July 22nd. St Louis to Memphis

After Robin had made sure we weren't going to starve,we said our goodbyes and headed south, the faithful Betty guiding us along I55 South. Pat had mentioned some wineries and breweries in St. Genevive and we took the turn but after about 20 miles driving through some beautiful farmland we reckoned we had missed them, so back on the road. We stopped for petrol and I wanted to try out our new coffee cups, the ones with the plastic screw-on lid and a handle, so you can drive around drinking a coffee, just like on the telly - why you would want to do this is beyond me but anyway, I managed to flood the coffee machine and the counter, and the sugar etc. but they were very nice about it, I can notice a real 'twang' in the accent now. As we were making good time we swung off the road and ended up in a small town called Steele which might just be in Arkansas, it's a small farming town with one road up the middle and one intersecting. We visited a 'good 'ol boys' bar, wooden fronted, pitch black inside with gaming machines and pool tables. Flags draped the walls, some for the Marines, for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, for the Cardinals and for the local bikers gang, it was midday so there were only a couple of locals who were highly amused by our accents, we were highly amused by the $1 a beer. So we arrived into Memphis and Betty brought us straight to 'Heartbreak Hotel' which is at the end of Lonely Street. http://www.elvis.com/epheartbreakhotel/It's part of the Graceland complex and it's ELVISELVISELVIS, Elvis music and films running 24/7. Willy started getting very figgety at the proximety of The King and immediatly bought some classic shirts. We took the courtesy bus into Beale Street which is where it all happens in Memphis by the looks of it. Full of bars and live bands AND you're allowed carry your beer out onto the street. There were blues bands playng in the park, at the entrances to bars and of course on stage. The bars are all classics, dripping with memorabilia but I just wonder, how many guitars did BB King actually have? We saw a great Johnny Cash tribute band and scoffed a full rack of ribs - oh and we had a beer. Instead of waiting for the bus back we took a taxi and it was worth every penny. Having agreed on a price, he didn't want to start the meter, something about the boss's mother and taxes, we set off. He was more interested in talking to us than going in a straight line but we got home, but not before he had regaled us with his three Elvis stories, two of which I almost fully understood. We closed the hotel bar and then tried to get some photos on this. But neither of us can remember which e-mail account we used or which spelling of the password was used. I think breakfast is in order.