Skillets, Jams, and Country Hams
Had a blast in Nashville, but with some big storms moving in it made the most sense to hit the road early. Turns out Nashville ended up flooding later that afternoon, so it turns out that was the best choice. After driving through a bit of rain, Ayla and I arrived on Elvis' doorstep - Memphis. He was even waiting there to greet me!
After Elvis and I caught up on life Ayla and I walked into town in some of the hottest weather I had ever felt... yet. The main street is oddly dead, with empty store fronts mixed in with commerce. The hotel attendant would later tell us that they used to be Mom & Pop sort of shops, and unfortunately if there weren't any children or new people to buy the businesses they would just close up shop. This sort of empty storefront juxtaposed with busy windows and commerce seemed to be a trend throughout Memphis. Even on Beale Street.
Beale Street felt a little like being at the Fair. There are places where you can get your beers to go, some street performers doing flips in the middle of the street, and plenty of opportunities to spend your money on little nick-nacks (mostly something to do with Elvis). Another trend I've been noticing in the South is that no one goes out, or maybe even gets out of bed, before the early to mid afternoon. For instance, many of the coffee shops in Memphis don't open until about 10 am... I can't imagine that being the case in the North East. Then again, everyone I've talked to thus far emphasizes that having a good time, and potentially staying up late, is first and foremost. Quality of life reigns supreme.
One example of that happened that day when Ayla and I took the Trolley around the city. We hopped on the Main Street Trolley thinking it was the one that would take us around the city, Pyramid, and down by the river. Well... it wasn't. We arrived at the end of Main Street, and the Trolley Operator came back to tell us we had to get off. I can't imagine how he realized we weren't from the area, but he started telling us all the places we could go, and which Trolley we could take. He then proceeded to escort us off his Trolley (which he left in the middle of the street) over to the correct Trolley. He then proceeded to continue the conversation with us and now the second Trolley driver, while everyone already aboard had to wait. No hurry, no care about his abandoned Trolley in the middle of an intersection or the people waiting to see the rest of the city - he intended to have a good conversation, and the rest could wait. I could get used to that.
Again, we liked the town so much we decided to stay - not to mention there were some pretty large storms moving through the areas nearby. We stayed in a nice Inn a few blocks from Beale Street so we could see the city all lit up, and check it out again in the morning. Fate would have it - the Hotel Attendant's name was... Jessa! That is the first time I've ever met someone with the same name, and the same for her. It's peculiar how things align sometimes.
