For our first American Queen cruise stop, we pulled into New Madrid, Missouri. The river town’s name is tied forever to tragedy. New Madrid was at the epicenter of a seismic shift 200 years ago so violent that the Mississippi appeared to run upstream. Getting on the American Queen’s Hop On-Hop Off steamcoach, we were able to visit about a half dozen local attractions, free of charge – a nice perk for being an American Queen passenger. …
When Mary Sue Anton learned that her ancestor, Richard Jones Waters, came to New Madrid in 1789 with founder George Morgan, she became intrigued by the history of the small Missouri river town and its settlers. The result is her book, “New Madrid: A Mississippi River Town in History and Legend,” published in May 2009. When passengers of the American Queen left the boat for shore excursions in New Madrid, Mary Sue was signing autographed copies of …
You never know what you’re going to learn and where you’ll learn it. That is one of the joys of travel. On our first American Queen cruise stop, we pulled into New Madrid, Missouri. At the tiny town’s historical museum, I discovered an interesting tidbit about Lincoln Logs. My brothers had played with the toy building blocks when I was a kid. And I always thought the name Lincoln Logs referred, of course, to Abraham Lincoln. After …
On a record-breaking hot day, Marlene Heideman rolled a bicycle off the American Queen for a quick tour of Paducah, Kentucky. “It’s cooler to ride a bicycle than it is to walk,” she said. “You get a bit of a breeze on a bicycle.” The neon green bicycles are a new perk aboard the American Queen. Passengers can use the bicycles and helmets free of charge to visit riverfront towns when the paddlewheeler docks. “You have more …
The deep rumble of motorcycles joins with the blues riffs of horns for a noisy symphony on this busy street. It’s Bike Night on Beale Street in Memphis, where folks come to see and be seen — with or without motorcycles. At one end of Beale is 77-year-old Marvin Shackelford, lounging near his 2005 red, white and blue Harley. How long has he been riding? “I started riding in 1947,” he said. “I’ve had more bikes …
As new Duckmaster at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Anthony Petrina has no doubts who is boss. After trailing the fowl on their daily march to the elevator, Petrina acknowledges the obvious. “The ducks don’t actually follow me,” he admitted. “They lead me.” As only the fifth Duckmaster in the history of the legendary Peabody, Anthony does a great job of being in charge of the popular birds. At 11 each morning, the ducks step to John …
Now I know why Elvis loved them so much. I also know why he packed on so many pounds. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches are not for sissies. They aren’t cute little banana slivers atop skinny slices of whole wheat bread with a wispy hint of peanut butter. Nope. This is the king of all sandwiches — drenched in butter and dripping with enough calories to reduce pants’ fit by a whole size. Take a look …
“Welcome to my world,” Elvis sings as our shuttle crosses the street to enter the musical gates of Graceland. The former home of Elvis is a strange bubble in time. It is not near as grand as many visitors think it would be. Rock stars and other entertainers have far more elaborate homes today. It is a tribute that Elvis chose to live in his hometown – and he is still a powerful source of income for …
When 18-year-old Elvis Presley walked into Sun Studio for the first time, he was asked who he sounded like. His reply, “I don’t sound like nobody.” When he sang, “That’s all right, momma,” listeners agreed. Sun Studio became known as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. “It was phenomenal,” said studio tour guide Jayne White. “You’re walking on hallowed ground when you come in here.” On July 5, 1954, Elvis recorded his first single, “That’s All Right,” …
As a teenager, Elvis Presley would soak up the music of Beale Street and admire the fashions in the Lansky Brothers shop. Of course, buying fine clothes was out of reach for the poor boy. One day, shop owner Bernard Lansky saw the teen outside his window and invited Elvis in to look around. Admiring the wealth of clothes, Elvis said he didn’t have any money. But when he got rich, the boy vowed, he was going …
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