Pardon me Boy...

...is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo? YES, it is! Here I am, and what a great place! I came here on a whim - I had the choice when leaving Nashville either to revisit Louisville, where I worked in the early 80s, and go on to Charleston to see the setting of my current reading matter 'Scarlett'; or to go south. I chose the latter and haven't regretted it. After I left you last week, I headed for Fort Smith, in Arkansas, and had a pleasant day seeing the multiple gallows where outlaws were hanged, and the local whorehouse (from 'back in the day', not currently operational). Neither very uplifting experiences(!), but interesting; there was also a lovely riverside walk, which kept me happy. The weather has continued hot, hot, hot, with the occasional thunderstorm, but I've avoided the natural disasters not far off (fires in California, floods up north) thus far. I carried on to Broken Bow, near Beavers Bend National Park, hoping for a good hike; this didn't happen - it's more geared for families and camping, and the trails are not obvious enough for a spacially-challenged female such as I.
So, on to Hot Springs, just outside Little Rock. Bill Clinton was raised in Hot Springs, and they don't let you forget it! I found it to be a lovely spa town, though - on the lines of Buxton or Bath, with a lively history and pretty gardens in which to wander. I also managed a strenuous walk up to the Mountain Tower, then a climb by the staircase to the top for great view of the town and surroundings. I also went to an eve-of-4th-July party with sidestalls, country music (of course!) and fireworks. I felt a bit of an outsider as they celebrated getting rid of my ancestors - but everyone I spoke to was friendly, thankfully. One guy I spoke to says when he travels he pretends to be Canadian, as there's so much antipathy towards Americans at the moment.
I spent the 4th itself in Memphis. This has a lovely riverfront, and an island appropriately named Mud Island, which formed in the early twentieth century, but the focus is Beale Street, the Birthplace of the Blues. Lots of cafes, all with live music pouring out of the door. Also, being a holiday, there were bands and entertainers in the street. What better than to sit in the sunshine with an ice-cream, listening to blues/jazz? I have to admit here that I forewent (?) the required visit to Graceland - it was quite pricey, and I decided I didn't need to see where Elvis lived - hearing his music (everywhere!) was as good as a feast...
On then to Nashville - a place I had enjoyed back in December 1982. Either it has changed out of all recognition, or I'm thinking of somewhere else completely! More great music, though, so not a wasted journey.
So now I'm in Chattanooga, beneath Lookout Mountain, the southernmost peak of the Appalachians. It is quite commercialised, but I was happy yesterday to mingle with the vacationers wandering along rocky paths and enjoying the view at the top of seven states. I realised that I have visited 9 states so far - California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia (for about 6 hours yesterday). Not bad going...
I ended the day on the Incline Railway - VERY steep, having a chat with some members of a sorority convention. In other words, a girls' week-long party. Sounds good to me!
I then checked into a motel run by a couple from Bradford, so another good chinwag, before my nightly swim and read by the pool (still haven't mastered swimming 'properly' with my face in the water, John), before a trip to the family restaurant for my dinner which nearly always includes huge salad and fruit with chocolate sauce in the price...
The only downer is that my cellphone oops sorry, mobile phone - fell into the vernacular there - has no display now - the backlight has stopped working, so I can't read any texts, or access any information. So if I forget your birthday or don't call, please forgive me...
I'm off now to the river - hoping for a cruise on a paddle steamer in the sunshine. Such a tough life...
PS Sorry, no photos - struggling again to find internet access, and library doesn't allow downloads...

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam