sarah.  Sarah passed away today.  Wayne had told us that Sarah had suffered a fall on Thursday, was taken to the hospital with a broken hip and a badly bruised shoulder and this news today was very unexpected.  Sarah will be missed, she was a lovely person.

Stay tuned for the Nashville tour......

4/18/18 & 4/19/12, Hot Springs, AR

Wednesday....Today's my Dad's birthday.  Happy Birthday Dad!  I haven't mentioned how quiet this RV park is.  It is the quietest park we have visited in our travels.  Maybe because we're over 100 feet above the highway with lots of trees as a buffer.

Awoke again to a cool morning with temps reaching the high 70's by afternoon with lots of sunny clear skies.  Today we opted for riding in the SUV and not the motorcycle and drove to Little Rock to visit the William J Clinton Presidential Library.  (Yes they allow Republicans in the building)  Everyone must go through a scanner just like the airport with cameras and phones going through x-ray-just like the airport.

Pat thinks the building looks like a double-wide trailer - see pic.... I really kind of like it as is very modern.

This is a stairway to no where with stairs on the other side of the grassy area. Thers's 2 of these. Wierd.

This is a cool water feature in the front of the building.

We thought everyone would like to see a picture of thier china that's in the White House.  It does belong to the people, right?

These 2 pics are replicas of the Oval Office

Thursday... Drove into Hot Springs to walk the downtown area.  Parked and walked both sides of the street going into shops like all tourists do.  There was one Shop that I loved, it had women's clothing and accessories that were bedazzeled, glittery and jeweled with a little zebra thrown in. 

We visited the visitor center that was in one of the Bath houses and got to view the Bath House the way it was many years ago.  It was pretty interesting.  They had the gymnasium like it was in the 20's.  Boy we have come along way in work out equipment.  

Stopped at Stubby's BBQ for lunch.  Didn't really care for the beans or potato salad, the meat was tender with little fat and the bbq sauce was different than we're used to but Pat finished his plate, I left some beans on mine and I brought 1/2 the meat on my plate home.  They always give you too much.

Tomorrow is our 16th wedding Anniversay, add the 3 years that Pat and I were together before marriage that's a total of 19 years.  WOW!  We're heading to Memphis, TN tomorrow.  Elvis Presley here we come......

4/16/12 and 4/17/12 Hot springs, AR

Monday morning awoke to a cool 53 degrees with sun shining.  It was a beautiful day.  I put in my work hours and then we were off by bike to travel the Petit Jean Mountain Ride.  The ride was great with lots of windy roads, beautiful roadside and no traffic.  See pics...

Petit Jean grave

Cedar Creek Falls

Tuesday the day didn't start out quite as pretty with overcast skys and a little colder and damper.  We clad a few more clothes and our chaps, got on the bike and took off the The Diamond Ride.  As we got down the road the sun broke out and it was another beautiful day. 

Today the roads were not as curvy but still beautiful scenery. Didn't take many pics today but here's a couple.

We made it to the Diamond Mine and there were a lot of people there gathering thier spades and buckets to take to the fields to mine diamonds.  Me, I'll take the easier route of acquiring diamonds and get married.

4/14/12 Continued.... and 4/15/12 Hot Springs, AR

4/14/12 Continued......I almost forgot to tell everyone that Pat and I ran into another Pat and Laura at the Lake Park RV in Lewisville, TX. They are slightly younger (LOL) than us, they are in thier late 40's and have been living in thier trailer for 10 months. (they had already sold thier home and downsized trying to save thier money) Laura had been a nurse but got burned out so not currently working and Pat is still working and when we left had just taken a promotion. They plan to backpack the United States and abroad when the right time comes. Laura is blonde and wears black, that is about the only things we have in common as she is much shorter than me. I'm not sure exactly what the Pat's have in common only that the other Pat is not as out there as my Pat. On Friday we met Pat and Laura for drinks at Sneakey Pete's, a bar on the Lewisville Lake. On Saturday we had Happy Hour at our place. This might be the only time we ever meet another Pat and Laura.

We are staying at the Cloud Nine RV Park outside of Hot Springs, AR. Arkansas is beautiful, very green with dogwoods and honeysuckle everywhere, you can smell the honeysuckle even with the windows closed. It's Saturday and overcast but we have opted to take a short ride on the bike on the Jack Mountain Run, a ride shown in the Hot Springs Ride Guide brochure.

There are fields of red flowers everywhere.  See pics taken on our ride.

Our ride was short and as we started home it began to sprinkle, but of course by the time we got back to the RV the sun was out and it was warming up.

We hung out around the RV for the rest of the day, Pat gave Blaze a haircut and then I gave him a bath.  I took a walk along the steep drive going up to the RV Park (why do you think they call this Cloud Nine? - It's up in the clouds).  I checked out all the buildings around the Park, the laundry/shower building and the rec room building.   I also was catching up on laundry since we didn't have sewer at Lake Park RV in Lewisville.

Dinner tonight is a big juicy steak, baked onion with garlic and butter and a salad. 

4/15/12.... got up and finished with a couple loads of laundry and then it was time to take a ride into town to check out Walmart.  We drove by car into Hot Springs and then drove a couple more roads suggested in the Hot Springs Ride Guide.  We drove the Mountain Tower Ride, a steep road with sharp curves.  The brochure stated it was not for the faint of heart.... piece of cake for me and Pat.  Then we took the West Mountain Ride which was not quite so curvy but you get a good view of town.  See pics.

 

Then it was off to Walmart and Krogers for groceries, etc.  Back to the RV and will probably stay in the rest of the afternoon as they are predicting storms around 6:00 this evening.

Will keep you posted on the rides we take so stay tuned......