At 3:40 p.m. on Saturday, May 7th, we walked along Beale Street in downtown Memphis and had a hard time deciding because there were so many great BBQ places. I saw a restaurant with a picture of a pig (wearing a bandana and sunglasses) and a line beneath that reads, "Pork with an attitude", and that was where we sat down and had our lunch. The ribs were a bit spicy but also had a sweet taste, just the way I like my ribs.
BBQ places, shops, all the famous blues clubs, lining the historic Beale Street providing all the fun, food and music, to visitors around the world.
After filled up our tummies with ribs, we continued to walk around town. It was a beautiful sunny comfortable day but the wind was strong. In fact, we saw a large patio umbrella was blown away and caught before it hit somebody in the head!
I spotted the above scuplture of hip shaking Elvis across the street from BB Kings Blues Club.
These photos were taken from the roof of the Peabody Hotel. I was told that the entire riverfront was under water from the rising Mississippi River.
The above photo showed the water was at the edge of Beale Street. There were many streets that were closed and we had to follow the detour signs to get out of town.
We did not plan it but it seemed as if we kept following the rivers during our road trip, Meramec River in St. Louis, Ohio River in Illinois and now Mississippi River in Memphis. On May 11th, CH and I would be flying to New Orleans. We heard the river was very high and it could be flooding there too!
Regular readers probably wonder if I am getting commission from the Grafton Chamber of Commerce or the Tourism Bureau there since I have been writing so much about the town. We really enjoyed our visit and you could tell we like taking the ferry across the Mighty Mississippi River. Last Sunday (October 31st) after we got off the Grafton Ferry, we drove to Golden Eagle (what a wonderful name for the town) and took the Golden Eagle Ferry to St. Charles, Missouri.
We stopped by the Golden Eagle Country Store (the cute little post office next to the store was closed at the time) before getting on the ferry. Step inside the store and you would be transported back to the past. The soda fountain in the middle of the store serving homemade ice cream (only three simple flavors, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla – no 36 flavors here). Merchandise (many items are stored in wooden barrels) scattered around with limited quantity (no piling up to the ceiling as in giant retail stores). In the back, a restaurant with lunch counter and about three tables, just enough to serve the local folks.
After a busy month of October, we decided not to plan any activities for the first weekend of November. We also wanted to relax before the holiday rush. CP still went out early to play 9-hole golf, then took care of blowing the leave, cleaning the yards and getting items out from the shed, ready for the winter. We turned the clock back but did not feel the extra hour producing additional rest to our aging bodies. After Sunday Mass, we visited a parishioner in the hospital. The lady was sleeping when we arrived. We wrote a note to let her know we were there.
I could not resist capturing the image of this person (I asked for permission to take his photo and he agreed) on a motorcycle, the American flag on the backpack, a sticker on the front of the bike reads “John 3:16” "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
From http://www.thetelegraph.com/, "To those who lived through the Great Flood of 1993, the Lighthouse is a symbol of hope, gratitude, community and perseverance. This symbolic lighthouse on the Grafton Riverfront was erected after Grafton, the town of 650 made national and international news in August of 1993 for being nearly washed away.”
"The lighthouse is not a functional guide for barges that travel the Mississippi River — it has no light on its roof, and the would-be doors are sealed with bricks. Its "purely symbolic” nature is a reminder to new and old Grafton residents that the flood nearly wiped out the town.
Floodwater saturated the town from March to October 1993, with the highest levels coming in late summer. More than 260 structures were damaged, and emergency roads had to be carved out of hills to gain access to the city.
Grafton has since become a tourism center during the spring through fall. On Saturday, the streets were again filled with a mix of out-of-town vehicles, motorcycles and regional tourists."
The Belle of Calhoun is one of the Brussels Free Ferries.From http://www.greatriverroad.com/, "Located about 1 mile west of Grafton and 4 miles east of Pere Marquette State Park, this ferry crosses the Illinois River linking Route 100 to Calhoun County and the village of Brussels. On busy days, such as weekends in the fall, there are two ferries operating to cut down on the waiting times. The ferries help keep the river free of ice during the winter and the action of their propellers stun fish and help bring them to the surface. These fish become easy prey for Bald Eagles making the Brussels Free Ferry Area one of the prime bald eagle watching spots in the region."
"Early American ferries consisted of rafts, rowboats and horse boats that could cross rivers where demand for transportation existed but where there weren’t any easy crossings. The advent of railroads and bridges put most ferries out of business and motorized vessels replaced the earlier forms of transportation of those that survived. For modern travelers, the remaining ferries in operation can save time as well as providing scenic river views. The Middle Mississippi River Valley offers seven ferries, two of which travelers can cross free of charge. Five of these ferries are located in the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area and the other crosses the Mississippi River between Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and rural Randolph County, Illinois."
Well, my ship (ferry) has finally come, but I was at the airport! (I read or heard this phrase but I don't know who said it. Would anyone know the original author, probably a comedian, of this funny but true saying?)
I thought of QQ, www.qaptainqwerty.com, when I saw these two bicyclists along the Bike Trail during our Sunday drive in Grafton, Illinois.From www.Greatriverroad.com, "The Vadalabene Trail is approximately 20 miles of level paved trail that parallels the Great River Road and the center portion of the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway. The trail is named after Sam M. Vadalabene, an Illinois State Senator and proponent of the trail. Riders, walkers, and joggers will see prairie wildflowers along the trail as well as flowering trees during the spring. Brilliant reds, yellows and oranges compliment the scenery in the fall. For those willing to brave the elements in the winter months should be able to see Bald Eagles soaring over the river and bluffs, or floating down the river on chunks of ice."Hey, Qap, does it sound entice enough for you to visit this neck of the woods?
