The Wild Hogs!
What a great trip we had with Larry and his brother Rudy traveling cross country on the bikes! Larry and Rudy shipped their bikes to Crystal River then flew out to join us for this cross country adventure! We left Crystal River on the morning of May 1st. And the only rain we hit during the trip - was in Florida and on our first day. Go figure! First stop Dothan, AL where we stayed in this old golf course/country club that basically had fallen on bad times. But not totally dilapidated! The guys did get to hit some balls on the driving range.
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Next stop, (after a visit to the Waffle House) was Montgomery, AL. We got a little taste of the Confederate history and the Civil Rights Museum with the stunning fountain dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. Around the rim of the fountain's edge are listed the events in chronological order during the civil rights movement era. The water skims the top and slides down to the base. The museum was very moving.
Day 3 - (after a visit to the Waffle House) Columbus, Mississippi. I had to see an antebellum home. Oh goody - found one! It was off the beaten path and charming. Huge live oaks and magnolia trees. The Waverley Plantation. We had a private tour with the caretaker. He was strange.................
No, not the caretaker. That's Rudy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then a beautiful drive on the Natchez Trace. A must ride for those with a motorcycle.
Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee..........love Paul Simon AND Elvis!
A little history. Graceland was once part of a 500-acre farm that was owned by the S.E. Toof family. The land had been part of the family for generations and was named after one of the female relatives, Grace. According to Graceland history, in 1939, Grace's niece, Ruth Brown Moore and her husband, Dr. Thomas Moore, built the mansion, which became well-known to the locals of Memphis. The Moore's daughter, Ruth Marie, was musically accomplished and became a harpist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Classical recitals in the front formal rooms were common, just as rock 'n' roll and gospel jam sessions would be after the next owner moved in.
In the spring of 1957, when Elvis Presley was 22, he purchased the home and grounds for just over $100,000. The previous year had been a whirlwind - it was Elvis' first year of super-stardom including historic network television appearances, record-breaking live performances and armloads of gold record awards. At the time he bought Graceland, Elvis was working on his second motion picture, "Loving You," with "Jailhouse Rock" to follow, just the beginning of a long film career for Elvis Presley.
I took a lot of pictures there....................but you are just going to have to see it for yourself.
Beale Street - music central for Memphis.
After another damn visit to Waffle House (I just can't do it anymore! I'm going to weigh a ton!), we drive on to Little Rock, Arkansas to see the William J. Clinton Presidential Library located on the Arkansas River. I was always a fan of the Clintons, and even more so after visiting that Presidential Library. There are binders with their daily schedule broken down to 15 minute increments! They were busy and did some awesome things for this country and the world. www.clintonlibrary.gov
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library, a part of the National Archives, has been designated as one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly places to work in the United States by the U.S. Green Buildings Council under its Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Program.
The 153,779 sq. ft. Library, designed by architect James Polshek, is the first federal building to receive a platinum rating, the highest in the LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Green Building rating system. Only 29 other buildings in the world have achieved the LEED platinum designation.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas - what a charming Victorian-era town. Lots of turn-of-the (other)-century homes line the hilly streets. Big touristy destination. It was established in the late 1800's when a local doctor claimed his blindness was cured by the waters in the springs. The Crescent Hotel below was originally a "medicinal spa" - to cure all that ails you.
Many of the 27 springs throughout town are located in a cave.
Had a great Mexican dinner here.
Another springs' entrance - some are more elaborate than others.
On my destination "dream list" was the Thorncrown Chapel. Nestled in a woodland setting, Thorncrown Chapel rises forty-eight feet into the Ozark sky. This magnificent wooden structure contains 425 windows and over 6,000 square feet of glass. It sits atop over 100 tons of native stone and colored flagstone, making it blend perfectly with its setting. The chapel's simple design and majestic beauty combine to make it what critics have called "one of the finest religious spaces of modern times." www.thorncrown.com
This chapel took my breath away. Designed by E. Fay Jones, an appreciator of Frank Lloyd Wright's style.
After our visit here, we continued on our trip through the Ozarks which are soft rolling mountains. Next stop Tulsa, Texas, New Mexico, the Four Corners, and then Arizona.
