Birmingham and Memphis
We started our trip in the outskirts of Birmingham yesterday. I was hoping as we came north, we would leave a bit of the heat behind; but Boy, was I wrong!!! Hit 100 degrees at places we traveled through...YUCK! Thankfully, by the time we went out to dinner at a local neighborhood restaurant it was in the 90's. Needless to say, we ate inside at Ash. https://www.ashhomewood.com/
Great place that locally sourced their food and we could actually order entrees that weren't fried too. Not to mention, yummy Old Fashions for $5. Yippee! We did try their fried green tomatoes and they were awesome!
It was in a beautiful neighborhood with a lovely park across the street.
We stopped at Tremont, MS at one of the prettiest state highway rest stops we have ever seen...It turns out it was Tammy Wynette's hometown.
We just drove through Birmingham rather than stopping there since there wasn't really much of interest for us there. Loads of history about the iron industry and civil rights, if you are interested in those... The whole civil rights issues still break my heart to this day, so I just couldn't go see anymore. The drive to Memphis was really pretty today...Loads of rolling hills, deers running through the fields, beautiful waterways including the Tombigbee and the Whitten Locks. Fun to see it from another angle, other than Moondance.
 |
| The Whitten Locks over the Tombigbee Waterway |
For whatever reason, we made a detour to see Oxford, MS and Ole Miss, our friend Ike Knox's alma mater. The university is 44 years younger than our Miami U., but is just as pretty and much bigger at app. 25,000 students. Not as big as Ohio State but still really spread out. Lots of redbrick and beige Georgian style architecture and loads of gorgeous trees, flora and fauna.
Told Ike that they take their sports complexes very seriously...WOW, they looked professional! Even the town was picturesque, but we didn't expect all the hills. That part reminded us of U of Kansas in Lawrence, KS.
 |
| Inside a uptown bakery |
 |
| One of the less hilly streets off Courthouse Square |
 |
| Courthouse Square |
Since we didn't have far to go to get here to Memphis, we had to kill some time. I'm always on the lookout for quirky/tourist places to visit. Found Bass Pro and Ducks Unlimited Pyramid.
Talking about hunting and fishing shops on steroids...new boats actually in the water, live fish & alligators, a shooting arcade, bowling alley, a couple restaurants, fudge shop, a Ducks Unlimited Museum, a very, very tall glass elevator to take you to the observation tower/bar/restaurant at the top and a hotel lodge with rooms overlooking the inside and out.
 |
| Big Cypress Lodge inside the Pyramid |
 |
| Look at the Size of this Allligator Gar...Yikes! |
 |
| Some huge catfish too! |
 |
| This bowling alley was too crazy looking! |
 |
| Looking inside this crazy store, entertainment complex, and hotel |
Oh my gosh! Talked to a young salesman who remembered the Pyramid when it held major sporting events like boxing matches, Ole Miss basketball and much more... What a store overall!!!...we must have wandered around for an hour...thinking about all our family and friends who would have loved it.
We drove out the parking lot to see beautiful views of the Mississippi and one of the tall stacks at their wonderful Riverside Park.
 |
| Inside their Visitor's Center by their Riverside Park |
 |
| Hope to Go to BB King's Restaurant |
 |
| Part of their Convention Center that they are redoing... |
A trolley comes to our hotel so we can get to Beale St and other such famous Memphis places without trying to drive and park. Especially, if we are drinking...it's a win!
 |
| Our darling Southern Conductor who kept Thanking Us for Coming |
 |
One of three trolley lines in the city
Obviously, we wanted to eat real Southern BBQ and had more than one local steer us to Central BBQ. They weren't wrong! A interesting self serve place that had been there for years... It's within a stone's throw of the Lorraine Hotel which is now a Civil Right's Museum.
Mike sampling the local IPA beer
It had been a full day so we ended up returning to our hotel after eating and enjoying the city from our trolley ride back.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment