[wpgmza id=”12″]We came to the realization this week that if we count when we moved out of the house to the RV parked next to our garage, that we have now been full time RVing for six months as of March 1st! If we count November 1 when we “hit the road” then we have a few months. Barb prefers to keep to the later date, because the six month mark is symbolic downsizing mark in RVing. Where the second purge begins, where if you have not used something for six months, pitch it, give it or otherwise stop hauling it! Due to a leaky water connection, our “basement” got flooded and we had to pull everything out to air dry it. In all respects, we really don’t have a lot of extra things stored onboard.

Barb’s Little Visitor

One evening this past week, Barb was “reading” in the bathroom and Jason was watching TV in the living space below. When all of a sudden the RV started to shake and there was squealing with words that “would make a sailor blush with shame” coming from the bathroom. While Barb was “reading” a little brown and green four-legged critter jumped from the window above her, onto her and then onto the way behind the toilet. This little tree frog probably jumped on board in Georgia, or came up with us from Winter Garden, and decided it was time to announce his presence! After chasing him around for a while, Jason finally caught him and released him to a green grass patch out in the park. Needless to say, it did offer some fresh entertainment to an otherwise quiet evening.

Last weekend was the beginning of our “ascent” to Wisconsin. We are in Memphis for two weeks at the Agricenter International Center. Our first impressions of Memphis were really negative because of several factors that seem to keep compounding on each other. We even considered moving out after the first few hours, or contemplating just making it one week instead of two.

What really got us questioning our safety was the number of police surveillance cameras that are everywhere. They have flashing blue strobe lights on them to draw attention to the fact you are being watched and you should not be naughty. Plus we are always seeing one, if not two or three, county sheriff squad cars parked somewhere around the Agricenter complex. The two staff at the amazing One and Only BBQ restaurant across the street from the RV Park told us not to go to the grocery store three blocks up the road because there have been serial muggings there! Down at the Bass Pro shops they had several signs as you walked from the parking lot to the building warning of thefts. Ultimately we decided to stay and are pleased that we did, we just had to find the “right” places to be and give some trust in the area. Memphis is actually a pretty large metro area with a significant geographic footprint, our “home” at the Shelby Farm Park area is in the middle of that.

Agricenter RV Park Campsite Map

Tight quarters at the Agricenter RV Park Sites. utilities at our site

From site 140, Agricenter RV Park West to East

Site 140 (on left) Agricenter RV Park West to East – we share “public” space with our neighbors

This RV Park is part of a huge 4,000 acre complex that has recreation, rodeo facilities, perpetual farmers market, expo center, research and education facilities. What we don’t understand is that with 4,000 acres is why the campsites are horribly tight and are laid out the oddest of any spot we have been in 18 years of RVing. The sites are all full hookup (water, electric and sewer) as well as pull through. The sewer hook ups are poured in concrete at each site and they did two at a time. This forces you to have to pull from the North for one rig and south for the other. This then has two rigs door to door and the other utility side to utility side. Then not only are really tight side to side, there is no place to park your truck once you unhook either. If there was this super tight urban environment (like we at St. Louis RV Park) then it would make sense, but if you have thousands of acres to work with why? It is really too bad. Also, in the way this RV park is situated the locals use it as a traffic jam by-pass at 60 MPH down the campground roads.

Memphis has to grow on you. Not exaggerating, there are pot holes in their major roadways that are at least a foot deep, the utility lines are in disrepair, tons of litter along the roads and in some cases you could grab onto power lines sagging along the road they are so low and just generally most areas seem “tired.” It seems Memphis must have expanded quickly all at once, most of the roadways are the same odd color orange and that material has deteriorated all at the same time across the city. The local TV news is all over the issue of potholes and the litter too this week. There are signs flanking the roads that say $3,000 fine for littering! They report that over 500 potholes per day are being filled, but now no one is picking up the litter?

