Little Rock and Memphis

The days are flying by so fast, and I have been so tired in the evenings. I haven't had the mental energy to write blog posts the past couple of nights as a result, so now I have some catching up to do. Although my days are primarily filled with driving, there have been stops along the way to break up the monotony of the road. In my last post I wrote about my second day in Oklahoma. The next morning I left the state and headed to Little Rock, Arkansas. The day was just about all road trip, and I landed at the North Little Rock KOA in the early eve.

I've become very efficient at getting into my spaces, even those that require "back-in" and not just "pull-through". Also quite proficient on hooking up my "home" to water, electric and sewer right quick. It's been pretty warm still in the evenings when I stop, necessitating the closure of all curtains in windows to stop solar gain (as well as gain privacy), and the running of the AC to get comfy enough to have my evening meal and relax. I've been going to sleep by 10 each night, and sleeping soundly.

When I arrived in Little Rock, I directly headed out for BBQ at a famous place called "The Whole Hog Cafe". It's a very popular place right downtown, but I chose to go to a satellite out in the 'burbs instead, so I wouldn't need to navigate little downtown streets and likely get lost in the process. Best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had--and 6 kinds of sauce on the table! Spent some time in a couple of shops getting supplies for the van and some food to restock my larder. Also did a bit of a walk around a small park in the neighborhood. As the afternoon wore down I headed to the North Little Rock KOA and settled for the eve.

BIG plans for the next day! I planned to drive 2.25 hours to memphis, visit Graceland, and then proceed another 2.5 hours to settle in for the eve at a KOA in Hurricane Mills, TN. I did indeed accomplish all three, I'm happy to say. Graceland was easy to find, had plenty of parking, and was run efficiently enough that I could do the whole thing (or at least the parts that interested me) in about 2 hours. It was just about what I expected, only maybe even a little better. It doesn't look that big from the outside front, but it spreads out in the back and has 2 floors for visitors (only the bedroom floor is off limits). It's locked and frozen in time with 70's decor---over the top, but not even as much as I thought it would be. Green shag rugs, for real, man. Lots of gold records. And Elvis, his parents and his grandmother are buried outside right next to the pool! Wonderfully weird.....

Had to buy some Elvis kitsch for friends and family, of course, and I couldn't resist buying the cheesy, posed pic of myself at the entrance to the shuttles that drive the crowds over to the mansion.

I didn't linger, however, as I knew I had another 3 or so hours to drive to get to my next KOA in Hurricane Mills, TN. Smack dab in the middle of the State, and right by a major highway---Route 40, the route that I had been on for days and days. Never the less, I put in my earplugs and got a good night of rest. I was going to shower, but time ran out, and, hey, how dirty can I be, and who would get close enough to even detect anything? I'll get around to it, eventually. Tomorrow, yeah, tomorrow.

Today I simply DROVE. Drove 2.5 hours, rested and ate. Another 90 minutes, time for a break and a walk. Another 3 hours, finally off of Route 40 and onto 81 North. I'm at the northeastern edhe of Tennessee tonight, just a few miles away from the W. Virginia and Kentucky borders. I'll be going through a bit of KY, the WV, then into Ohio, where I will beeline for Marietta, the town of my Father's birth. My brother lives just outside or Marietta, and I will be staying with him (parking/camping in his driveway!) for a couple of nights, maybe three. Then will be the final push towards home. One more night in a KOA in Pennsylvania, or Maryland, and then...HOME!