Second Big Surprise - Nashville!

A view of one section of downtown Nashville from the Pedestrian Truss Bridge that spans the Cumberland River over 3,000 feet.

A full size replica of the Parthenon dominates the
large Centennial Park. Bult in 1897 it's now an 
art museum.

A section of Broadway, home to endless numbers
of music venues and restaurants.

That's the view of the State Capitol
Building, one of the few without a
dome (from our tour bus)

 

Roswell was the first and then Nashville. We were expecting a city like Memphis - lots of great music but kind of rundown. Instead it was rather like what it claims "The Athens of the South", and a gleaming modern high rise city, clearly growing and prospering. We only had one day so decided to take the On and Off Bus around the city. We mostly stayed on as it takes over 2 hours. Mid way we fell for the sales pitch from the driver and ate lunch at the Farmer's Market. It reminded us of Quincy Market both in architecture and the variety of vendors. We chose a Korean stand and had Bibimbap bowls, excellent.

We then took a walk downtown and across the Pedestrian Bridge that spans the river. Built in 1909 it was closed to vehicular traffic in 1998 and refurbished for bicycles and pedestrians.  Then it was time for the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's a very modern museum with multi media presentations illustrating the history of country music through the years. But it also illustrated one other major difference between Memphis and Nashville - the latter is very white! Not only in the Museum but seen around the city. And country music claims a lot of musicians that we wouldn't think of as country - Bob Dylan, most folk musicians (again, the white ones) and a lot of rock & roll groups. OK, there is always cross overs in inspiration and derivation.

There were long streets full of recording studios and companies! We saw two big universities right downtown - Vanderbilt and Belmont had beautiful campuses. Museums were everywhere - lots featuring artists like Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash but there were several Art Museums, the National Museum of African American Music (separate but equal?), and the Tennessee State Museum. 

We saw a number of old industrial complexes 
turned into boutique shops, bars etc. 

Modern and Classical sculpture graced many
parks and street corners.

This fountain is in front of their Symphony Hall.

Written material, artifacts, costumes and film
illustrated each time period.

The building was very modern - like many new
museums, you started at the top and walked down
gradually.

But the Country Music Hall of Fame was very entertaining with lots of videos of performers. We particularly liked the early music of the Appalachians and derivations from the European traditions.  But soon it was time to meet our shuttle back to the KOA Nashville. For only $10 each we were picked up at our resort and brought back - saving a lot of money and trouble parking in the city. The KOA was very nice and our second night we enjoyed the live entertainment at the poolside. The couple (sorry forgot their names) are on U Tube and have several albums out. They were very good! Our first night we ate out at a local steak restaurant - nice after our long 10 hour drive from our emergency stop visit to the Creek Golf and RV Resort in Cave Springs, Arkansas. 

The KOA's pool - nice but either filled with kids
or on this evening, threatened thunderstorms.

Our entertainers at the Nashville KOA

But we were off again the next day for one night at another KOA in Baileyton, TN - not much to say  like most KOAs, clean and attractive. It was half way between Nashville and our next two night stop at Walnut Hills Campground in Staunton, VA.  But that's my next post!

This was the only photo I took at the Creek Golf & RV Resort where we stayed for 2 nights while Junior was getting repaired. A gorgeous sunset after pouring rain and wind.

Family Time, the Total Eclipse and a Dead Stop

Scott put film over this phone to take
this photo. 

Uzi, Heather and Shira viewing the eclipse by the pool in their
backyard in Dallas

Uzi, Scott, Heather & Shira

We combined both this year. At last year's Stellafane Convention in Springfield, VT we saw a presentation on Solar Eclipses by a noted astronomer and vowed to see the next one. Easy peasy as it was visible both in Vermont and in Dallas, TX where our oldest son Josh has a home. We visit them every year now on our travels west. In the past that's been on the way out, but we timed our next stay during the solar eclipse on April 8. It was amazing and for us, very easy. We just set up in their backyard in Dallas and watched the spectacle. 

Total eclipse at Lake Willoughby

Sean, Will and 11 friends went up to Northern Vermont to
view the eclipse, after spending the weekend at our 
home in Shrewsbury, VT. 

Our son Sean and his friends had a different experience, along with many in the northeast. The weather in northern Vermont was clear and they had a wonderful view, but then they had to join the thousands and thousands driving south. All hotels were full on the way and they have an electric car - "long, long, long lines at the chargers". They left Lake Willoughby around 4 PM and got to Boston at 5:30 AM! And with a 9 month old baby on board.

Josh, Michal and Scott up in the Penthouse of 
their apartment in Tulsa for a party. It was the 
opening day at the Oneok Field, home to the
Tulsa Drillers. 

Watching the game from the Penthouse is like
having a private box.  It's a lounge, game room,
kitchen with decks for everyone that lives there.

