…Sunny, 81 degrees on the shores of the Mississippi…Memphis was the latest course correction.

The polar vortex is killing us. We’re stalled in the south waiting for the weather to warm up the so we can trend north and east…

All signs point to it hitting us in the next day or two, so the plan is to follow the rising temperatures as the cold abates over the weekend.

Woke up to a splendid dawn, tug boats already plying the river. Given the size and number of these barges in a single load there is some real skill getting these up the river.

Spent the day in Memphis. Starting with the pilgrimage to Graceland.

Koko didn’t see the ghost while walking…neither did I.  But the wall was filled with graffiti from all manner of prior pilgrims

Next stop was downtown. I’ve read about Beale Street for decades and finally walked the blues walk. It was early in the day so none of the excesses it is *so* known for were visible. But all the signage from all the stories were. From BB Kings place to the Coyote Ugly and all points between.

Hunger finally hit. We ended up getting…ribs and deep fried dill pickles! What else makes any sense?

All along Beale Street there are notes embedded in the sidewalk, much like the stars on Hollywood Boulevard…even one of Koko’s long lost  relatives.

There is the fabulous park down on the river. Long trail that goes from one end of town to the other. At the far end was was largest pyramid I’ve ever seen outside of Egypt is on the Mississippi. Behold…

 

the Ra king  no make that Bass Pro Pyramid. Even orientated properly? Who knew that both Memphis-es (or whatever is plural for Memphis) on the river would sport similar structures. One designed for gods in the afterlife, the other…not so much so, a fish. It may explain why the priority of things in the South aren’t what you would expect.

Tomorrow should find us headed for the Grand Ole’ Opry for a couple of days, only some 222 miles down range from here. Let’s hope the northeast weather situation warms up.