A few extra shots of New Orleans for your viewing pleasure

The spotted cat music club on Frenchman St - awesome venue reminded me of home

Right in the middle of live jazz

Scary voodoo cemetery

French Quarter

The city down by the Mississippi

Voodoo is everywhere

Buskers are everywhere too - this guy was cool

The big easy....

So after dragging the Day's away from the casino we headed on down to the Big Easy - New Orleans (NO)....

Firstly, the drive here is amazing as you approach NO you drive across a lake - think its something like 24 miles long - on water and close to it! New Orleans is 4-6 feet BELOW sea level so you can imagine why the flooding after Hurricane Katrina (2005) was so extensive. Apparently two/thirds of the population haven't returned after that hurricane and all of the locals here say it has really changed. There are areas which they have just left and not fixed up - apparently that is what Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are doing here.  They have a house in the French Quarter which they paid 3.7 mill for.

We decided to stay in the French Quarter RV resort which means walking distance to most things - bit more expensive but worth it as you can't just really wander down the streets here. You have to stick to certain areas as they have a high violent crime rate and such poverty. The resort was awesome though, TV, coffee, pool, spa, bbq area - the RV parks are getting better and better. New Orleans has a funky vibe, like a giant Cuba st, old and new mix together and any type of person is welcome, music galore and the jazz is just something else. 

Voodoo is big here, you can buy all sorts of potions, crazy voodoo dolls, etc and there are many tours that look at haunted spirits, voodoo things, old cemeteries etc - there is definitely some weird dark vibe here.

Most of the time was spent shopping, cruising around, checking out bars and places to eat, of course Mike and Suzy had casino action. I got a cool piece of original art from a local artist. We also did a swamp tour - that is a must in Louisiana - checked out some 'gators....and the like - was pretty cool. Hot and humid here and some wicked loud thunderstorms and hail in amongst it all - weird....

For anyone heading to NO - Frenchmen st is the place to go - kind of local and cruisy and not so trashy as Bourbon St, even though it is kind of fun. New Orleans has to be on the list of must see's in the states.

New Orleans power supply across water - imagine that in a hurricane

The French Quarter

Bourbon St when it's tame

Speaks for itself really

They block off the road in the French Quarter for pedestrians drinking giant size cocktails like these

Trying to capture the highways across water

Cajun Encounters swamp tour

al the big 'gator -they feed them marshmallows to get them close - not sure I agree with that

Yum another marshmallow or human please

Mix of old and new

deep in the Louisiana swamp

you gotta love the south

a little conversation...


a local asks the question "I love your accent, where y'all from?"
the answer was "New Zealand"
the response was "Is that a country?"

Tunica - the town in the middle of nowhere....

Mike decided it's casino time. So off we head about 20 mins south of Memphis to a place called Tunica, right up alongside the bank of the Mississippi. It has nothing really but giant casino resort type places. We stayed in the RV lodge that is attached to the Harrahs casino....pretty nice - like a resort, big swimming pool, lounge with TV for guests etc for only $13 a night. Crazy. I mostly worked there (not at the resort!) but Suzy and Mike spent large portions of time catching the free shuttle from the RV campground to the casino at all hours of the day and night. 

I would join them later on, usually when they had scored free dinner for us all at the most amazing buffet - called Paula Deen's buffet. Now apparently Paula Deen is a celebrity chef - she is on the Food channel and has millions of books - kind of like a southern version of Allison Holst. Anyway - her buffet was pretty amazing - I had a big pile of Mississippi mud crab legs - took ages to get the meat out but man they were good. In true American style you dip the meat in melted butter - feel that cholesterol hiking up right now...although the Americans don't dip them, they pour the butter, huge amounts of it, right over the whole pile - ug...

This place was heavily affected by the Mississippi floods in May this year. If you can imagine the casino doors - these were half under water. It is amazing this place and its surrounds are up and running again in a month - the whole golf course was under water too - they were losing around $90mill in revenue - so I guess that was the motivation to get it sorted pretty quickly. Was hard to imagine.

 I am not sure if the weather in the States has been reported in NZ - but we have gone from one extreme to the other. Freezing cold and snow to record high temperatures. Tunica was hot - we hit 100 degrees F and it has been in the 90's every day - Memphis included....I love that dry heat - Middle East acclimatizes you I think but man it was good to have a pool. The air conditioning in the RV goes 24/7. 

We all managed to stay ahead of the casino's game so basically spent two nights R and R in a place in the middle of nowhere for $13 a night with all our food, alcohol and transport free (and up at the casino) - pretty sweet deal really.

The pool at the RV lodge ($13 a night)

The lodge - didn't take photos of anything else, nothing really to take photos of to be honest!

Some shots of memphis....

Beale st - bit seedy

Peabody Hotel - ducks that live and march

Family photo

Mike's birthday transport

cardboard cut outs are everywhere (of Elvis I mean)

Elvis's jungle room

Elvis's flat screen

Mike's new wardrobe

Graceland

Sun studio - awesome tour here

National Civil Rights Museum - site of Luther King's assassination

You aint nothin but a hound dog…..

and my fave tune....(pretty sure he's on those prescription drugs in this one!)