Our son Josh has 5 children but only 2 of them are with he and Michal now. Daniel and Cookie are both at Columbia University and their third Maya, now in London, has been accepted by Columbia for next year. Like Cookie, she still had one more year to finish high school in England, but got accepted anyway. That means they have had to take all their A levels (graduation exams) a year early. We're pretty proud of all of them. The last two, Jonathan "Uzi" and Shira are at the University School in Tulsa, OK, near where Josh works as a Radiation Oncologist. Uzi graduates this year from 8th grade and they and Michal are moving to NYC to finish school there at the New School in Manhattan. Josh only works 3 or 4 days a week so he'll commute. They've done this before in London and Costa Rica and it works for them. Hard to imagine - but the results are wonderful. 

Scott got a virtual haircut at the Greenwood Rising
Black Wall Street History Center

Josh and Scott at the Philbrook Art Museum

The Philbrook Art Museum, opening in 1939 in the 1920s villa of Waite & Genevieve Philbrook. When Josh and family lived full time in Tulsa they had a home just a block away. 

So after our long weekend in Dallas, we spent the rest of our 10 day visit in Tulsa. I really love this city and will be sorry they are leaving. We visited the Philbrook Museum of Art, the Black Wall Street History Center, the Botanical Gardens and lots of time at The Gathering. We stayed at the Warrior RV Park right in Tulsa which was convenient but very basic. That's OK as we spent most of our time with our family. 

Lighting the candles on Shabbat

Walking around Tulsa - great weather during out
visit.

There is so much to do in The Gathering - here
the garden of mirrors.

Shira and I hide in the giant stem garden

Shira and Scott made my birthday cake - 
celebrated a few days early on our 45th wedding
anniversary1

So now - the Dead Stop! It happened in Centerton, Arkansas. We were on our way to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art when our RV brakes came on suddenly. Luckily we were coming up to a red light and I was able to pull over on the side of the road. Then the motor revved up to 4,000 rpms at idle.  Scott fiddled around and finally it seemed to stop. So we continued on. A few miles later the motor revved up again and we almost came to a stop. Luckily there was a parking lot right there to pull into - a Verizon Store (how appropriate for this Verizon Retiree). 

Many calls and hours later we got a tow company to bring Junior to a dealership and Baby to a RV park. We spent the next day waiting impatiently for news from the service department. We had to cancel our reservations in Little Rock. Finally we got the call and good news! It will be ready this afternoon and we decided to drive direct to Nashville tomorrow. That will put us back on schedule. It's 8 hours and 12 minutes Google time - longer than we've ever attempted. It will take us 10 to 11 hours.

Two problems combined to cause our situation. The emergency brakes on the RV came on due to faulty wiring. The sudden stop forced the plastic floor cover forward and over the end of the gas pedal. We vacuumed Junior in Tulsa the day before and evidently didn't put it back correctly. It happened again a little later and that's the answer. They fixed the emergency RV brake system and the floor cover - and a long standing engine light service problem as well. So we're off as early as possible tomorrow.  More news in my next blog!

Shira models a parasol at the gift shop
at the Botanical Gardens

They had a Lego art installation showing there - animals in all
colors and sizes - totally in Legos.  Here's a American Bald
Eagle in Pride colors.

This was a larger than life size zebra!

Walking in Memphis but no Beale Street Blues

 From Lake Catherine State Park in Hot Springs, we drove east to West Memphis, Arkansas and the Tom Sawyer RV Park. What an interesting place! You go down a country road along the Mississippi Dike and then turn left onto a private road that crosses the dike and meanders along the river. We were warned online that this park sometimes closes due to flooding. Well, I guess so! It must be totally underwater at times. The campsite is at water level at this time and a sign on the two-story laundry/bathroom shows the height of one flood (see photo below). 

As you can see, we are right along the Mississippi and it was a lovely day and probably close to 70 degrees. We enjoyed dinner outside at our picnic table that night - it hasn't happened often..

We settled into our campsite right along the river edge and detached our trailer. We wanted to spend the afternoon across the river in Memphis. Our first stop was the Visitor's Center, open for a change with maps and the usual brochures. It's located right on the river near a park with playgrounds and bike/walking paths. It was easy to find a public parking lot near Beale St. which is partially blocked off from traffic. There was a pretty good crowd for a Sunday afternoon but there were signs that it would be ramping up in the evening. We loved people watching as it was a very diverse crowd - definitely more integrated than anyplace we've seen since Chula Vista and New Orleans. A few street musicians were tuning up but there were lots of venues for live music later. We had already consumed a good lunch and had a dinner planned back at our trailer, so couldn't enjoy the BBQ, although it smelled great. We had been eating out it seemed almost every day recently so wanted to cut back.

Busy Beale Street, Memphis

Later we drove around the downtown area, enjoying the 19th Century Victorian Village, although there were very few houses, they were quite nice. Several have been made into museums but as often true, they were closed. By the way, the mask etiquette here was about 50/50, although the stores/restaurants asked patrons to put them on. 

