"On the road again.
I just can't wait to get on the road again"

        Yep, we pointed ourselves westward to the strains of Willie Nelson's theme song.  After a leisurely 2-hour breakfast at Cracker Barrel with some friends, at 9am we finally launched our "Mega Expedition".  US72E and Memphis lay before us; 230 miles was all we wanted to do.  I set the cruise control on 55mph and let the Airstream have her head. 

        Now, we've traveled the highway between Gurley and Memphis many times - always at 70-or-so-plus miles per hour - in a hurry to get to the other end of the road to accomplish some innocuous task.  However, there's a different vantage point when you're sitting up high in an RV in the right lane at 55mph: you actually enjoy the view!  And there are interesting things to see along the highway, even in Mississippi.  And somewhere in Mississippi we finally came to the realization that we're really retired, and that we're actually embarking on our 'Mega-Expedition'!  There we were: no clocks, no schedule, no place we had to be.  We had become those 'polyester people' Shannon, Jerri and I joked about as we rambled across the continent from one Army post to another in an earlier life.  You know them:  RV, shorts, camera, stopping at every roadside attraction, no apparent direction or goal.  Just enjoying life!

        There were several reasons we chose Memphis for our first stop.  We don't want to travel too far each day, and it was a familiar city that was about the right distance from home.  We have friends there, and wanted to visit with them.  And it gave us a chance to see if we'd packed things properly and to rearrange them to better suit how we planned on using them.  For instance after I washed all the RV windows Saturday, I forgot my window washing squeegee with its 84" extendable handle along with the water pressure regulator for my fresh water hose.  A quick trip to Wal-Mart solved those little problems.

        For our first couple of nights, we chose Tom Sawyer's Mississippi River RV Park on the western banks of the Mississippi in West Memphis, Arkansas.  Though you are across the river, its actually the closest park to downtown Memphis, is on our way west, and gives discounts to Good Sam members ($22 per night).  Its a great little park which we highly recommend.  Just call for reservations since it fills up quickly (and as its on the river side of the levee, you might want to make sure its not flooded.  Just kidding!)

        And then I did something I've not done since I was a teenager:  I did nothing all afternoon!  

        Now, this 'first day' journal will probably be longer than most others; but I'm trying to catch our mood.  The trip is, after all, a life changing event.  Jerri and I have spent our entire lives working, raising Shannon, and serving our Nation and community.  This trip is all about changing directions.  Sure, we'll continue to serve our community as volunteers in some capacity.  But, this trip is about us.  When we return - whenever that is - we plan on being relaxed and stress-free.  We want to start doing the things we never had time for.  Jerri with her cooking (oooh, our first meal of the trip was boiled shrimp, pan fried potatoes, and a wonderful tossed salad!) and gardening, me with my cars and woodworking.

Day 2 (Monday, 19 April):  With the Mississippi flowing by and a steady breeze blowing off it through the RV's windows, life is good.  Jerri's walking. I'm journaling.  And there are no imperatives today except at some point to visit the Beale Street area of Memphis and then make our way over to Coletti's Italian Restaurant by dinner for the British Sports Car Club of Memphis' monthly meeting.

Memphis:  We found that the best and easiest way to see downtown Memphis is via the trolley.  We started our day at the Tennessee State Welcome Center right off I-40 on the river directly below the walkway to Mud Island.  Leaving the MG in the parking lot, and with maps in hand, we crossed the street and jumped on the Riverfront Loop trolley - 30 cents per person every time you get on!  Heck, you can't drive and pay for parking that cheap!  So away we went on a slow ride around the downtown historic districts.  Our first stop was the Beale Street Historic District where we wandered through gift shops, B. B. King's and other attractions until it was time for lunch.  

        For a light lunch, we tried Dyer's Burgers at 205 Beale Street.  They've been serving burgers to Memphians since 1912 - deep fried burgers - and they are to die for!  They only come one way: meat, mustard, pickles and onions.  You can add cheese but that's all.  No lettuce, no tomatoes as the waitress emphatically stated.  And, their fires are hand cut in the skins.  Oh yeah, we'd do it again!

       Around the Beale Street area, you can tour the W. C. Handy Home and Museum, the Memphis Rock 'n Soul Museum as well as take a tour of the Gibson Guitar Factory.  Just down from Beale Street is the Peabody Hotel with its wandering ducks; however, Jerri and I both agreed we remembered the fountain as larger on an earlier visit years ago.

       After Beale Street it was back on the trolley for a ride down Main Street and through the Pinch Historic District en route to Mud Island.  There's where we discovered Memphis has some idiosyncrasies of its own: its closed on Mondays!  Yep, the entire island.

        Finally, it was time for the British Sports Car Club meeting over on the eastern side of Memphis.  So, it was out onto I-40 East to the restaurant.  You know, our little 1979 MGB just enjoyed itself tremendously.  We put about 100 miles on her, most at interstate speeds with the overdrive engaged, and she did just fine!  We even washed her before the meeting!

        Tomorrow we saddle up and head west for Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  More another day!