CHICAGO 2

Been doing the usual tourist stuff - on the river cruise, on the hop on hop off. Been to the seaside, popcorn on the pier. Yesterday was fantastic weather. Chicago is a really great place, better than NY. The skyscrapers are very stylish and laid out not to be oppressive, you don't get the feeling of being hemmed in at the bottom of a dark canyon like NY.  The parks, open spaces and walking areas are super. Then you have the added bonus of the beaches on the lake right in town. Plenty of good restaurants & bars. Probably one of my favourite big cities from the many I have visited. Today was a bad day, weather freezing & Chris fell flat on her face, hurting her knees & hands. She & Paul returned to the hotel for R&R while we went to the museum. Fabulous skyline.

PICCIES FROM YESTERDAY

CHICAGO 1

Chitown, enjoying our final days here before we fly home. We've been to the home of the future president, taken an architectural river cruise, foods good, except for the deep pan. Parks and walks around the rivers & lake are very nice. Can you find us in the bean? Weather is variable arrived 5C, today is 27C, Wednesday back to 5

MEMPHIS AMTRAK

Sitting on City of New Orleans (hear Arlo) trying to rypr this blog. It's very bimpy. Broke down just outside Memphis, running 1hr late. Just stopped at a town called Champaign. Guard called out "anyone for Champaign" Mum nearly trampled him. Went to Stax studio, not as nice as Sun, but great music history there. Do you like Isaac Hayes' caddie? Waited 45 mins for cab. Memphis heaving today, end of year frat balls, weddings, Spurs v Grizzlies NBA playoff & music festival starting. Big clothing change, Amtrak has taken us from 27C to 6C in one journey. Nice & sunny tho.

MEMPHIS 3

Elvis had left the building & was in the garden. His Nan outlived the whole family. He had a great range of tacky. The Stutz was nice. 21 UK number 1s. I've sent Mum & Chris's Graceland photo to Cliff. He's upset. Went to see where MLK was shot. Complicated story, maybe FBI had hand in his death. Catching train to Chicago tonight. Freezing up there. BTW C & P insisted we went to Coyote Ugly bar with loud rock. What's that all about in the land of the delta blues? Wedding dress ideas?

MEMPHIS 2

Doing the southern states thing; Food Tennesee dry rub ribs & pitchers of ghost local beer. The bbq pit restaurant was down a dodgy back alley you wouldn't normally visit but really great. Advice - don't drink anything that is named after a natural disaster or a weapon. Sport - took in college baseball, Ole Miss v Memphis;  Music - went to Sun Studios. The stories behind Sam Phillips quitting his job to signing Elvis, selling him for £35k and founding Holiday Inn is quite something. The live music in Beale St is not to be missed.
What do you make of the duck walk?

MEMPHIS

Hunting & Fishing is big here in Tennessee.

MISISIPI 5

Been fighting the civil war at Fort Curtis in Helena. We did some weapon firing and shot some rebs. Helena is trying to revitalise itself after mechanisation drove everybody away. It's concentrating on history and tourism. It has a blues festival that attracts 80,000 people every year.
That's Woody & Wassername, our dinner companions. He was a US coastguard for 30 years.

MISSSSISSSSIPPPPEEEE 3

Been to Natchez & Vicksberg since last blog. Natch is a quiet little town whose major occupation is now tourism. There are a number of rich peoples homes to visit. When cotton was big anyone with a little money came here, set up cotton plantations & became millionaires overnight. Went to micro-distillery making rum. Nice samples. Saw some freed slave homes who did really well. Took one of boat's bikes for a ride along the bank.

Vicksburg is site of a major civil war battle. Went to the battlefield and learnt about it from a CSA army character. I was Major General Bowen of the CSA army, but died of dysentery before the war end. Chilly now and rainy. Food still good, got Maine Lobster tonight.

MISSSISSSIPPPEEE 2

A nudder daydun. Last night we went to the engine room bar after dinner. It's right at the back and has round windows behind the stage through which you can see the paddle wheel turning. The captain and another officer came down & had a guitar session with the resident group. Really good session of rock & pop music.
The ship was built 1995, but has original stuff from other paddlers. Steam engines from 1937, fire places from 1860's homes, chandelier from 1904 St Louis world fair, from Budweiser display. The whole boat is faithfully re-created in period style. Today we HOHOed in St Francisville. This was a town that was built to replace Bayou Sara which was was washed away by the river. Every time we leave we play the steam organ (calliope?) Apparently you can hear it from 5 mile away. I can believe it sitting under the pipes.

MISSISSIPPEE 1

On the river now, the paddle steamer is really nice, great public rooms, food top notch & cabin comfortable. Sitting on the top deck as we steam along, watching the goings on. This bit of the lower Miss is very commercial, they have lots of barges with stubby fronted tug boats that push the barges.

NARLINS

Well here we are,  New Orleans is a different town - you can buy alcoholic drinks on a drive thru, no restrictions on drinking on the streets. Mums discovered sazeracs, been glassy eyed ever since. Music is fantastic, free music stages all over the place, wide variety of music styles. The city centre has a great vibe, huge crowds. Weather marvellous, around 22C & low humidity. Hotel great, but service hopeless. We've gone from Spanish customs to NO couldn't care less. On the boat tomorrow.