Friday December 3rd

     Memphis Baby!  We've been here before and were looking forward to our return.

We waited until after rush hour and headed to the visitor center near Riverside Drive near Mud Island.  We decided to be "true" tourists and sign up for the 1:30 p.m. City Tour.

With a few hours to kill, we walked the few blocks into the downtown area to have breakfast at the Blue Plate Diner.  The season's first taste of true southern grits, biscuits and gravy warms the soul.  Leaving the diner, we cross the street to walk through a small park overrun with squirrels running up and down the trees and across the grass.

Strolling down historic Main Street, we decide to take a ride on a trolley, not unlike the ones we used to have in Pittsburgh way back when.  We hop aboard the Riverside Loop, a wooden trolley the operator said was over a hundred years old.  It clicked and clacked down Main then tuned down to Riverside Drive along the Mississippi River.

The road was lined with "riverview" apartments and condos, old shops and homes.  Eventually, the track looped around to the southern part of Main Street and turned north toward our original starting point.   Along Main Street, we passed the Orpheum Theater, where Elvis used to bring family and friends to see movies.  In true Elvis style, he rented the entire theater when he wanted to watch a flick.

After walking back to the visitor center, we were picked up by the tour operator, for what turned out to be a private tour. 

We visited St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Stax Records, Sun Studio, Graceland, the site of Dr. King's assination, mansions, stopped for a beer and some blues at The Juke Joint on Beale Street and then finished up with the "March of the Ducks" at the Peabody Hotel.

After the tour, around 6:00 p.m., we headed back to the motor coach to feed Mia and let her do her "thing".

Around 7:30 p.m. it was time to head back to Beale Street and the Rum Boogie Cafe for some Gumbo, beer and blues.

What a great night in a great town.  Tomorrow we mosey on down toward New Orleans.