Culture and Fried Chicken

16 degrees
Miles - 2356 km.
10:00 p.m.

Before leaving Memphis we had a couple of things we wanted to do, the first was visiting the National Civil Rights Museum. Located at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated fifty years ago visitors are taken through centuries of history. The Museum does pay tribute and homage to the legacy of this great leader but it is devoted to the thousands of people who were a part of the entire Civil Rights Movement. From Slavery, Bus Boycotts, Freedom Rides, Student Sit-ins, stories are told through film, oral histories, interactive media, external listening posts, artifacts that span five centuries. It is very well done. After the exhibits at the Lorraine Motel, you cross the street to the Boarding House where James Earl Ray took out his rifle and shot King when he came out on to the Balcony from his Room, number 306 and 307. The actual rooms of King, his brother and Ray are as they were fifty years ago. Definitely worth the visit and very well done, pretty overwhelming. Throughout the buildings are bronze sculptures depicting events of the time. I loved Rosa Parks sitting in the actual bus.

After the Museum and to check off the second item on our list, we walked to “Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken” , a must have in Memphis. A very low key, cluttered, full to the brim with patrons one room restaurant that houses a cash counter, a room for the beverage fridge and a kitchen with fryers sizzling in the back corner, the cooks working non stop. A great people watching place, the menu was simple and when the chicken arrived it was amazing, spicy but not over the top. The chicken is fried until the skin is the colour of mahogany and shatteringly crisp, a crunch in every bite that will reveal tender and moist bites inside. It was amazing and a treat. Lunch size, perfect.

We walked back to the car and left town for Little Rock, the Capital of Arkansas. We did not have far to go today but the traffic was a bit stop and go with construction. We could not believe how many trucks were around us today. We were feeling rather small.

Arkansas is known for its many park and wilderness areas. The most important crop is rice along with soybeans, cotton, wheat and corn,

agriculture is the top industry. Tomorrow we are going to explore the River District and go to the Clinton Presidential Library.

A quiet night before a big day tomorrow. We enjoyed some reading time and I was happy to work on my blog. I took a lot of photos today but will only include a few. I am still thinking about the Museum though, the hardship of so many and the stories of their inner strength and will to make things better for everyone is profound. I love history, I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to learn more, the good and the bad. It is true, history does repeat itself and there is still so much to do to rid the world of hate. I am proud of the students who demonstrated today and walked out of the schools, guns have no place in the classroom.....history.... repeat

Photos depict the student sit-ins against discrimination, burned buses by the KKK, marching for equal rights, balcony outside Rm 306/307.

The other photos are pretty self-explanatory. The car photos just show you how small we felt surrounded by trucks. Today we felt there were more trucks than cars, many UPS, FedEx and yes one from Burlington, Ontario carrying Vortman cookies. We were going to count the different trucking companies but lost track. We were happy to be going a short distance today with the construction on this particular Highway (40 West).

It is the 14th of March as I write this, my cousin Karen’s birthday. Happy Birthday, wishing you health and happiness and I hope you had the best day. Birthdays are great, the only day that is all yours to celebrate and embrace as you wish.

Good night all, time to check the local news, at home.