AirstreamTour: Tennessee to Texas

You may have noticed a couple of format changes on our blog. Don't panic. If you prefer things the way they've been, simply go to the upper left hand side, click on "Flipcard", chose "Classic" from the drop down menu, and you'll be back to the old format. On the other hand, there are several other options for exploring the blog. Clicking on "Snapshot" will allow you to view all the photos we've posted since the beginning. Have fun!

Things have not been very eventful lately, and I have been extremely lazy, but a few people have pointed out that it's hard for them to live vicariously through us when there's no posting going. So the guilt trips have finally worked and here you go.

We ended up spending a total of nine days in Memphis, the two we planned on, and an additional seven waiting on the car to be repaired after getting hit. But as you probably figured out from our last blog entry, we didn't let the time go to waste and continued to enjoy seeing the city. On our last full day we stopped in at a quirky little museum I found on line...the National Ornamental Metal Museum. The museum is the only museum in the U.S. devoted exclusively to the art and craft of fine metalwork. There are rotating exhibitions devoted to master metalwork artists (the jewelry of Eleanor Moty when we visited) along with permanent installations. In addition, the museum offers consulting services, metalwork classes, internships and artist residencies. Each year the Museum hosts "Repair Days", a fun-raiser during which volunteer metalsmiths travel to Memphi from all over the world to repair metal items from sculptures to candleholders to raise money to support the Museum.

The museum is located on the grounds of a former US Marine hospital. The hospital was opened in 1884 and the original executive building now houses the museum's library and permanent collection. The nurses dormitory houses the rotating exhibitions and gift shop. The hospital closed in 1965 and the properties were donated to the city of Memphis. In 1976 the originators of the museum obtained a lease from the city, $1.00 per year in exchange for 3.2 acres, 2 buildings and a killer view of the Mississippi River. The museum itself opened in 1979 after building renovations were completed.

Brooch by Eleanor Moty

Hanging out in the blacksmith's shop.

View of the Mississippi River from the museum grounds.

Garden installation.

Metal basket.

One of two museum entrance gates - each disc is different.

Gate detail

Gate detail.

We also got in one more great meal before leaving town. This time we checked out Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. Does Gus's really serve the best fried chicken in the world. I don't know, but this was some of the best we've ever eaten. The sides were nothing to write home about, the slaw was sweet and the beans seemed like plain old pork and beans straight out of the can and heated up, while the fried green tomatoes had way too much coating. But, oh that chicken! Butter, chicken, flour, spices, and a deep fryer full of oil. Wholesome? Probably not, but worth it if you make it to Memphis.

Gus's, packed at 2:00 in the afternoon.

The morning after retrieving our car from the auto body shop we were up early and heading south. We had planned on spending a couple of days in Little Rock, Arkansas, but decided that we needed to move on instead. Next stop: back to Barksdale AFB and a visit with my family.

Barksdale and Shreveport haven't changed much since our last visit. We visited, ate, visited, ate, and ate and visited. You know, the thing you always do when you go home. My sister and I also took some time and checked out the traveling Titanic exhibit. The exhibit features more than 300 artifacts, stateroom and 3rd class accommodation re-creations, and videos on the submarine explorations of the wreckage site. As you enter the exhibit, you are given a boarding pass with a short biography of an actual passenger. My sister was given a card of a young woman running away from England with her married boss and lover. I was given one for a widow moving to America to train as a missionary. Another unique feature of the exhibit is the wandering actors playing the roles of actual passengers who interact with exhibit viewers. On the day we were there we "met" Lucy Cristiana (Lady Duff Gordon), a haute couture designer, Madeleine Astor (wife of John Jacob Astor), Carl Asplund (3rd class passenger), and Charles Joughin (Chief Baker). At the exit of the exhibit there is a listing of all the passengers and crew where you can find the name on your boarding pass (both of ours survived the sinking).

Annette (sister-in-law), Kathy (sister) and me choosing lunch at Copeland's.

Bayou by Barksdale's FamCamp

Cypress trees.

We are now in San Antonio, hanging out, relaxing, and catching up with old friends and some relatives and once again eating some great local food. This past weekend we took in the annual Chalk It Up! This is a one day art's festival sponsored by Artpace, a local modern art museum and artist's collective. The city seals off 4 city blocks downtown and opens it for sidewalk art for everyone from kids to professionals. There are also food booths and a musician stage. It was fun watching the kids in action.