Beale Street and BB

Memphis ...  Beale Street and BB King ... we did it all ... and loved every minute of it.

Today, we traveled from Knoxville to Memphis in beautiful sunny weather.  Tennessee is a gorgeous state.  We did take a 16 mile detour off I40-W. We never did find the restaurant that was supposed to be 8.5 miles off the interstate ... and wasn't ...  but it was worth it, since the drive was spectacular ... green lush countryside everywhere we looked. Our poor GPS lady was repeatedly "recalculating," but we continued to ignore her!  We ended up at a restaurant that served fried baloney sandwiches .. only in Tennessee. Ed was in hog heaven!

We reached Memphis about 3:30.  Our hotel was right across the street from the Fed Ex Forum and around the corner from Beale Street.  After changing into shorts and tank tops (it was 97 degrees here), we headed for Mecca ... Beale Street.

First stop: BB King's ... for a quick drink ... only to learn the music didn't start until 6 or so.  So on to Silky's O'Sullivan Bar ... only in Memphis can you find a "Blues bar" with an Irish theme ... check out Ed's glass.

There was live music at Silky's, but sitting outside in the patio in 97 degree weather got old in a hurry. We left there and were lured into King's Palace Cafe for Happy Hour in the air conditioned bar. We had a delightful bartender who had no front teeth ... top or bottom.  I understood about 50% of what he said.  Ed claimed to understand 75%.  He was a nice man, but wiped his nose with the side of his hand and then put a lime into Ed's vodka tonic. Sorry, Ed. I should have told you sooner!

About 5:30, the live music started with David Bowen singing and playing guitar.  He was really good, so were faced with a dilemma. What to do since Ed's dream was to eat at BB King's House of Blues and listen to music there.  Not wanting to betray BB, we skipped across the street to his establishment, only to find a couple of young white men playing rock.  Say what?  We were in Memphis .... where were the Blues???  We left (sorry, BB) and headed back to King's Palace and spent the next 2 hours listening to David play and sing wonderful blues music ... Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, BB King, the Temptations, etc. We are even bringing home an autographed copy of David's CD ... at $15, quite a deal I'm sure. The night was everything Ed had hoped it would be .. and more.  At one point, Ed left (I thought he went to the bathroom).  When he came back, he told me he had gone outside and tried to get people to come inside.  Ever the huckster!  Hey, BECOTS ... a trip to Beale Street might be just the ticket for the next Convention!


It's amazing how many bars there are on Beale Street ... all with music ... and alcohol of course.  I wonder how many other talented musicians there were that we missed ... somehow, we didn't feel deprived.

A little bit of rain chased away the street acrobats and some spectators, but it did bring out the folks in their weird rain outfits. Where DID those people find them? Do they sell those outfits at the street bars? People watching ... doesn't get much better. It was a fabulous night.  We love Memphis .. and especially Beale Street.  


Tomorrow ... Graceland and Elvis!

On the Road to Knoxville with Big Eddie

Our few idyllic days in North Carolina drew to an end this morning when we found ourselves sitting on the patio at Joe and Mary Jane's house enjoying a beautiful, cool, sunny morning reminiscing one last time about the 57 years that Joe and my husband have known each other and the resulting 45+ years that Mary Jane and I have been friends as a result of Ed and Joe's friendship.

Neither Joe nor Ed remember how they met .. just that they were neighbor boys who lived a block apart, were the same age (but a year apart in school) and went to different schools, yet formed a lifelong bond of friendship.  Whenever weather permitted, they played sandlot baseball or basketball together from sunup to sundown.  They ate meals at each other's houses ... considered each other's mother their "second mom" ... challenged other local kids to pickup ball games, were in each other's wedding one month apart 45 + years ago, and had eldest daughters born 3 days apart.  There were lots of laughs as they reminisced about the homemade basketball hoop they built up at the local school yard that no school official took down until years later; the song they planned to write that would result in their making it big ... if only either one of them could sing; the slide guitar that Joe learned how to play in 4th grade (not exactly a rock 'n roll instrument!);  and, of course, the hours and hours of ball they played in the neighborhood schoolyard, making their own rules (anything hit off the first floor school windows was a single, second floor was a double, etc.); and finally ending with my husband telling Joe, "I've never said this to you before, buddy, but I love you."  It was a touching moment that was capped off this morning when, as we left, Joe said, "Ed, I love you too."  Mary Jane and I were already tearing up.  That iced it for us.  We left with promises to visit more often ... words we always say.  I hope we follow up on them more regularly.

After a short drive around the neighborhood, we were on our way headed for our overnight stay in Knoxville, TN.  We took the short drive around the neighborhood because we were already lost, having turned the wrong way out of the driveway without realizing it.  We double backed, hoping if the neighbors or Joe and Mary Jane saw us, they would just think we were taking a last look at their lovely surroundings.  Early into our drive, the car on the road in front of us seemed to be an omen of some sort ... don't you love personalized license plates?