Taking advantage of the nice cool yet sunny weather, my husband cleaned the carpet in the kitchen and family room using the steamer we purchased five years ago. Since we don’t have kids or pets and shoes are taken off once we are inside, the carpet only needs to be vacuumed weekly and cleaned twice during Spring and Fall cleaning. We steam cleaned the entire house in the Spring. On Saturday, while my husband cleaned the carpet and gathered the leave to the front yard for pick up (the City provides the service at no charge), I decided to make a visit to the mall. Regular readers know that I don’t care to spend time shopping. I could count on one hand how many times I went to the nearby malls in the last 5 years. Last week we got new mobile phones. And of course, now we had to get accessories such as carrying case for my husband and gel skin for both phones. I visited a few clothing stores but did not find any sweaters that I really liked (actually I did not want to pay full price). I usually make purchases at the end of the season when the items are placed on the clearance racks. I got a few more hand lotions to take care of the dry skin in the winter.
On Sunday, we drove to Grafton, Illinois for a 2nd visit. We heard of Grafton and its famous eagle watching but never paid a visit. During the Poker Run, we did not have time to really enjoy the town but we loved the beautiful scenery along the river, the limestone bluffs and the charm of its Main Street. Now we could not stay away! Grafton is definitely on our list for weekend roadtrips.
From the official website, http://www.enjoygrafton.com/, “Located near the convergence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers - Grafton, Illinois is a little town steeped in history. Grafton was founded in 1832 by a man named James Mason. Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County. The area was being settled as early as 1812. The population reached 10,000 people in the 1850’s. Grafton, Illinois boasts a handful of ghost stories, the most famoushaunted site is the Ruebel Hotel.”
We had a nice home cooking lunch at the Ruebel Saloon. How fitting to listen to a ghost story about this place on Halloween.
“The hotel was built by Michael Ruebel in 1879 where it became the largest commercial hotel in Jersey County . It had 32 rooms with a bath house in the back and mainly played host to river travelers. Room rates at that time were $1.00 per day. The hotel thrived until it caught fire in 1912. As stories have been told the ghosts of the Ruebel Hotel remain. Many guests have spoken and seen a little girl ghost named, “Abigail”. Her presensce is still known and felt to this very day. Pictures that have been taken by several guests show orbs in many different places of the hotel recently.”
“In the heart of Grafton history is the Ruebel Hotel. The Ruebel was built in 1879, caught fire on 1912 and was rebuilt and renovated in 1997. The Ruebel Hotel has a magnificently restored bar from the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.”
This building used to be Grafton Bank. It is now a specialty shop selling leather and accessories to bikers (sorry, Qaptain Qwerty, for motorcycles, not bicycles).
Below is one of the many fine arts and crafts shops along Main Street.
We went downtown on Sunday for the St. Louis Blues v. Edmonton Oilers game. It was not a real exciting game since the Oilers are in the last spot in the Western Conference. The Blues needed to win more than the Oilers because the Blues are still in the 10th spot, with not much chance to get into the Playoffs. The Blues won 3-2. Before the game, we drove by the Landing and I took these photos showing the rising water completedly covered the waterfront. You could judge for yourself how high the water was by looking at the photo with the Stop sign. For a second, I thought I saw animals in pairs lining up to get to the top of the arch!
At 3:40 p.m. on Saturday, May 7th, we walked along Beale Street in downtown Memphis and had a hard time deciding because there were so many great BBQ places. I saw a restaurant with a picture of a pig (wearing a bandana and sunglasses) and a line beneath that reads, "Pork with an attitude", and that was where we sat down and had our lunch. The ribs were a bit spicy but also had a sweet taste, just the way I like my ribs.
BBQ places, shops, all the famous blues clubs, lining the historic Beale Street providing all the fun, food and music, to visitors around the world.
After filled up our tummies with ribs, we continued to walk around town. It was a beautiful sunny comfortable day but the wind was strong. In fact, we saw a large patio umbrella was blown away and caught before it hit somebody in the head!
I spotted the above scuplture of hip shaking Elvis across the street from BB Kings Blues Club.
These photos were taken from the roof of the Peabody Hotel. I was told that the entire riverfront was under water from the rising Mississippi River.
The above photo showed the water was at the edge of Beale Street. There were many streets that were closed and we had to follow the detour signs to get out of town.
We did not plan it but it seemed as if we kept following the rivers during our road trip, Meramec River in St. Louis, Ohio River in Illinois and now Mississippi River in Memphis. On May 11th, CH and I would be flying to New Orleans. We heard the river was very high and it could be flooding there too!
The last time we were in Memphis, we saw the ducks at the Peabody Hotel. We thought CH would enjoy the event and she did. Above photo showed the Duckmaster ready to assist the ducks getting back to their rooftop palace.
The tradition started in the 1930s when the ducks began their famous daily treks at 11:00 a.m. from their Duck Palace to the hotel lobby's fountain and then back to their penthouse at 5:00 p.m. 
Sorry about the quality of my cheesy photo but look closely you would be able to see the ducks getting into the elevator. The Duckmaster was there to accompany the troops (you did not think the ducks knew which floor number to press, did you?)
