Although we have now have the Scion Xbox licensed, insured and stored at our cabin in Cadiz \u2013 it does present one major problem \u2013 there is no public transportation to Cadiz. Closest airport is Nashville \u2013 about 90 miles away \u2013 so it presents some technical difficulties. So over the winter I searched for another option \u2013 and in December I found a solution. A small 16 foot long space in a storage lot close to the Cincinnati Airport ($10 cab ride). I leased it right away as the Cincinnati airport was cheaper to get into than Nashville and ended the need of having to rent cars and find a way of shuttling it back. The Downside \u2013 it is about 4 1\/2 hours from the cabin \u2013 the upside \u2013 is that I have to travel through Bourbon Country to get there.<\/p>\n
So I set a time to move the car to the new new storage area – but now needed a way of getting to Cadiz to pick it up. Enter Shane \u2013 an acquaintance from work \u2013 who had express a love of Southern Bar B Q , Blues and a willingness to travel with me.<\/p>\n
Thus starts another adventure road trip adventure in the South –<\/p>\n
Flight from Calgary into Nashville Metropolitan Airport (BNA). Get in at 9:30 pm – with enough time get the rental car from Budget before Shane\u2019s flight arrived from Vancouver. Drove about 30 minutes out of Nashville to the little town of Joelton and the Days Inn.<\/p>\n
After checking in went in search of food and ended up at a little roadside bar (Mike\u2019s Place). A lot of regulars in the place \u2013 all seeming to have their usual seats and cues at the pool tables. The bar was smokey (a bit to get used to after years of being in smoke free environments), and we were served by a very expecting bartender. They unfortunately the grill was off and they had no food so we decided to have one beer and continue our search \u2013 and then someone bought a round for the bar – so we ended up having another. By the time we left and went in search of food again \u2013 everything was closed. The gas station beside the motel was in the process of shutting down \u2013 so we got their remaining chicken pieces and potato wedges, bag of chips and a couple of more cold drinks and called it a night. I am sure Shane was impressed as to how great a host I was \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n
Up early the next morning – and continued our drive to the cabin at Cadiz, with stops at Jefferson Davis monument and the Cherokee Trail Of Tears Commemorative Park in Hopkinsville. Did a quick check around the cabin \u2013 grabbed the battery off the solar charger and installed it in the Scion and it fired right up. Drove in a two car procession (Shane in the Scion \/ Pat in the rental) south to Memphis via the Woodland Trace \u2013 and dropped the rental car at the airport. Checked into the Super 8 motel in across the river in West Memphis. Long busy day \u2013 and figured I owed Shane a better meal than the previous night \u2013 so headed to Rendezvous Ribs. From there \u2013 toured some of the night spots \u2013 listing to music in a number of the venues.<\/p>\n
Today was a tour Memphis day –<\/p>\n
Back across the bridge over the Mississippi (and the Arkansas \/ Tennessee border) into Memphis and swung immediately into the Bass Pro Pyramid and then the visitor centre. Left the car there and hiked across the tramway to Mud Island. After \u201ctraversing\u201d the Mississippi, moved up to Beale Street \u2013 and spent some time walking the street \u2013 and having lunch Kings Palace. From there moved down to the Lorraine Motel \u2013 site of Martin Luther Kings assassination and the National Civil Rights Museum. Finished off the afternoon walking around the National Ornamental Metal Museum and enjoying the view from the cliffs over the Mississippi before heading back across the river and our Motel for the night.<\/p>\n
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Up the next morning \u2013 to an overcast and darkening sky. Headed down route 61 (the Blues Hwy). By the time we got to Tunica \u2013 into a major down pour. On the up side \u2013 this meant there were very few people around, but we got a wee bit wet going into the Visitor Centre.<\/p>\n
Next stop was the crossroads (Route 61 & 49) made famous by Robert Johnson (and where legend has it he sold his soul to the devil to learn to play blues guitar). From there we spend a couple of hours walking around the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale \u2013 learning and hearing of the many of the Delta. From there it was a short walk across the parking lot to Morgan Freeman\u2019s Ground Zero Blues Club (being early in the day \u2013 we did not stop for a drink \u2013 as they were busy cleaning out the evidence of last night activities.<\/p>\n
From Clarksdale \u2013 we turn East and travel through Oxford (home of the University of Mississippi \u2013 Ole Miss). A quick tour through the beautiful campus before continuing on to Tupelo and joining the Natchez Trace.<\/p>\n
Ended up spending the night in Kosciusko – the birthplace of Oprah Winfrey. Despite several efforts, Shane wanted no part of going to see anything to do with Oprah (although it only amounts to a sign in indicating where the house she first lived in was).<\/p>\n
Continued down the Natchez Trace \u2013 with stops at the Cypress Swamp (nice to see that the juvenile alligator we saw last time we were here had a buddy with him in this little protected area). Detour off the Trace into Vicksburg and the National Military Park where we spent a couple of hours touring around. Have been here a couple of times \u2013 but learn something new each time.<\/p>\n
Back to the Trace and then a side trip to Windsor Ruins near Alcorn State Universtity outside of Port Gibson. The ruins are of an old antebellum mansion destroyed by fire and what remains is 23 large Corinthian columns. While touring around and taking pictures \u2013 could hear a bore routing around in the thick underbrush \u2013 and decided that it was better to leave.<\/p>\n
Continued south to Natchez\u2019s with stops at Emerald Mound, and the private little cementary close to the terminus of the Trace (Brandon Hall Cemetery) that I seem to be drawn to several times over the 12 years.<\/p>\n
Toured around all of the Antebellum homes in Natchez \u2013 and noticed all the for sale signs \u2013 that were not here the last time. Drove down to \u201cUnder the Hill\u201d area \u2013 that seemed to be still doing well, and then turned the corner and noticed that the old river boat casino was gone (Isle of Capri). Wonder if that is part of the reason for so many of the homes for sale? Spent the night just outside of Natchez.<\/p>\n
Throughout the last couple of days Shane had been texting with a friend who had been forwarding snippets of our trip on to a State Senator from Mississippi \u2013 who they had both met at a conference. The Senator seemed to be impressed with our itineray and knowledge of Mississippi. She invited us up to Jackson to see the capital \u2013 but were were already past there and did not feel we had appropriate things to wear. Jokingly said that when we retired we would operate the mowers on the Trace \u2013 for a small stipend, a place to stay and a daily ration of bourbon.<\/p>\n
The next morning found us driving south out of Mississippi into Louisiana. At a point close to the border \u2013 saw a motel, saloon, men\u2019s club and several atco style trailers \u2013 that seemed to be renting by the hour. Probably a good thing we decided to stop early the previous night.<\/p>\n
Down through Baton Rouge and then west to Lafayette for lunch at Prejeans and then a boudin order at Don\u2019s. South to Avery Island – for a tour around the Jungle Gardens. Finished it off with a quick stop at the Tabasco store. Stopped for the night at Gonzales, – just north of Boyle Bayou (very small \u2013 but makes the map).<\/p>\n
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Into New Orleans and parked the Scion and hit to the streets. Stops included a brew at Lafittes \u2013 (oldest structure used as a bar in the US), a wander through Frenchman Street and Jackson Square and of course Bourbon Street. When time came to check into our hotel \u2013 we drove up to the area across from the Superdome. This is the one time that Shane started to get a little nervous at my rule on accommodation costs \u2013 and the hotel. It was not just the dilapidated neighbourhood, or the fact that the building next door had been burnt to the ground \u2013 or the lovely little motel had barb had a chain link fence with barb wire around the perimeter, Shane stated that it was probably too far to walk back and forth to Bourbon street. Therefore at his insistence \u2013 and his cost – as I had already paid for the other one – we moved to the Holiday Inn Express – for twice the amount \u2013 plus $32 a day for parking. (It was also probably the smallest room that we had during the entire trip \u2013 but it did include breakfast).<\/p>\n
After getting unpacked \u2013 headed back down to Bourbon Street for the evening. Walked around watching the entertainment and street performers. Ended up finishing the night up in the Bayou Club at Tropical Isle on Bourbon. The band that was playing was from Thibodaux, Louisiana, and were a mixture of guys that were involved in a new brewery (Mudbug Beer) and probation officer. Great music and lots of fun. The Bayou Club does have a live streaming web cam – so we were on our best behaviour.<\/em><\/p>\n Went to leave the motel the next morning and warning lights on the scion came on. Drove to a dealership outside of Slidell \u2013 and had the car looked at. Problem is a sensor leaking \u2013 and they did not have in stock and the report would be about $1500. On the other hand \u2013 with the exception of a slight drop in gas mileage \u2013 there would be no harm to resetting and continuing to drive \u2013 which is what they did.<\/p>\n Once were on our way, continued on through Mobile and into the Gulf Shores. Shane figures that this would be a great alternative to Phoenix for their annual golf vacation \u2013 and the beaches were all but deserted and it was t-shirt weather.<\/p>\nFriday, April 15, 2016<\/h2>\n