Sleep Inn And Suites Tupelo

Hello all! 

I think it finally set in that I was leaving tomorrow when I saw the jets on the runway.  My family decided to beat the traffic and head up to Memphis tonight for an early flight tomorrow.  We went to an Italian restaurant tonight, thanks dad!  
Anna Kate and I leave at 9:30 ish tomorrow for ATL, and then we will meet up with everyone in ATL to Tokyo.  My bags are packed, and I am ready to go on a long flight!  Im so excited!

 Yorushiku (Best Regards),  
 Casey

... until I can get more batteries, which means going off the Trace Parkway to get to a town and that will be tomorrow when I hunt up a gas station. We pulled into the Davis Lake camp ground around 5:30 this afternoon, and much to my surprise found a camp site next door to a woman (white haired at that) who is riding a bicycle north on the Trace all by herself. Melinda has only been bike riding for a few years, and I'd guess from her comments about being ...

... Roadstop" with the counter girl who could give a rats ass about anything but her doritos. Needless to say, it all worked out. There are no hostels in AL or Memphis so I am treating myself to a hotel. It will be nice to get a good night's rest since that loud bass I mentioned in the last entry, ummm, didn't stop until 3am. It wasn't the hostel though, it was the neighboring house. And I think ...

Today we were told we were going to ride 70 miles. We have very specific maps and "turn sheets" so it seems we can rely on these things,but nooooo..... We rode and extra 12 miles which is very difficult on a bike at 86 degree weather. We had problems with the Hotel we booked. Somehow we were all confused because there are 3 buildings. the building we were to register at was in the very ...

... Everyone is amazed to see a BMW bike. They thought there never was such a thing!! These states are poor. Rural southern living is still tough. People are scared out here. Worried about the economy and their futures. These times hit the poor the hardest. They don't have a cushion. Took some photos but the camera is in my bike outside the tent...in the insect realm.Photo uploads will have to wait for another entry. Until tomorrow...

On our journey southwards, having been dusted with some of Elvis' stardust we broke our journey at Tupelo, which his fans will recognise as his birthplace. We had intended to carry on through to Nashville, but that's the beauty of this way of travelling - we can do as we please. Hindsight tells us this was a wise decision as Nashville was later dusted with snow, not stardust!! Having left one of the most 'barren ...

The Courtyard was sold out so we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn. It was nice. If you have to go to Tupelo, I recommend it. If you going to be there on a Sunday, BYOB. Cause you can't buy it in town. Dining options are nonexistent. One place ...

... but you have to admire what he did....... Long live the King. Also went to SUN Studios where Elvis made his first recording, it was also the studio where Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and many more famous artists launched there career. I used the original Microphone and stood on the spot where Elvis recorded his first song....... Thank you, thank you very much !!..... Oh and finally.... and seriously this was because we had a few hours ...

... gone, we drove by where it used to be, remember, just three days ago, we know that it was sold and towed away. I walk the path to the museum, but really souvenirs, pictures, posters, Elvis in the sequin-white, fat Elvis, near the end. I buy a magnet for my fridge, the one that shows the little house, one for Carmelita too, a guitar-pick (with Elvis' name) for Jaime, he's played guitar more years than Elvis had the chance. Now why, do you suppose, did it turn out that way?

... have had this room, she pointed, or this other one right down the hall. Your pick of bathrooms, too. They're very nice, I said, next time I'll plan ahead. We never even got upstairs, to look. The rain is coming harder now, the thunder booms. The sitting room, TV, the weather is the thing. Tornado warnings flash across the bottom of the screen, oh, one has struck, not far away. It's flooding too. She calls the station, that she owns. What's coming, on the wire ...