The "Canadian"??

At Rebecca's, a funky coffee house in South Park known for its scones and odd characters (no snide comments please!), we fell into conversation with a young "Canadian". He'd been in the U.S. for 12 years, but came from Vancouver and his parents still lived there. Having just been there, we began asking questions. After a few minutes it seemed that he knew little about Vancouver, didn't know anywhere we'd been, and was, to be kind, not much of a "Canadian". ~B

A Fitting End (or a Prediction???)

19,640 miles -not quite around the world, but close enough for now. Our last night was in Gila Bend, Arizona at The Space Age Lodge. It seemed appropriate to end this journey with the suggestion of a future trip. Maybe soon??? ~B

Silver City, New Mexico ~ N's View

A 2 hour walk through the historical section of town - mygosh! there was lots of color! ~N

Silver City, New Mexico ~ B's View

We came into Silver City in the early evening yesterday - not too impressed with one of the "Top 10 Small Towns in America". A jumble of signs, fast food, old and new motels, tire stores, auto repair, etc. Seemed that a 2 night town should have been a 1 nighter. BUT in the AM, walking the 'historic district' and seeing the details of smaller things, it was different. There is a core that is old & battered, but also active and alive with color, art and creativity. It's still not a 2 nighter ~ now it's maybe a 3-4. ~B

New Iberia, LA ~ Best Little Main Street in US??

Late in the day we went seeking the "Best Little Main Street in the US" - that of New Iberia, LA. On a street of empty store fronts and a few shops, most closed for the day, we did find some interesting images. One that caught my eye was a brick wall of a building with an unknown future. But it glowed in the late afternoon light. ~B

Cajun Residents (Abbeville, LA)

Driving through Louisiana's bayou country today - we saw that the harvested rice fields have been flooded now and wire traps have been set out for the next crop - crayfish.

Lawns all over town have these dried muddy mounds. I asked a bayou homeowner and she told me - "Oh, those are just the little crayfish who live everywhere in the mud". ~N

Bubba Lives!!!

Along the Natchez Trace National Parkway it's very rare to see any trash. Many times we passed a pickup, flashing lights and wearing a sign announcing 'Frequent Stops', that would stop to pick up trash. But in the remnants of the Trace, the local bubbas toss their Bud Lights - is there a reason we never find a microbrew the weeds? Hmmm? ~B

The Trace

As we drifted down the Natchez Trace, we passed above rolling valleys of Tennessee farmland. ~B

TN Cypress Knees

Cypress knees we found on our drive today from Memphis to Nashville, TN. ~N

Graceland

Graceland - hype, gift shops at every turn, Elvis singing from every nook and cranny, a marketing machine, all what Toby Keith describes as "a redneck with money". But also impressive in many ways - here was a man who cared about family, had immense talent, was generous and kind, and probably lonely in many ways because he was unique. I've always enjoyed his music. I was ambivalent about him personally. Now I like him much better as a person. And I think he would have gotten a big laugh out of what his Graceland has become. ~B

Beale St. Memphis, TN

It's colorful, cold this time of year, several blocks for walking only/blocked from car traffic - it's messy, grubby between the old buildings - at night music spills from clubs and the smells of southern cooking wants to follow you home. ~N

Hwy 64 - Tennessee

Along Highway 64 across southern Tennessee is a string of small towns, some with central squares or even a central hexagon. Outside the towns are little pockets of homes, farms and other buildings. Some are large, impressive and new. Others, like the one below, are small, battered and broken. Many have a seat on the porch facing the road. ~B

Jack Daniels Distillery Tour

Our tour guide, seen here explaining how the barrels in which Jack Daniels is aged, are made, toasted and then charred before being used ONCE to age the whiskey. (An Aside: he'd also told us that if anyone had trouble physically following him on the walk, he would send for help. As he wheezed through the tour, I wondered if it was really a silent cry for help.) ~B

More Cherokee, NC

Cherokee, NC has one main street that threads a curvy trail between a creek (overflowing right now) and steep wooded mountains. The main road is decorated by colorful bear statues. ~N

Piggies

In the Cherokee Indian Reservation town of Cherokee, NC, on a street lined with shops selling T-Shirts, rubber tomahawks, mocassins, indian pottery (made in China), 'bajas', swords, knives, posters of Marilyn Monroe and other 'authentic indian crafts' is a covered shelf on which is stored a supply of plaster piggies - treasures ready for an eager buyer to take home. ~B

On the James

They drifted silently beneath the footbridge, casting, reeling in, saying nothing as they drifted silently down the James River in Virginia. Never acknowledging us as we watched from above. ~B

Checking for Indians

And late in the afternoon after several large cups of coffee, our fearless scout climbs a low stone wall to survey the situation below. ~N

Mechanics Helper

High on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Nola checks tire pressures. ~B

Fox Hunters Paradise

From an overlook called Fox Hunters Paradise, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we looked over rolling farmland and range after range of mountains. The day was overcast (below us) with fog layering the mountain ridges. ~B

It's all BLUE!

Wooo Hooo! We've reached the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia! ~N

Mmmm!! Tasty????

From the rafters in the Smokehouse at Shirley Plantation hang dissicated cuts of pork looking like so many long dead bats. ~ B