Today's Stats:
Miles Driven: 780
Total Driving Time: 11:20
Total Miles Traveled: 1942
Average Speed: 69 mph
Fuel Economy: 25.6 mpg
What we're listening to:
We are still without our iPod due to a fuse problem. We finally got around to this issue tonight and we'll be back in business tomorrow. Today we listened to NPR and some classic rock stations. We also listened to a Christian minister talk about raising children for a few minutes.
Weather:
It was below 25 degrees most of the day, although when we pulled into the hotel it had warmed up to 37. In the morning, it was clear and sunny which was a nice change. After getting over the border into Oklahoma, it started to get overcast and by the end of the day it was really cloudy. There is snow forecasted for tomorrow. Everything was frozen this morning, and we expect the same when we wake up in the morning.
Reflections on the day:
Considering we had an extra 300 miles to drive after our early stop yesterday, I think we did pretty good. Meghan deserves credit for doing the bulk of the driving. I just wasn't up to it today.
I drove in the morning when it was still dark and icy for about 3 hours. We stopped for gas and that's when Meg took over.
The Texas leg was very pretty. Big, sweeping views on both sides of the highway. The country is so flat that the horizon extends almost infinitely, which made the sunrise very cool. Once we got into Oklahoma, the country turned to rolling hills with lots of bare trees. It wasn't as nice to look at but it was a nice change of pace. I slept through a lot of this part.
Arkansas looked a lot like Oklahoma, lots of trees and hills. We only saw one Wal-Mart, I thought there would be more since Arkansas is the location of corporate HQ.
Since Texas, we have seen lots of church stuff. Billboards, churches, largest cross in western hemisphere. A lot of the radio stations are Christian music or pastors talking about the bible.
By the time we got close to Tennessee it was dark. We thought we crossed this Mississippi river about 5 times before we actually saw the official sign. As soon as you cross the river into Memphis we saw lots of Elvis things like billboards and stores.
Our hotel was easy to get to and surprisingly nice, the breakfast area looks really good. Our room is big, bright, clean and well appointed. After settling in we called the desk to ask about BBQ. They recommended Marlowe's (the restaurant was featured on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on the Food Network) on Elvis Presley Blvd.
Marlowe's has two pink Cadillac limos that they send out for free to pick people up and bring them to eat. We waited eagerly in the lobby of the hotel and were pretty excited to see the limo pull up. We went outside and Meg snapped a few pics before the driver took one of us. I can't be sure but I think he had had a few cocktails. But he was a super nice guy.
We got into the limo which was a little rickety and smelled faintly of cigarettes. Granted, it wasn't the pimpest ride ever, but we really enjoyed it. Kind of kitschy. The driver was very pleasant and kind of narrated the drive saying things like "we are fixing to pass Graceland in a moment".
The restaurant was awesome. Tons of Elvis memorabilia, Elvis music playing on the sound system, very friendly staff saying "y'all" a lot. Meghan took a video which you can see below along with some pictures.
We ordered some BBQ and it was good! Finger licking good in fact. We had a really fun dinner.
Tomorrow morning we are setting out to do the whole tour and hit the gift shops. I may buy a jumpsuit. I may shave to show off some sideburns.
Thanks for all the comments, we are glad you are enjoying the blog. Be sure to check out the full album of pics.
After visiting Graceland, it is off to Shepherdsville, KY.
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