TRAVEL JOURNAL – JUNE 13, 2015

Disaster on the road

I woke early today, probably due to the anxiety of having to drive to the Firestone Store and get a tire replacement for the Workhorse. Not my favorite thing to do, not to mention the cost.  But it does feel good to have a new tire, better if it were four! I am hoping to drive another 10K miles before replacing the other three.

It’s impossible to comprehend that I have now traveled over 30K miles since picking up the new Workhorse in Oregon, January 18, 2014. Ten thousand of those miles pulling my Coach since taking delivery on February 10, 2014.

The Mighty Miss

I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be waiting for the new tire to be mounted. So I left for the tire store, leaving my buddy, Jagger behind. At times Jagger rides along with me for various maintenance and repair visits for the Workhorse or Coach and does pretty good.  Those I have an appointment for and have an idea how long it will take. Today, no appointment.

As it turned out, I am glad Jagger stayed at home, as there was a nice lady with her little yorkie waiting the whole time I was there, almost two hours. We had a nice visit, but it would have been uncomfortable for the puppies, probably with Jagger growling and scaring the yorkie, while actually being scared himself. Of course, waiting outside would not be an option as the temperatures here have been near 100 degrees with the humidity running 40% to 60%.

Mississippi Riverboats

Tomas Lee Memorial

The Mighty Mississippi

On the way to the tire store I chose a route that passes by a tourist area of Memphis along the Mississippi River. It was my first opportunity to see the river and the Riverboats waiting for passengers.  What a sight to behold.

Unfortunately I was on a mission and couldn’t stop this morning. Jagger and I did return here later and took the pictures displayed here and a few more accessible from the “More Photos” link below. When we returned, it was to a large park along the river named after Tom Lee who in 1925 was a working along the river when the steamboat “M.E.Norman” sank. Tom went into action as was responsible for saving the lives of thirty-two passengers even though he could not swim. There are several monuments here attesting to that event.  One is the pictured in the photo above.

Interesting side note, when we were visiting the park I didn’t quite feel safe. I couldn’t figure out why. It was enough that I watched my back and it was still early afternoon. Jagger seemed to be okay with the area and we had a nice walk along the Mississippi River. The park along the river is almost a mile long.

Later when doing some research on the internet I came across an article from last April (about eight weeks ago). Apparently there was a shooting in this park and three people were hit, including a bystander. 

Graceland

When planning my visit to Memphis I was looking forward to visiting Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home where he died. On Sunday I decided to spend the $30, even though some of the reviews said it was overpriced for the experience they had at the venue. 

I left in the morning, it was only about 6 miles from the campground. When I pulled in the front entrance the gate I was told there would be an additional $10 for parking and a wait of two hours. Well I guess I wasn’t in the mood for the experience at that price anyway, and I turned around calling it a day. 

First Known Inhabitants

During an improvement at T.O.Fuller State Park in 1940, CCC workers unearthed evidence of a prehistoric village. This was during an excavation for a proposed swimming pool. The site has since been developed and named Chucalissa Indian Village. It includes archaeological excavations, reconstructed exhibits and the C.H. Nash Museum. The University of Memphis staff and students maintains the facilities, including the small museum. Native American Indians lived here from around 1000 AD to 1550 AD. Their village was located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River flood plains.  A beautiful place even today.

Chucalissa Indian Hut Reconstruction

The Mounds of Chucalissa Indians

Inside the ceremonial Hut

On Sunday afternoon I explored the small museum and the toured the grounds. I always find these sites interesting and spent a lot of time talking with the student volunteers. I now believe it was on my expedition around the outdoor exhibits that I encountered a hardy foe, more to come. 

Until next time, Safe Travels…Gary

More Photos: Memphis Tennessee