Memphis Mississippi River Gauge, cresting just below the moderate flood state

Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid Entry

Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid Structure

Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid Sales Floor

Regardless, we decided to venture out and the first place we checked out was the Mississippi River waterfront. Unfortunately, the Mud Island Park complex doesn’t open until April. The water was very high, with the river cresting this past week. When we drove over into Arkansaw the waters are backed up for miles into the low land areas. We stumbled across the Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid which is a Las Vegas like themed inside of the pyramid construction, there is a hotel on the second and third floors as well as a observation deck you can pay to go up and take a view of the city. The same overpriced goods that any of Bass Pro shop of course is available.

The highlight of our week has been the spotting of an icon from our “first” “official” “date” in Hudson, when we met the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile together. Since that fateful day we have spotted in the wild at various places around the country. Just as we were about to drive out of the parking lot at the pyramid, flying past us goes the Wienermobile! It zipped down to the front door, parked, and out popped one of the occupants who snapped a picture of it in front of the pyramid. We followed it down and snapped a picture, then he jumped back in and away it went. But it went to the back of the parking lot and parked! So we took an opportunity to get some pictures with our favorite corporate icon.

Less fun this week, was a trip to the vet for Rico. The little guy has been tossing his cookies after every meal. We have tried a number of different things. The cost of the vet visit here was half of any visit back in Wisconsin, and some really nice staff at the East Gate Vet Clinic in Memphis. Ultimately, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him. Both cats have been olympic grade competitive eaters and try to outdo each other. Both cats weights are down and we decided to put them back on “free feeding” so that they don’t feel like they have to inhale their food. Both now are slower and actually chewing their food. This change has really reduced the cleanup on aisle 2 issues after Rico eats, but now both are much more sleepy with full bellies!

Fire devastated passenger bus at Civil Rights Museum

We had visited the Silver Springs, Florida, state park in January and this brochure archived the Civil Rights Museum brings a new perspective to that visit.

Montgomery Bus Boycotts

The boarding house, from where the sniper fired the fatal shot across the road to the Lorraine Motel killing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Inside room 306 of the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated outside on the balcony

Fifty years ago Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, in Memphis, TN, at the Lorraine Motel. The Civil Rights Museum is now situated at the site of the old motel and has a very high-caliber set of exhibits affiliate with the Smithsonian Museum. “Its exhibits trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present.” Across the street there is a second museum that is more focus on King himself, the assassination and the subsequent police investigations. There is so much information to take in at these two museums, opened in 1991, and through a variety of media added in a $27.5M renovation in 2013/2014. In addition to the exhibit itself, it was more interesting to eavesdrop on conversations of the generation that lived through the times depicted in each area. A gentleman sitting at a replicate of diner, talking about the sit ins that he was part of in his youth. Or, the women that all wanted to get their pictures on the bus together. The exhibit progresses from the 17th century to today, with the final thought about human trafficking that still exists across the world today.

Outside the BBQ Joint – Cozy Corner Restaurant, Memphis, TN

Cornish hen, potato salad and beans a the Cozy Restaurant, Memphis, TN

Wings and ribs, beans and BBQ spaghetti at the Cozy Restaurant, Memphis, TN

The museum was an emotional visit before lunch, then we zipped a few miles up to a BBQ joint that was recommended to us by a co-worker of Jason’s. The Cozy Corner Restaurant from the outside screams, “beware, don’t come in and we don’t have any BBQ either!” Inside was some amazing food, friendly and modern. The food was very flavorful and we can say without hesitation we have now had some real authentic Memphis BBQ! Jason had the recommended Cornish hen, beans and potato salad followed up with banana pudding. Barb had the wings and ribs combo with the BBQ spaghetti and the beans. Now to visit 99 more restaurants to try all of the 101 BBQ joints in Memphis.

Bucking bronco contest at the Tennessee High School Rodeo Association’s event

AgriCenter Showplace Arena, Memphis, TN

We wrapped up Saturday evening with some fun at the Tennessee High School Challenge Rodeo which was held at the Agricenter Arena right next to our RV park. Girls and boys competing in numerous competitions for their titles, from goat roping to bull riding! This had a 4-H or FFA feel to it, with most of the stands being the competitor’s families. Regardless, they put on a great performance while they compete for their titles.

We will be in Memphis for one more week and then will head North a bit further toward Wisconsin. How close we get will be depending on the forecast!