Memphis – mmmm a bit derelict – lots of empty buildings and no grounds being taken care of, dirty and a bit dodge in parts. I didn’t like it really. Maybe I missed something…..Suzy and Mike may think differently but I certainly thought it was overrated. According to the Lonely Planet the bible of travel it is bankrupt – I agree, it shows. But it does have some sights….and some good food.

Graceland – we stayed in the RV park next door – to pay Lisa Marie’s salary….The RV park played the Elvis radio station 24/7. Everywhere you go there are Elvis DVD’s playing, songs, movies – you name it. Actually Graceland is kind of interesting. His two planes are parked there, all his cars and toys, all his costumes (mike was desperate to get himself into those) and of course his house. Which is exactly and I mean exactly how he left it – green shagpile carpet and all…. Tight security as there are Elvis crazies everywhere!! People wearing t-shirts, Elvis attire, singing to his songs, carrying flowers…..he is buried at Graceland, I saw 2 ladies crying at his grave WHAT??? Apparently they still get fresh and artificial bouquets delivered to the mansion daily – from all over the world to be placed at his grave site….all a bit odd really…..he did have some good pelvis moves though. You have to do it – it is kind of moving in a weird kind of way.

Sun studio tour was amazing – highly recommend – where Elvis first recorded but so many other stars got their starts there – BB King, Jerry Lee Lewis (what's with him marrying his 13 year old cousin at 22???), Johnny Cash etc etc and because it became kind of a pilgrimage many modern day bands still go there to record – hoping for the big break or to soak up the vibes – U2 and BB King recorded 'When love comes to town there'…..even boy bands (they need all the help they can get I say) You can kiss and touch the microphone Elvis actually used – TRUE – sends the crazies wild!

Beale st – the home of the blues –security everywhere, homeless beggars – was ok but again a bit seedy I would say. Lots of buildings held up by scaffolding and steel beams and many empty lots. You can buy a house for $3000 but risk being shot according to one American guy. Some good live blues music playing in most bars.

Memphis has had record high temperatures all this week – today its about 100 degrees farenheit (I think knocking 40) – so going for a walk along the Mississippi was a little crazy but all good – headed to a local BBQ joint for dinner – yum they have the best pork ribs here ever.

My final stop was the National Civil Rights Museum (Suzy and Mike didn’t want to go)…this was awesome, it is housed in the exact hotel and spot where Martin Luther King Jr was shot – and you can also go across the street and stand where the sniper was. It tells the struggle of segregation and the Jim Crow law of ‘separate but equal’ – the museum is excellent (even if you struggle with history) and shoots straight from the hip – KKK stories, Rosa Banks, the fights for equal education, just amazing – if you like world history and want to try and understand the 'south' of the US, it’s a must see in my book -  so unbelievable really and not that long ago which is scary in itself.

Now at a casino (to make up for the museum I am sure) …. 30 miles south of Memphis in a place called Tunica – it was entirely flooded by the Mississippi last month but all good now – nice pool at the RV park…..

If you are still reading – thank you, thank you very much 

Let me hear you holler now.....

Happy birthday Mike - we decked out the camper in balloons and a massive happy birthday banner in true American style :) Heading down to Memphis today. Mike wants to stay at Graceland - oh lordy - his choice, his birthday - maybe he can add to his multitude of Elvis costumes....

Nashville - the home of country music....it's everywhere. We drove down on the Monday morning and hit 35 degrees. Been lovely and hot - mid 30's the whole time - we chose a campground with a swimming pool this time. Now I remember why we left NZ at this time.....

We caught a shuttle into town with a dude called Gerry - who kept calling us 'New Zealand' - so we told him he could call us kiwis, and if he came across another New Zealander he should call them a kiwi not 'New Zealand' - he thought that was great.

Went to a few bars on Broadway - Tootsie's Orchid Lounge was my fave - every bar has a live band - no charge and most of them trying to make it big....some have little chance I am afraid whereas others had potential - one guy was fantastic. Headed for dinner at this place called Demo's - cheap food and yummy.

Checked out the Grand Ole Opry House - where most of the stars started out and the hotel next door that covers 9 acres - it's called Gaylord Opry (funny name really). 

Nashville is a nice city - by the river, clean and lovely old buildings stacked with loads of history - we liked Nashville.

PS Mike almost got scammed again - so this guy stops us and says he is Irish - his car has broken down and he needs to get home on his bike - has $3 but needs another $15.....I start to walk away - Mike stays and chats - I walk back and just give Mike the eye and say bae......I think he then worked it out and said sorry mate PHEW - another scammer thwarted - think he has a sign on his forehead.....

Broadway - some of the millions of bars playing free live music

Mike molesting Elvis

Yee-hah

Grand ole Opry