The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.
Michael Altshuler
One of the most common questions I get is “What do you do when Steve is working?” Well, I definitely learned ways to kill time. One of my favorites is walking around and meeting people; whether it is in a campground, city or a town. I definitely manage to get my steps in. I learn a lot of trivia and I also meet some amazing people.
Today our stop is Memphis, Tennessee. Home of Rock and Roll; Rhythm and Blues; Elvis Presley and BB King to mention only a few of the musicians who recorded records here. Of course Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion being one of the most popular attractions to see. Our original plan was to stop at the Bass Pro Shop because they have WIFI and Steve could have his meeting. Well, that did not work out as it was directly under an overpass!
However, there was a tourist information center about half a mile away so after talking to Vivian, I got permission for him to stay in the parking lot past the allotted time restraints. I know that being pleasant and helpful is part of their jobs at tourist information centres but I have to say that Vivian and, I believe Marcie, were beyond helpful. They were definitely brilliant at their jobs. Now, on the list of things they suggested was to visit the Pyramid.
The Pyramid is 321 Feet tall (98m, about 32 stories) and the base sides are 591 feet. It measures to be the sixth largest pyramid in the world! It is even taller than the Statue of Liberty. Apparently, Memphis was looking for a landmark that would set them apart. It was supposed to rival the Statue of Liberty, and the St. Louis Arch. It is the cities most unique landmark. Built in 1991, it originally was used for entertainment events, including home of the NBA Grizzles for a few years (2001-2004), before it became the worlds largest Bass Pro Shop in 2015.
Inside this Bass Pro was amazing; I mean amazing! It was more than a store, it was an adventure. It houses America’s tallest free-standing elevator (28 stories). At the top there is an observation deck; which allows its spectators a 360 view of Memphis and the Mississippi river. Unfortunately for me because of weather the deck was closed. The restaurant that is up there was open, however it was full. This is all good as I have an extreme fear of heights 😊. It also includes a 103-room hotel with treehouse cabins, three different restaurants. Not to mention the cypress swamp with its alligator pools and duck aviaries. It contains 600,000 gallons of water teeming with over 1,800 fish and even some ducks, but no alligators. See, killing time is easy, and so much fun sometimes!
We did explore a little bit of Memphis together as we checked out Beale Street, ate at Sugar Grits Café, tried a moon pie which is on the list of things to eat in Tennessee. (Don’t have to have another one 😊)
We also found Ghost River Brewing and managed to survive the night at T.O. Fuller State Park during the storm. What a relief it was not to hear the air raid sirens during the night. Apparently, the tornado hit down just 2 hours south of us. Thank you lord, for keeping us safe.