Newsletter 3- July

USA / Canada, Newsletter 3 - July, 2012

We set off east towards Louisiana with OUR RV and Garry did the “baptism of fire” on Houston’s city motorways and managed rather well. Having had a couple of hire cars in the previous weeks, had given good driving practice on the right side of the road. The RV’s only bigger and takes up most of the lane. Crossing the border we stopped at the Information Place and left with the next three days organised.

Tabasco Sauce has been made at Avery Island for more than 125 yrs so did a tour and were given free samples and lots of tastes. 

Tabasco Tasting - all HOT!!

 

We then went to two plantations on the Mississippi. From this old map you can see how many plantations there were fronting the Mississippi.

Mississippi Plantations - 1858

Laura was a Creole Plantation and was established in late 1700’s by Guillaume Duparc, a French Naval officer. 

Laura Creole Plantation

The house was built in 1804 and four generations of the Duparc women ran the sugar plantation after his death in 1808.  It is documented that the Tales of Br’er Rabbit were written on the property by a visitor who overhead the slaves telling the stories to the children in Creole French. According to Lonely Planet – “Best History Tour in the USA!”

Slaves' Huts and Plantation Bell

 The next stop was the Oak Alley Plantation, named after the quarter mile of 28 Virginia Live Oaks planted about 300 years ago. They formed a magnificent avenue from the mansion creating a deep south’s most spectacular antebellum setting to the Mississippi. 

Oak Alley Plantation

 The house was built in 1837-39, (primarily by slave labor under the direction of the contractor). The Oaks made the house easily recognisable from the river before the levees were built. 

Interior of Oak Alley

However, over the years the house deteriorated, and was saved from demolition early last century and lived in until 1972. The last owners formed a Board of Trustees, and now the house, surrounding gardens, location of slave quarters, lists of slaves and sugar making kettles etc are all part of the experience.

Oak Alley Bedroom

We loved New Orleans. 

Bridges over the Mississippi

 The RV Park was within walking distance of the French Quarter and we walked Bourbon Street in the day....

Bourbon Street

 .....and the night.

The MUSIC!!

We tried the Creole/ Cajun cuisine and ate jambalaya and seafood gumbo, followed with beignets.

Beignets

Did a tour of the city to see the areas of devastation caused by Cyclone Katrina in 2005, 

Lots of New Houses - Funded by Brad Pitt

 ....and learnt why bodies are buried in above ground cemeteries. 

Above Ground Crypts

 We took ourselves on the trams to see the garden district (very “flash” homes)....

Homes of the Garden District

 and walked the riverfront with the steamboats and huge road bridges.

Paddle Boat on the Mississippi

Lots of live music day and night and we would stop in to listen, to eat and have a cold beer in the air conditioning.

Canal St. Tram to the River

 The French gave the Statue of Jeanne d’Arc affectionately known as Joany on a Pony. 

Joany on a Pony

Garry loved this artwork in the Sculpture Park at the Museum

Sculpture - Can you count them?

 I liked the many footpath dogs.

Footpath Dogs

For mile after mile the motorways that go west and north to Memphis are built on concrete piles through the swamps. They look like continuous low bridges running parallel. It must have been very interesting building them....

Motorways built over the swamps

...as also the power lines.

Not a lot of ground clearing required

 So to Graceland and Memphis. 

Graceland Entrance

We were now in our fourth week of century temperatures in Fahrenheit and just needed the AC comfort of all the museums at Elvis’ theme park. 

Graceland Mansion

They were interesting and well done and the RV Park was next door.

Elvis' Pink Cadillac

We took advantage of the Sun Studio Shuttle that took you into the city (if you visited the Studio). Sam Phillips set up the studio to record the Blues and other music he liked. When Elvis appeared he recorded a couple and then sold his contract to RCA in Nashville for around $40,000. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins all started at Sun too. 

Sun Studios, Memphis

 We stayed in town to visit Beale Street,

Beale Street, Memphis

 the Mississippi riverfront 

Mississippi River, Memphis

 and the National Civil Rights Museum located in the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

Lorraine Hotel, Memphis

 We spent more than three hours in the museum, brilliantly presented showing step by step (up until 1980’s) the struggle of the southern African Americans to have any rights, let alone equal rights. 

Non violent marches of 60's and 70's, often ended in police brutality.

We crossed the street and were presented with another hour detailing the shooting. It left us wondering. James Earl Ray died in prison in 1998 so I guess we will never know the truth of the possibility of a conspiracy.

Sniper's View 

 Nashville was our next stop and we booked three nights at a park a couple of miles from The Grand Ole Opry. 

Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville

 We booked tickets for Tuesday night's show and really enjoyed it. Blue grass star, Ricky Skaggs was very entertaining with the band of various instruments. Jim Ed Brown who sang "The Three Bells" with his sisters in the late 50's, sang it solo (All the chapel bells were ringing, Was a great day in his life.....little Jimmy Brown). So after these two "oldies but goodies" there was young , vibrant, blonde Sarah Darling, and she was good.

Jim Ed Brown

 We spent the next day downtown (July 4) at the air conditioned RCA Studios 

He recorded at RCA. Without his dark glasses do you recognise him?

... and took our time in the  Country Music Hall of Fame Museum until it closed at 5.00, mainly because the temperature was still over 100 on the Fahrenheit scale. 

Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville

 So we wandered down to Broadway and the crowds were really gathering. 

Broadway, Nashville, July 4

We stopped in at a couple of bars, Legends and then Tootsies, both with bands and country singers 

Legends Bar

before we bought a slice of pizza each (enough for dinner) from one of the food outlets, found a wooden park bench (hundreds were back from the stage) and shared the evening 's celebrations on the riverbank, with 100,000 Americans.

Stage on the Riverbank, July 4

 Sarah Darling was on the program and The Mavericks were the headline act before 40 minutes of fireworks Of course all those people had to get home too and most had driven into the city and didn't want to be home too late as there was work tomorrow, so we waited and waited for the shuttle, watching the gridlocked traffic and eventually got back to camp by midnight. 

Fireworks over the Cumberland River, Nashville, July 4

  We'd been told we had to visit the Gaylords Oprylands Resort. Well it "blew us away".   

Entrance to Opryland Resort

Bigger than any casino on the Strip at Las Vegas, the five storey hotel balconies looked out onto gardens, trees, waterfalls, fountains, cafes and restaurants.     

Oprylands Water Gardens

 All were covered with a huge roof of glass giving an outdoor feeling, but all air conditioned. Not one area like this but three and all accessible.

Cascades and Restaurants

 We wandered for nearly two hours to see it all and had a coffee break - even chatted to a couple of the gardeners about their "cushy" job, no heat, no dust ,no wind and no insects. Cascades was one area, then the Garden Conservatory but the Delta even had a half hour, flat bottomed boat cruise among the gardens and waterfalls.

Boat Trip around Opryland

 And so to shopping (another area of AC comfort), Opry Mills. The shopping centre, (only recently reopened),like the Resort and Opry Theatre, were all flooded in 2010 with over a metre of water (the 100+ year flood). I finally bought some sandals and Croc thongs as the sale said buy two and get the third pair free (Independence Day sales).

"Batman" Building in Nashville

We noticed we had a flat tyre, one of the dual back wheels when we arrived in Nashville, and were able to have it seen to the next morning. Garry was keen to have a full service and the Tyre Guy recommended a fellow. After chatting to him and finding out he was an RVer too, we booked it in for the following week.

So that gave us a few days to visit The Hermitage (originally a Cotton Plantation), home of the seventh President, Andrew Jackson, otherwise known as Old Hickory,

The Hermitage

Jackson was the general who led 2000 (volunteers, Indians, French) against the English at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 - ("they fired their guns and the British kept a-coming, there wasn't as many as there was a while ago"....re Johnny Horton), still regarded as one of America's stunning military victories, with the loss of only 13 men. The Natchez Trace follows the route they took, now a no commercial vehicle scenic byway. So we drove south, stopping at the Loveless Cafe to try southern fried chicken and catfish.

Southern fried chicken, ham,catfish with beans and sweet potato at the Loveless Cafe

 

We stayed at Montgomery Bell State Park for a night which was really quiet and had tall shady trees. But we had to get back to civilization and hook into cable TV so we could see the Wimbledon final.Most Americans I spoke to neither knew it was on, or that Serena was playing - which I found surprising.

The men's final was delayed broadcast and skipped bits. We saw the results on the internet. Andy was good but Federa is the master.

That afternoon a big storm cell came over. We dashed out and succeeded in saving the annex and got soaked. It felt good after being so hot for so long. The temp. dropped 20 degrees and has been comfortable since.

After the storm

Sunday nights at this camp have a regular entertainer. Paul Hill was really good and sang a good mixture for two hours
Now we're having a couple of quiet days to catch up editing photos, writing the diary, typing this and doing a few adjustments to the van (darker shades in the bedroom, new venetian blind for the dinette and re-organising cupboards.

Our C Class RV is not big by comparison. Many have huge A Class and they are like big buses. They tow a small car for "running around" when they set up. I've included a photo of one we saw in case you didn't see it on F Book.

A Class RV and the Mini

So next stop is Chattanooga of Choo Choo fame. It takes us across towards the Smokey Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway north.