The Mallory-Neely House features stained glass windows and 19th Century furniture.

What a great treat it was to have dinner outside at our picnic table and watch the barges go mostly upstream and slow against the strong current. We were also able to do a load of laundry. Although there was only cold water and we had to run the dryer twice - the washer/dryers were free - a first on our trip (except of course, at friends' homes). The next morning we enjoyed a good sunrise before tackling the morning chores getting the trailer ready and hitching it up. We are off next to the Jesse Owens Park and Museum in Oakville, Alabama. 

A barge goes up river in front of our RV

That high watermark means that the entire 
campground was underwater in 2011.

The bridge over the Mississippi from Arkansas to
Tennessee

The waterfront park on the Memphis side

The start of the historic Beale Street in Memphis

This fashionable young lady was 
dressed with a look for the Memphis
heyday - poodle skirt, white socks and
shoes and a big bow. She loved having
her picture taken.

Historic A. Schwab Store

These signs taught us a lot of history - this one
was very surprising - the role of the Chinese
immigrants on Beale Street and Memphis in
 general. Another detailed the contributions that
Danny Thomas made in establishing the St. Jude
Hospital and Research Center in downtown
Memphis.

Colorful murals are now common in many towns
we have visited and add so much.

BB King and so many other great
musicians have played and 
recorded here. The notes on the
sidewalks name each one.

The Woodruff Fontaine House Museum features
fashion and textiles from the Victorian Era to the
1920's. 

The sun lit up the far shore at sunrise

Dawn over the Mississippi. We never did learn the reason for the platforms in the trees. There were no ladders leading up. Could they be refuges during the flooding?

Hot Springs National Park on Heather's Birthday

 The best birthday present was that our oldest son Joshua, who we had just seen two days earlier for our anniversary dinner, surprised us by driving all the way to Hot Springs, Arkansas to be with us on my birthday. And it was a lovely day. We spent two nights at Lake Catherine State Park about 20 minutes out of Hot Springs so we'd have a full day to explore the National Park and City. Josh joined us for breakfast at our trailer (after he'd spent the remainder of the night before in his Tessla plugged in next to us!). Then we hiked a 2-mile trail to a waterfall and back before heading into Hot Springs. 

Josh and Heather on the trail at Lake Catherine State Park, outside of Hot Springs

The National Park is right in the city and around it. This was by some standards the First National Park - it was declared a National Recreation Site by Congress in 1832, and it was the first time land had been set aside for recreational use. It received its National Park status in 1921. The town became a famous "spa" but also the home of Major League Baseball Spring Training, illegal gambling, speakeasies, and gangsters such as Al Capone.

This was the original entrance to the series of trails and road up the mountain behind Bathhouse Row,. The springs were originally open and people sat in the pools, but after concerns over sanitation (and probable interest in charging money for their use), they were mostly covered and the water brought down into the bathhouses. 

Bathhouse Row is a National Historic Landmark District. Only two of the bathhouses still operate as Spas, the rest are hotels, restaurants, and the Visitor's Center. The Springs flow down from the mountain that looms over the town. A series of trails wind around the mountain and up to the top, where there is an Observation Tower 65.8 meters tall, and an elevator brings you to the top two floors where there is a museum and an open deck. After a scrumptious brunch at Hotel Hale, which is in one of the historic bathhouses, we climbed to the top. Great views!

The Fordyce Bathhouse, built in 1910 now serves as the Park's Visitor Center, but like all the others in the National Parks system, it is closed for COVID.

During the day I enjoyed birthday greetings from family and friends. We had originally planned to eat out for dinner but rather exhausted by two hikes and even more walking, we were happy to relax at our campsite for the evening. We hated to say goodbye to Josh but were so happy he could make it. The next day we headed east again to Memphis. More on my next post.

The Power Plant across the lake is actually beautiful at night. This is a close-up. It appears in the below photo on the left, just behind a tree.

Sunrise at Lake Catherine State Park

Lake Catherine had many trails to chose from but we were glad we decided to see the waterfall.

West Mountain starts right behind the main street
on the opposite side from the Bathhouses and is
part of the park with more trails and campgrounds

There are a few open hot springs
now for visitors to see. The water
is really hot - 143 degrees F

My brunch meal at the Hale Hotel, formerly one
of the historic bathhouses - Eggs Sardou.

The view from the top of the tower. One thing we were very impressed by was the amount of information on the influence and prevalence of African Americans in this area. From almost the beginning of hot springs use here there were bathhouses run by and exclusively used by black Americans. We are always interested to see that both the history of African Americans and Native Americans is being brought out at National and State Parks and museums. 

This is the view into the old section of the Hot Springs Developed area. A lot of what you see here is Park land.