Hi all,
Well we are really all Elvis'd out!
After travelling all day yesterday from East Tennessee to West Tenn. we finally arrived at Heartbreak Hotel opposite Graceland. Yes it's all as tacky as you would imagine! Elvis movies playing non-stop on 2 channels on TV, a souvenir shop in the hotel and big screen movies going in the bar/restaurant.
Today we did a tour of Memphis in the morning and saw some history. Saw the Peabody hotel ducks (if anyone has heard of them). In this upmarket hotel the ducks come down from their penthouse suite and walk to the hotel's fountain in the lobby at 11 am and stay there all day!
This afternoon we did the Graceland tour and it was every bit as over the top as you would imagine! All the tourist things are together here, so we didn't have to travel very far for anything.
Tomorrow we will be up at 5 am to catch the 6:50 am train to New Orleans, which will take all day to get there.
Will write again from there,
Love, Merilyn and Glenn
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
re. Dollywood
Hi again,
Yesterday we travelled to Gatlinburg, which took about 6 hours. It would have been quicker but we got held up on the freeway by an accident after Knoxville, then when we reached Pigeon Forge we struck a car hot rod show! Finally got to our hotel in Gatlinburg about 5 miles from Pigeon Forge. It is right at the foot hills of the Great Smokey Mountains and our hotel is on the Little Pigeon River. Fortunately we are on a street away from the main drag, which is teeming with tourists!
After settling in we went for a walk and took a the chair lift up to the top of the mountain behind Gatlinburg - fantastic view. Had dinner at an Italian restaurant with an American flavour (of course). Everything comes with a bewildering choice.
Today after breakfast we went to an aquarium, just up the road, then went looking for a Laudromat and Post Office - both out of the main part of town. Then back to Pigeon Forge to visit Dollywood. Had lunch then queued for 2 hours to see Ricky Scaggs in concert (which Glenn wanted to see). All blue grass music. It was raining pretty heavily by then so we were glad to get inside. After that we went on a steam train ride. The place closed at 6:00 pm so we were just about the last to leave. We didn't see Dolly, even though people said they had seen her in the morning.
Had dinner at another restaurant in Gat. Nicest meal we've had so far!
Tomorrow we'll be travelling across Tennessee to Memphis.
Bye for now,
Merilyn and Glenn
Yesterday we travelled to Gatlinburg, which took about 6 hours. It would have been quicker but we got held up on the freeway by an accident after Knoxville, then when we reached Pigeon Forge we struck a car hot rod show! Finally got to our hotel in Gatlinburg about 5 miles from Pigeon Forge. It is right at the foot hills of the Great Smokey Mountains and our hotel is on the Little Pigeon River. Fortunately we are on a street away from the main drag, which is teeming with tourists!
After settling in we went for a walk and took a the chair lift up to the top of the mountain behind Gatlinburg - fantastic view. Had dinner at an Italian restaurant with an American flavour (of course). Everything comes with a bewildering choice.
Today after breakfast we went to an aquarium, just up the road, then went looking for a Laudromat and Post Office - both out of the main part of town. Then back to Pigeon Forge to visit Dollywood. Had lunch then queued for 2 hours to see Ricky Scaggs in concert (which Glenn wanted to see). All blue grass music. It was raining pretty heavily by then so we were glad to get inside. After that we went on a steam train ride. The place closed at 6:00 pm so we were just about the last to leave. We didn't see Dolly, even though people said they had seen her in the morning.
Had dinner at another restaurant in Gat. Nicest meal we've had so far!
Tomorrow we'll be travelling across Tennessee to Memphis.
Bye for now,
Merilyn and Glenn
Thursday, September 13, 2007
NQC and more
Hi everyone,
We are just getting ready to leave for Pigeon Forge, which is about 7 hours drive away.
The concerts for the last 2 nights have been fantastic! We had even better seats for these nights - second from the front, close enough to see the artists come in to the stage area to sit and wait for their spot. Last night the concert went for 6 hours! We didn't get back to the motel till 12:40 am.
In the day on Tuesday we went to a shopping mall to find a phone shop to buy a SIM card. We went to a mall near hear - very nice (huge). Finally found a phone shop that could sell us some cards for our phones. So, we are now connected but I have been sending text messages and they don't seem to be getting through. If someone wants to text me my no. is - 5023386266 and you have to put the code for the US before it.
Yesterday we did a tour of Louisville with a lovely lady who was a Christian. We were the only ones on the tour so got special treatment. Part of the tour was going through Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is run. The afternoon was spent just getting ready and going to the Convention Centre.
The freeways are amazing here. Just roads going every where. You have to keep your wits about you to know which direction to go - East or West! There is lots of traffic even at 12:30 in the morning. The weather here is good - a lot cooler than Nashville, not humid at all.
Anyway, got to have some breakfast now.
Love, Merilyn
We are just getting ready to leave for Pigeon Forge, which is about 7 hours drive away.
The concerts for the last 2 nights have been fantastic! We had even better seats for these nights - second from the front, close enough to see the artists come in to the stage area to sit and wait for their spot. Last night the concert went for 6 hours! We didn't get back to the motel till 12:40 am.
