The most stressful part of each day is finding a place to stay. It's got to have high-speed Internet access, it's got to be safe.
I've mostly been using the AAA website (I'm a member) to find lodgings, but even with mapping software online and GPS in the car, it's sometimes difficult to determine what kind of neighborhood you're stepping into.
My rule: Find a place before sundown. Today I almost blew it, due to long visits with artists Joe Minter and Chris Clark. When evening approached, I went for safety over budget, and booked into the Pickwick Hotel in the trendy Five Points South neighborhood. At $88, certainly reasonable, but enough to wreck today's budget.
Total miles: 73 miles
Expenses:
- Lunch: $12
- Dinner: $19
- Gas: $18.25
- Hotel: $88 plus tax
- Civil Rights Institute entry: $9
- Joe Minter's book: $28
- Art purchases: We're not telling.
Total: $194
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Bed rest
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5 comments:
Between Memphis and St. Louis are two historic towns that we have discovered a few years ago. They are Cape Girardeau and Ste. Genevieve, MO. I would also recommend the B&B's where we stay. The Bellevue in Cape Girardeau and The Southern Hotel in Ste. Genevieve. The hosts are wonderful and very happy to share the history of their towns.
Jane,
Adventurewriter has some good points, but I have to disagree with Smoky Mountains as a destination. On my adventure, I had a National Park Passport book which you get stamped at each park you visit, so one stop was Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park. It was congested with traffic. Motorcycles reving their engines made wildlife scarce. Sorry, but it's a place I will never visit again.
Barry
Hi Jane! If you haven't already hit Nashville, check out Demos, a steak and Spaghetti restaurant. Yes! It sounds strange, but it's delicious and inexpensive. It's a local chain of 5 restaurants. For your first visit, they will bring a sampler tray so you can try all 8 sauces. Also, I think Hostels can be a good idea, but we tried a chain called Best Value Inn this summer. They had great rates and hot breakfasts. One morning we had waffles and one morning biscuits and gravy.
Jane,
Like adventurewriter, found that there was simply not enough time for everything on my coast-to-coast ramble, though I allowed two months.
In Memphis, skip BB King's (no disrespect) and Rendezvous, head to Blues City Cafe for BBQ and as they say, "put some South in your mouth".
Everyone may go to Graceland, but the Civil Rights Museum that incorporates the Lorraine Motel was infinitely more interesting.
Jane,
I am from Nashville and have a few suggestions for you. As for dining, Demos', suggested by Debbie, is good, but I have other dining options that better capture the local flavor. For breakfast, you should go to the Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village (near Vanderbilt campus). It is very popular with both locals and tourists. For lunch, I would suggest going to Arnold's, a "meat and three." It's cafeteria style and you get one entree (usually four or five each day) and the price of your meal depends on how many side vegetables you get. It is true southern cooking, most of the ingredients are bought fresh daily at the local farmer's market and is one of my favorite places to eat in Nashville. You really should visit the Opryland hotel and stroll through the lobbies. It is very beautiful at day or night. While in Middle Tennessee, you should also consider taking a drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway ( http://www.nps.gov/natr/) for a really interesting drive (isn't that the point of this whole adventure?).
My wife and I honeymooned in St. Louis and you should consider staying at Napoleon's Retreat bed and breakfast. It is a charming house near Lafayette park and has wonderful breakfast. You should visit the City Museum in St. Louis (http://www.citymuseum.org/home.asp) for an offbeat, intersting experience.
Enjoy your trip...sure sounds like fun.
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