Driving Through the Ozarks

Greetings from Blue Springs, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City and close to Independence, Missouri where we will be visiting with one of our most interesting presidents, Harry S. Truman. Today on the way from Fort Smith, Arkansas we stopped in the town of Lamar where President Truman was born. We didn't drive the 2 miles down the road to see the home where he lived for the first year of his life. Instead we stopped at the Dairy Queen for a bite of lunch. We walked into one side of the DQ and encountered a bus load of teenagers who came in the other door. It was a high school choir on their way somewhere for a competition. Cute bunch of kids but let me tell you the DQ in Lamar was hopping!!!!

The Ozark Mountains are low and rolling and covered with a dense growth of trees. They are turning colors and occasionally you see flashes of bright red but mostly it appears as a fluffy Impressionist painting. We are struck with the dense growth and even where patches are cleared for farming the trees grow right up to the fence lines. It is totally different looking than the mountains in the west. When we left the Ozarks we were back in flat farmland and straight roads. It was an easy ride and very scenic and enjoyable. We left the Interstate about 45 miles from Kansas City to get to Blue Springs where we are staying. Great little 2 lane road and very little traffic.

Checked into the motel and Judi and Lee went to do the laundry, and I stayed here to do the blog and pay some bills. Went to a pub next door for dinner where the Missouri Univerity football game was on and they were giving Colorado a shellacking. The volume was really high in the pub but it is Saturday night and football fans were out in force. Tomorrow the Kansas City Chiefs play so we will try to skirt around them on the way to the Harry Truman Library. We had a bit of trouble finding a place to stay. Seems not only is there a home football game but it is the opening of deer (I believe) season. Actually encountered some hunters in the camo outfits in the DQ. As you can see it has been a full day! (smiles)

I went out and took some pictures around the motel. The trees and shrubs are just ablaze. And the bark around the plants is cedar. We have seen it many places. We are staying at a Hampton Inn which is one of our favorites. The beds are really comfortable and the rooms are generally big enough. Fortunately for the budgets we are away from the high rent districts we encountered along the East coast. In fact we have two rooms Monday and Tuesday night in Belleville, Kansas. Each room with a king sized bed is $49. Considering this is the only motel in Belleville, Kansas we could find and due to the hunting season we got the last accomodations for sleeping 3. Stay tuned for a report.

The other two pictures are the types of breakfast rooms where we have eaten almost everyday since we left. Now here is something I am looking forward to at home. Real silverware! I'm pretty sick of plastic forks, knives, and spoons. On the other hand I am going to miss the cinnamon rolls from Holiday Inn Express. Weight Watchers here I come!!!

Good night from the GGG's

Little Rock Arkansas and the Clinton Library

First of all a little correction to a previous blog. I should have checked my dates a little more carefully because the 2000 Summer Olympics were in Sydney Australia, not Atlanta, Georgia as I posted. Atlanta hosted the Olympics in 1996. Now that I have that off my chest onward to 2007 and the Clinton Library.

It was a sparkling day in Little Rock, and we arrived at the Presidential Library before 10:00. The building is beautiful and is cantilevered out over the Arkansas River. It is designed to mirror an abandoned rusting railway bridge just to the west of the library. Makes an incredible impact of the new and the old and the library is considered to be the "Bridge to the future". It really makes quite a statement. And the surrounding park is open and airy and full of some of the most vividly colored red oak trees. In a couple of weeks the other trees should turn bright yellow. Wish we were going to be here to see it! From the Library you can see the skyline of Little Rock and there is a penthouse apartment available to the President or other dignitaries who are visiting Little Rock.

Once inside the library the first exhibit is devoted to the Secret Service. The presidential limosine is on display and it is quite impressive. Gone are the days of the open cars.

On the second floor the exhibits are devoted to Clinton's presidency. There are alcoves devoted to various policy areas. These alcoves are chock-a-block with printed materials, artifacts and more information than the average human being can absorb! We each stopped at those things which interested us. All of the GGG's were fascinated with interactive displays or binders filled with daily presidential schedules. Included are pictures of some of those alcoves including a picture of presidential seal rug in each, and an overview picture. Very impressive!

Also on the second floor is an exact replica of the Oval Office. It is the only presidential library that has a model built to the exact same scale as the White House Oval Office. In this oval office is a replica of the presidential desk that has been used since the time of Teddy Roosevelt. It is carved from timbers of a British ship, The Resolute, which became trapped in Arctic ice in the late 1800's. The crew was able to be rescued but the ship remained in the ice until the spring thaw at which time it was towed back to Boston by an American trawler and returned to the ship's rightful owners. A number of years later when the ship was decommissioned Queen Victoria had timbers removed to carve a desk which was given to the American president as a thank you. Every presidential library that has a replica of the oval office has a copy of this desk. We find that a very interesting story. Notice the desk in the picture. Also included is a an exhibit of the Cabinet Room in the West Wing. The President sits at the middle of the table and each of the chairs has the particular cabinet position's name on the chair. There are monitors on this table where you can learn more about the executive branch of the government. Yes, those are two GGG's deep in concentration. Wonder where the other GGG is?

