Memphis and West Memphis

Our next stop along the Mississippi River was Memphis.  Big rigs in big cities is an awful idea, but we found an RV park just across the river in West Memphis, AK.  As we drove in, passing through an oil refinery and unkept landscapes, we wondered if we had made a good decision.  Once we drove into the park it all changed.  The place was tidy, right on the river, and there were plenty of other RV neighbors.
Its amazing what a little daylight can do for a place!  In the morning we met the friendly staff who took us for a tour in his golf cart. The park was right on the Mississippi River with a view just south of Memphis.  A couple tree houses were being built, for future episodes of a treehouse show.  One of the lawyer-turned-designer was on site and invited us on a tour of this sweet piece!  They should be available for rental soon!

Our Uber driver couldn't stop exclaiming about the whole place, calling it "momantic".

What our driver couldn't see, nor could most of the travelers, was the rivers edge. My family had to walk down to the edge of course, and it wasn't lovely at this location. We could see its power, the industry just north and south of us, and the grand affects of littering. The river's edge was full of plastic bottles, bags, food containers, bits of cloth, slabs of concrete, fishing lines and soda cans. Coming from Minneapolis, where we have such an emphasis on caring for the environment, it was difficult to see so much trash, and not a recycling receptacle in sight. In just ten minutes we were able to collect an entire trash bag of litter from the waters edge. 

To The City!

One of our favorite authors is Patricia Polacco.  We remembered reading a book about the ducks at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis (John Philip Duck, check it out) so we thought we'd see what the fuss was about.  Back in the 1930's the hotel's general manager and some friends had gone hunting.  After a little too much to drink they thought it would be funny to put some call ducks into the fountain at the hotel.  In the morning, the manager expected to find a disaster, instead he found that the ducks had stayed in the fountain all night and the guests were delighted.  The hotel soon got an offer to train the ducks and they made a deal. Every morning the ducks (who now have sleep a rooftop suite) march into the elevator with the duckmaster, ride the elevator downstairs and walk along the red carpet into the fountain.  They play all day in the water and every evening they follow the duckmaster back out of the fountain, up the elevator and onto the roof.  For over 75 years the hotel has held this tradition.  On a Tuesday morning the lobby was crowded.  It helped that the Sooners basketball team was staying at the hotel and all came to watch the ceremony before they headed off to their game, but every day this is a tourist drawing event!  `

We barely made it around the block when we landed at the door to Rendezvous, a famous place for ribs. They weren't open yet, but offered to serve us ribs. That was just what we wanted, and may have ruined our ability to fully enjoy all future BBQ ribs.

The kids had their first taste of sweet tea. It had been years since I had sweet tea and I forgot how sweeeeet it is! 

Just walking the streets of Memphis was a lesson in the history of the music and civil rights greats and their connection to the city.

During the Dred Scott case the question "Am I not a man?" was raised. One hundred years later, during the Sanitation strike in Memphis in 1968, over 1,000 black sanitation workers walked off the job because of wage discrimination, poor treatment, and dangerous working conditions. Strikers carried signs answering Dred Scott's question with "I am a man!"

The Civil Rights museum was built around the Lorianne Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Unfortunately the Civil Rights Museum was closed, but even the outdoor exhibits were incredibly moving.  Two other neighboring buildings have also been acquired by the museum, including the boarding house where the shooter stood. Kiosks were scattered around the exterior of the property, playing short videos to tell the historic events before and after his death. 

It is easy to read about significant events like this in a book and feel very separate. Either by time or place. Standing in this place brings a reality that cannot be described, but certainly felt. The kids had questions. 

Why is it that people wanted to kill Martin Luther King?  He just wanted to make things better for others?

And why did multiple people take credit for the shooting?  

Why would blacks get paid less for doing the same job?

These are big questions. 

The answers are complex, but I feel grateful to continue the discussion of a subject that is still very real in our world.

Gibson Guitars has a factory in Memphis 

We had an art lesson while touring the Gibson factory. Each incredible instrument is built to order, by the hands of a skilled artist. The tour was a little dull for the kids, but phenomenal to see what detail goes into each piece. 

A big storm was coming through Memphis so we headed home in the afternoon. Before it hit we walked along the river again,feeling the wind pick up and the sky growing darker. Not sure what the tornado plan was for RVer's, we took some relief that there were many of us in the park and no one else seemed to be trying to out run the storm. Naturally my family couldn't resist climbing the riverside tree house, while the wind whipped, just before things got ugly. 

It was a crazy wild storm!  We were just settling down to play a game of monopoly when we noticed a damp spot in the berth. Pulling out the mattress we realized there was a constant drip of water coming inside.  Our phones kept receiving flood warnings while we tore apart the berth, praying we would find the source of the water entry. Instead of a cosy game and eating popcorn while a storm raged outside, we set out the popcorn bowl to catch the drips, turned the dinette into a bed, and filled every available space with damp plywood, a mattress and bedding. Steve found the weak spot, a cracked light on the berth. Incredible!  The vulnerability!  The only option we had was to wait out the storm and make repairs in the morning. 

Man am I thankful for this guy who, while obviously frustrated, found a sense of humor in it all. He not only worked a couple hours that night, but the next day as well, after the storm had passed. 

South we go!  To the sun, to the warmth!