In the day on Tuesday we went to a shopping mall to find a phone shop to buy a SIM card. We went to a mall near hear - very nice (huge). Finally found a phone shop that could sell us some cards for our phones. So, we are now connected but I have been sending text messages and they don't seem to be getting through. If someone wants to text me my no. is - 5023386266 and you have to put the code for the US before it.
Yesterday we did a tour of Louisville with a lovely lady who was a Christian. We were the only ones on the tour so got special treatment. Part of the tour was going through Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is run. The afternoon was spent just getting ready and going to the Convention Centre.
The freeways are amazing here. Just roads going every where. You have to keep your wits about you to know which direction to go - East or West! There is lots of traffic even at 12:30 in the morning. The weather here is good - a lot cooler than Nashville, not humid at all.
Anyway, got to have some breakfast now.
Love, Merilyn
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Louisville - NQC
Hi everyone,
Well here we are in Kentucky. Glenn managed to stay on the right side to drive here! We left Nashville on Monday morning at about 10 am and got here at about 12 noon but didn't find our motel for about 1 1/2 hours as the name of the hotel had changed since we made the booking. The freeways here are amazing and you have to know where you are going ie East, west or whatever, otherwise you will find yourself heading in the wrong direction!
I haven't been able to get to a phone shop yet as we have not been near any shops. This motel is in an industrial area. Will try and get to a shopping mall today. Glenn has had the flu again and has been sleeping all the time.
Last night's concert was fantastic and we had great seats, 3 rows from the front and on the aisle where the artists walked down. For those who know the names:- Talleys, the Hoppers, Greater Vision just to name a few. Took lots of photos. The concert started at 6 pm and finished at 11:45 pm. By the time we got back to the motel we were exhausted.
The rental car is very nice and spacious - a Chevy Impala.
The internet is free at this motel - one compensation for being out of town.
Love, Merilyn
Well here we are in Kentucky. Glenn managed to stay on the right side to drive here! We left Nashville on Monday morning at about 10 am and got here at about 12 noon but didn't find our motel for about 1 1/2 hours as the name of the hotel had changed since we made the booking. The freeways here are amazing and you have to know where you are going ie East, west or whatever, otherwise you will find yourself heading in the wrong direction!
I haven't been able to get to a phone shop yet as we have not been near any shops. This motel is in an industrial area. Will try and get to a shopping mall today. Glenn has had the flu again and has been sleeping all the time.
Last night's concert was fantastic and we had great seats, 3 rows from the front and on the aisle where the artists walked down. For those who know the names:- Talleys, the Hoppers, Greater Vision just to name a few. Took lots of photos. The concert started at 6 pm and finished at 11:45 pm. By the time we got back to the motel we were exhausted.
The rental car is very nice and spacious - a Chevy Impala.
The internet is free at this motel - one compensation for being out of town.
Love, Merilyn
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Country Music Capital
Hi everyone,
Well we finally made it to the U.S after a long flight from Sydney to Nashville! About 24 hours by the time we arrived in Nashville! We were very tired and smelly after not having slept hardly and not having had a shower.
The plane took off from Sydney an hour late - we were on the tarmac waiting for President Putin's plane to land apparently. We didn't get the 2 seats at the back but we were given seats in the middle which we had to ourselves i.e. 4 seats across, which was great as we were able to stretch out, at least I was! I was able to sleep but Glenn didn't get much. The plane was not full, the service was really good. For those who know Maria (who was on our flight ) she was already seated in Business Class by the time we got on! So she was well looked after. We didn't see her after the flight as she was transferred to a different terminal in LA.
We finally arrived in Nashville at about 5:30 pm on Friday and got our shuttle bus to our hotel which is out in the Opryland complex about 15 miles out of town. We had tea at a restaurant across the road, before collapsing into bed at 8:30 p.m.!
Today we did a tour of all the Country Music attractions, including the Ryman Theatre we're we had our photo taken on the Stage! Then we went on to the Country Music Hall of Fame, then back to the hotel and lunch nearby at a restaurant. Tonight we are going to a concert at the Grand Ole Opry.
That's all for now,
Love Merilyn and Glenn
Well we finally made it to the U.S after a long flight from Sydney to Nashville! About 24 hours by the time we arrived in Nashville! We were very tired and smelly after not having slept hardly and not having had a shower.
The plane took off from Sydney an hour late - we were on the tarmac waiting for President Putin's plane to land apparently. We didn't get the 2 seats at the back but we were given seats in the middle which we had to ourselves i.e. 4 seats across, which was great as we were able to stretch out, at least I was! I was able to sleep but Glenn didn't get much. The plane was not full, the service was really good. For those who know Maria (who was on our flight ) she was already seated in Business Class by the time we got on! So she was well looked after. We didn't see her after the flight as she was transferred to a different terminal in LA.
We finally arrived in Nashville at about 5:30 pm on Friday and got our shuttle bus to our hotel which is out in the Opryland complex about 15 miles out of town. We had tea at a restaurant across the road, before collapsing into bed at 8:30 p.m.!
Today we did a tour of all the Country Music attractions, including the Ryman Theatre we're we had our photo taken on the Stage! Then we went on to the Country Music Hall of Fame, then back to the hotel and lunch nearby at a restaurant. Tonight we are going to a concert at the Grand Ole Opry.
That's all for now,
Love Merilyn and Glenn
Sunday, September 2, 2007
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