The third floor of the Library is filled with records of family events and a lighter side to the presidency. I was particularly taken with some of the gifts. There is a Gihoully (sp?) glass piece that is magnificent. I thought the painted Hillary and Socks bench was a hoot. The plate is the china that was commissioned during the Clinton administration to mark the 200th anniversary of the White House. It is the only White House china to have the image of the White House on it! There are pictures of costume parties, Bill Clinton's saxaphones, Christmas decor and cards, a table setting of a White House dinner as well as an extensive time line of a state dinner and all the planning and rehearsing that goes on before the event. And there was much much more!

After several hours and lunch in the on site restaurant, we took the little shuttle down the street to the gift store where we paid our dues as usual. The Library is built on land along the Arkansas River which was bought by the city of Little Rock for the location of the Library. The Library was built with privatly donated funds but the City owns the park. One volunteer told us that she thought it was the craziest thing ever because the land was an old rusty broken down industrial area in a decaying part of downtown Little Rock. Well, she freely admits she was very wrong. Not only does the city have a lovely park, a first rate museum and historical site, but the surrounding area has had new life breathed into it. A beautiful old train station houses the William J. Clinton Foundation and parts of the Library and Museum can be rented by the community for a variety of events. Edward Jones had an investment seminar going on today. Several school tours came through also. We wanted to spend more time just wandering around but it was time to get the shuttle back to the parking lot, hop in the car and head down the road to Kansas Citty. Actually we are headed to Independence, Missouri for a visit to the Harry Truman Home and Library. Drove for a few hours and stopped for the night in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Onward and northward tomorrow. Good night from the GGG's

P.S. This is definitely a place we would like to come back to. We only hit one highpoint! There is so much more to Little Rock and the area is really beautiful. Next time!

The GGG's at Graceland

After being notified that Blogspot.com was experiencing difficulties I had just about abandoned hope of posting pictures. But we're back !!!! Am going to attempt something different tonight. Since the story of Graceland is known to everyone on the planet (unless you have been living under a rock for the last 50 years) I thought I would describe the pictures and some of our observations. Wish me luck.


This car was in the "Automobile Museum" at Graceland. This Pink Cadillac was a favorite of his mother and for that reason Elvis kept it even after she died.














There go those GGG's looking for another mode of transportation!














This is the Convair 880 that Elvis bought and then outfitted very lavishly. It is named for his little daughter. One time in the winter when she said she would like to see snow he flew her to Colorado from Tennessee, let her play in the snow, and after an hour returned home.









The racquet ball court has been converted to a display area. Check out the costumes! The wall are lined with his gold and platinum records.












Elvis's grave is situated behind the house next to the swimming pool. We found that a bit odd but makes it very handy for the tourists. Fresh flowers, potted plants, boquets of silk and plastic flowers continue to arrive on a regular basis. They are kept until they are wilted or show signs of weathering and are then disposed of. Around August at the anniversary of his death and also at his birthday great numbers of things arrive. Buried along side him are his mother, father, and grandmother.












The gravesite from the other side of the fountain. I think I see a couple of the Gotta Go Girls there!









And here is another GGG in front of the house. The house is quite close to the street and seems like the security would have been a problem. I guess there was plenty of man power to keep the fans at bay.













One of the many displays showing the Presley's wedding outfits. We loved seeing so many clothes, personal items, jewelry, along with music and awards.


















A display of some of the jewelry Elvis wore. Quite a lot of bling!












This shows a number of the rooms in the house that are open to the public. It is definitely 70's decor with a bit of outlandish and very expensive furniture. Some decorator had a lot of fun and made a lot of money!















For lunch in the Rock-a-Billy Cafe I had one of Elvis's favorite sandwiches--Grilled peanut butter and banana on white bread! Yum-o!















The living room is at the entrance to the house. The small picture is of his mother and father. The room is decorated in white and royal blue with lots of mirrors and glass.

















The kitchen where lots of meals were cooked for the many people who lived there or were just visiting. Notice the Harvest Gold Refrigerator! Don't we all remember that lovely color from the 70's









Here in the TV room the walls and ceilings are covered in mirrors. Also in the room are comfy couches, a fireplace and three TV's. The royal blue and yellow decor is the same as in the living room upstairs. This room also has a bar. Not exactly what I would call a relaxing room.















The heavily carved and fake fur upholstered chair was in the jungle room/family room. Elvis also did some recording in this room, which was the reason for the carpeting on the ceiling. And another of those spiffy colors from the 70's. The chair was quite outrageous with all the carving. This room was really campy, hokey, bizzare (choose one or all the descriptive words)






You really get a sense of the importance of Elvis Presley to the music world and how he lived in this outrageous place. For a poor kid from Tupulo Mississippi he made his mark on the world. But Graceland reflects more than just money and what it can buy. There are glimpses of a kind and generous man with a mountain of talent. There were certainly excesses that cut him down too early in his life and for that we can feel sadness. From the crazy furniture to the White Cloude Rolls to the pair of jet airplanes, he was one of a kind and they don't made many like him. The Gotta Go Girls were glad to join the three-quarters of a million people yearly who stop by Graceland to pay their respects.

Tomorrow will check in from the Clinton Presidential Library. Nighty night from the GGG's


















Well just a few observations before I log off and go to bed early.

The Best of Nashville

What a great time!

1.At the Country Hall of Music Museum and a long media display

2. The King's favorite Gold Cadillac limosine

3. Gold and platimum records covering the walls. Open some to hear the artist

4. Dolly Parton's dress and wig

5. Little Jimmie Dickens plaque in the Hall of Fame

6. With 4th grade intrepreters at the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home

7. The Gotta Go Girls seeking another mode of transportation

8. President Jackson and his wife Rachel's graves

9. Old Arnold who negotiated a grave for himself next to President Jackson

10. Trees from all Jackson's battlegrounds

11. and 12 The Cracker Barrel restaurant

13. Gerry with statues of Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl

14. Displays of their clothes in the Ryman Theater

15. The Atrium of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel

I should be in bed but I can't stand being this far behind on the blog.

Will begin with our arrival yesterday after a rather lengthy drive from from Atlanta to Nashville. We had tickets for a performance at the Ryman Theater where the Grand Old Opry originated for the Tuesday night performance and live radio broadcast. We drove into the downtown which is really very lovely. Lots of construction going on but a very active downtown area. They call the Ryman the mother church of country music and is the first home of the Grand Ole Opry. A new facility has been built where they are most of the time but right now until Christmas the Rockettes are in the new theater on the outskirts of town and Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays the Grand Old Opry will broadcast from their old home. Sort of a homecoming last night. The show consisted of 7 different acts, solos and groups, and was live on the radio. Porter Wagoner who was Mr. Grand Old Opry died this last week and much of the show was a homage to him. Little Jimmy Dickens was on the bill and he is in his 80's and has been with the Opry over 50 years. He recited a poem for Wagoner and it was very touching. The audience was pretty grey haired but country music lovers. It was a kick and for the young folk and a few of the elders, Kellie Pickler ,who was a contestant on American Idol a couple of years ago, was part of the show. Took me back to the days when I was a child and on Saturday nights I would listen to the Grand Ole Opry with my grandparents. Last night and today was quite an interesting bit of time travelling. One of the major sponsors of the Grand Ole Opry is the Cracker Barrel restaurants. We had stopped yesterday to have lunch in one along the Interstate and I was thinking of the restaurant all evening (I had forgotten my Rolaids). Glad they are sponsoring the radio show but will have to do it without any more of our money.

This morning we were off early to the Hermitage which was the home of General/President Andrew Jackson. Lots of school tours and they added a bit of frenzy to the day but we made it through. It was fun having costumed 4th graders interpret what we were seeing. Took me back! The house was wonderful and in much of its original form. Original wall papers in some of the rooms. Lots of the Jackson's furniture and beautiful rolling grounds. And to think the airport was almost built next door and would have taken some of the land for runways. It is a very peaceful area and even with several hundred kids around you could still feel the calm of the plantation.

From there we drove downtown to the Country Music Hall of Fame. What an enjoyable experience that was. We could have spent many more hours there. The displays
brought back many memories and introduced many new stars. Loved the clothes from so many performers from Roy Rodgers' and Dale Evans' boots to Ray Charles sun glasses. The 3 hours we spent wasn't nearly enough. I could have sat in a number of the little aditoriums and watched movies all afternoon whil listening to music.

Decided to drive about 10 miles out of town to the New Opryland. There is a huge hotel near a huge auditorium, near a huge convention center, near a huge shopping center. We drove around this area with Judi turning the air blue in the car as it was a bit confusing to how we could get to the hotel. Finally pulled into the valet parking line and the supervisor comes over and when Judi explains we just want to take a look inside the hotel, he directs us to a curb, takes our keys, and tells us they aren't busy and we can leave the car there for a bit. Well, we went inside the biggest non-gaming hotel establishment in the world. It has a huge atrium in the middle of the huge building with a river running through it on which we saw a boat with about 15 people taking a little cruise before dinner. Restaurants, shops, cafes, and hotel rooms. Could stay there and never have to leave! After a great dinner at an Italian bistro, collected our car and drove around in circles for a bit before we got to our very modest Holiday Inn Express hotel. Oh, well, maybe in our next lives!

On to Memphis tomorrow to see the KING!

Love from sleepy and sleeping GGG's

Beautiful Atlanta

Today was Photo-Op Heaven!

1. Reconstruction of Jimmy Carter's Oval Office

2. Carter and his nobel Peace Prize

3. Sweater he wore to encourage turning down the thermostats to save energy

4. Bronze statue recognizing Carter's work in Africa to eradicate conditions that cause blindness.

5. Homage to Nemo

6. The Georgia Aquarium

7. Jelly Fish

8. A great "water tunnel"

9. Cavorting Beluga whales

10. Getting up close to the exhibits

11. Inside the CNN Center

12. Globe and the top of the world's longest escalator

13. Hum Vee used in Iraq by CNN reporters

14. Millenium Park (CNN in the background)

15. Millenium Park statue to those who made the 2000 Atlanta Olympics possible

Busy day, busy day! Staying at a wonderful Amerisuites (soon to be a Hyatt) and the shuttle was at the ready this morning. We were dropped off a mile or so away at the CNN Center and walked right up to get tickets for a tour. The center is fabulous! Ted Turner purchased the Omni Hotel and resort here in downtown Atlanta. He kept part of the hotel and remodeled everything else (amusement park, skating rink) into this center for his Cable News Network. We started off by riding up the longest escalator in the world. It seemed to go on forever. Our guide is attempting to work himself into a photographic position at CNN and this is his entry level job. We started at the top and worked our way down. We saw the room where they do the broadcast live and watched all the activity. Saw CNN International as well as CNN Espagnol and CNN Headline News. It was a fascinating hour tour and well worth the $12.00. I even got to sit at a desk and pretend I was a news anchor. This could be a new profession for me!!!!

We then walked over to the Georgia Aquarium through Millenium Park. This was the unfortunate site of the bombing during the 2000 Olympics. But the park is beautiful and downtown Atlanta has a lot to recommend it. The Aquarium is not the Montery Bay Aquarium but there were some things I really liked. The exhibits were all off the center of the building and you returned to the middle of the building each time you completed an exhibit. This makes it very manageable and able to see all the exhibits in shorter periods of time without walking miles and miles as you do at Monterey. On the other hand it is much smaller and not as detailed. Some of the exhibits you can tell from the pictures put you almost right into the water, or so it feels. Very enjoyable and then it was time to move on. (We really covered the territory today and much of that is thanks to the hotel shuttle)

We called the shuttle which took us back to the hotel where Lee and Judi got out and I continued on to the Carter Library and Museum. I am a big fan of Jimmy Carter and I do feel he is a man of very high character. I enjoyed the museum very much and now I have seen 2 Nobel Peace Prizes in the last two days. The grounds around the museum and Carter Center are lovely with a couple of small lakes. The large tiled pool at the entrance is empty of water as is another large fountain in Millenium Park due to the terrible drought that is occuring in the south. We are also asked in restaurants if we wish water as it is not brought automatically.

Lee and Judi enjoyed the afternoon at the Atlanta History Center. It is located in the Buckhead area of huge palatial mansions one after another. In this residential area the homes were visible from the street and surrounded by lawns and lovely gardens. One of the houses they toured at the History Center was the Swan House built in the 1920's which was very large but had a feeling of coziness. They got a real feeling for the people who lived there including the mistress of the house who had the sweeping staircase polished every day but made everyone including her family use the back staircase to go upstairs. And as Lee said, "Now thousands of tourists tramp up and down the staircase every year!" They visited another section of the History Center which housed an outstanding collection of American folk art from the Civil War to the recent Olympic games. As our common complaint goes, "There wasn't enough time to see everything!"

We met back at the hotel and proceeded a couple of blocks up the street to Ray's Seafood Restaurant. It is in the quite upscale tourist/shopping district and we had a wonderful dinner. Will be tucking our full little bellies into our beds for we head on to Nashville tomorrow. Stopping first to get the Green Avalon serviced. It has been a courageous and reliable steed and gets to go into the barn for an extra ration of oats! Tomorrow from Grand Ol' Opry Land!

Nighty night from the GGG's