We arrived in Memphis yesterday afternoon after a 320 mile run. A long day but the roads are mainly long straight - and boring!

Went to BB Kings for dinner and watched two ‘sets’ - the first being better than the second! Andy had shrimp ‘n grits and Lin had chicken wings. All very southern. Being Sunday evening Beale Etreet which is the central attraction in Memphis was busy, brash and noisy! The modes of dress worn mainly by women made us wonder whether they had looked in a mirror or asked a friend! But that’s Beale Street. Suffice to say there was a police ‘presence’!

Today was planned. Breakfast at a local diner - Andy had eggs benedict (his favourite), but without the various sides of hash browns, grits etc etc. Lin had three pancakes with butter and syrup - large fluffy jobs and obviously far too much! Tomorrow we will share!

Then a walk to the Civil Rights Museum housed in a new building adjacent to the motel where. Martin Luther King was shot. A moving experience and it brought back a lot of what we had heard and read about growing up in the 60s but with more meaning and our better understanding. From there on to Sun Studio which we decided to defer because the tour might not give us time to get to our pre booked tour of Graceland.

Took an Uber! Arrived too early (obviously) and had a drink and a chicken Cross Ant (American pronunciation) and a wander round the Presley motor museum of all his cars, looked at his planes and visited the shops. Andy had to buy a T shirt!! Eventually our time arrived and we then watched a 7 minute film before standing outside in line for 40 minutes to get a bus to the mansion for our tour. He’s been dead for 42 years and they still can’t organise it any better! Eventually, we were given an iPad (perhaps loaned is a better word) and headset which provided a commentary for the tour. Andy’s was faulty (of course) but he managed to swap it!

The actual tour was quite good and well organised - the mansion still has the original 70s decoration and equipment which made it interesting. Having finally got a bus back - after a shorter wait - we grabbed a cab back to Sun Studio.

Here we lucked in to a tour that wa just starting. This small studio recorded many blues artists as well as being the birthplace of rock ‘n roll, recording Howlin’ Wolf, Elvis’ first record, Roy Orbison and many others. It is still used as a studio in the evenings and has the original floor, original acoustic tiles on the walls and the original lights! An amazing place and we had a great guide!

Andy had to buy a t shirt!

So, we’re out to dinner again tonight and then off to. Nashville tomorrow

So, as they say in these parts, y’all have a great day now