Our trip went fairly smoothly (she says with tongue in cheek).  North Carolina is a beautiful state.  Green and lush with trees and vinecovered wooded areas along the highways.  As we approached Asheville, NC, I remembered Shiela, a friend of ours, recommending that we stop at the Biltmore Estate if we had the opportunity.  It's on Shiela's bucket list, so I knew it had to be worth a stop (she's got a fine sense of the spectacular).  We pulled in at 2:30 and I went in to buy tickets.  Ed gave me $20 - we figured that would be plenty! LOL. Anybody know anything about the Vanderbilts?  George Washington Vanderbilt built the Biltmore Estate and the Vanderbilts were the seventh wealthiest family in history.  


The ticket docent asked me how long we had.  I told him we were heading to Knoxville, but could probably spare an hour or two.  He smiled at me gently and said, "You need 3-5 hours to go through the house .. 8 if you want to do the entire estate!"  I asked how much tickets were and he said "$59 each until 11 p.m. tonight but they're good all day today and tomorrow."  I think he thought he was giving me a deal.  


I told him my husband was in the car and that I'd go check if we had 3-5 hours .. I hoped he didn't see the $20 folded into my palm as I turned and left the building. 


As we pulled out of the Biltmore Estate grounds, I remarked that we could at least tell Shiela that we did make the stop ... no sense in letting her know we never saw anything more than the ticket booth!  By the way, we weren't the only ones turning around and leaving.


Shortly after that stop, Ed asked me if I would mind driving for a while.  We switched places and I played the role of the good wife ... "Of course, I don't mind, Honey.  You've been driving for 1500+ miles already.  Have a nice nap."  And off we went.  Little did I know what lay ahead.


About 10 minutes after I started driving .. just as we entered the Smokey Mountain range of I40 West, it started to rain.  I wasn't too alarmed but I wouldn't have been surprised to see animals passing me by .. two of everything .... and a funny little guy with a long white beard pulling a boat behind his camper with a license plate reading "AnimalsRUs."  Just sayin'.


It rained and blew and rained and blew for the next 2 1/2 hours.  It was as dark out as if it were night, and the road was winding up and down the mountain similar to the children's game of Chutes and Ladders. There are 4 conditions under which I don't like to drive: rain, night, mountain roads, and over bridges.  I had 3 out of the 4 conditions going  .... and there was Ed reclining in the passenger seat next to me, probably being lulled by the sound of the rain on the roof of the car.  


Shortly before we arrived in Knoxville, he awoke and casually observed, "Oh, it's raining again."  We may not see 46 years of marriage.


When we arrived at the hotel, we were happy to find a hotel garage for guests .. even though the roof was leaking!  We dropped our luggage in our room and headed out immediately for some good BBQ at Calhoun's by the River.  We ate and were back in our room by 6:30 p.m.,  in our pj's (well I am!) watching the Stanley Cup Finals and listening to a thunderstorm.   I'm hopeful the system will pass before we depart for Memphis tomorrow, but at this point, I'm hoping we don't have to find Mr. Noah and use him as our guide down the road.


Oh, and shortly before we arrived in Knoxville, I had to drive on a bridge over the river. BINGO!  4 for 4!

Pinehurst NC - Above Par

Beautiful day of golf at Pinehurst Golf Course No. 1.  I'm sure Payne Stewart didn't play it very well his first time either!  While I shot a 115, and would have liked a 105, I'll take it for my first time.  It was 70 degrees when we teed off - 80 when we finished with fairly low humidity and a nice breeze.  The Crepe Myrtles are in bloom and they are beautiful.  Remind me of lilac trees back home.  And where in the heck did that name come from?

Unfortunately, Ed was unable to golf since a flareup of cellulitis in his hands last Friday prevented him from gripping a club without blood pouring from the cuts on his hands. So that just means we have to come back. It didn't stop him from buying a really snazzy looking Payne Stuart golf hat and wearing it around the course.  


A "drink" in the clubhouse (actually called the 91st hole here at Pinehurst) was the perfect end to the day.  Our friends drank iced tea and I drank a glass of wine, but Ed decided two double vodka tonics would make up for his not being able to golf today (we did feel sorry for him!).  Imagine the shock when the $46 bill came ... $28.30 for his two double vodka tonics.  Never again will I take crap from him about the cost of a glass of Merlot!  He has moved into the realm of "expensive date."


We are going to an early dinner tonight at Bonefish, a local restaurant that is a favorite of our hosts. I'm hoping it isn't descriptive of any of the fish that we might order there.  


We head out mid morning tomorrow for Knoxville, TN, for the next leg of our trip.  Our destination is Memphis where we plan to visit BB King's House of Blues on Beale Street and then tour Graceland.  Traveling for this length of time is a challenge.  Fortunately, there have been laundry facilities first in Pgh at Ed's sister's house and now at our friends' house here in Pinehurst, NC, so we're both still wearing clean underwear.  


Toodle-oo from Pinehurst.  We'll report in tomorrow night from Knoxville, Tennessee, once known as the Underwear Capital of the World (hopefully all clean - are you noticing a theme here?)