Aug 05

Talk about driving through the middle of nowhere.
As we have so driving to do in the next few days to reach our next main destination we are breaking it up by finding places to stop enroute.So after checking the map we came across a place called Lubbock where we then find out Buddy Holly came from.
The 6 hour drive however was like driving through no mans land and apart from the occassional ranch and industrial building the place was just full of trees and rock and sand.

Didnt sleep to well as the hotel is chaos and people from the New Orleans area have driven up here to escape from the tornado and all they seem to be doing is walking their pets about all night and making loads of noise in the process.
We drove downtown at 11am and went to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (the place where Lee Harvey Oswald alledgedly shot John F Kennedy from).We must of spent nearly 3 hours walking around the museum and i really didnt think it would be that much to see but the information and things to see seemed to go on forever.The cover the life,death and legacy of the President,a complete insight into the lives of Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby and also through the whole conspiracy theory concerning everything and whether others were involved in the shooting.The whole thing was very very interesting and especially where sound experts were brought in some years later to go through the whole video and sound footage of what happened that day and reinacted the whole shooting scenario to determine where the shots came from and how many were fired.They came to the conclusion that there is over a 90% chance that a 4th shot came from the grassy knoll where several witnesses also said they saw smoke and heard a shot from.The word CONSPIRACY certainly springs to mind when you go through everything.I mean Lee Harvey Oswald wasnt even meant to be a good shot with a rifle yet he apparently let of 3 rounds in 5 seconds with an old rifle at a moving vehicle from quite a distance.I guess its like alot of things concerning high profile people and dodgy going ons,you dont usually ever find out the real truth.
It was however very much worth the admission fee and a must go and see for anyone visiting Dallas.We had also thought about going to the Conspiracy Museum but after this museum went into such much detail about the JFK shooting we decided it probably wasnt worth it and i had read mixed reactions about it,so we walked around for a few hours but there wasnt anything else really to see in the short time we were here.

The 6th Floor Museum.The window 2nd from top and far right was where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly shot JFK from.

The 6th Floor Museum

The Grassy Knoll where another shot at JFK could of come from.

Downtown Dallas

Downtown Dallas

Downtown Dallas

Downtown Dallas

Fort Worth,Dallas

Just drove to Dallas and booked into a hotel about 20 minutes drive from downtown.

When is this heat ever going to let up abit.You never feel like doing a thing when its this hot but as we are short on time we just wouldnt get a chance to look around unless we went out in it.
Instead of walking we drove over to the Texas Capitol Building and had a look inside what is a very impressive building and is actually 15ft higher than the one in Washington DC.Like they say everything in Texas is bigger.Inside is a painted portrait of every President of the Republic and Governor of the State of Texas with the last being a very cheesy painting of George Dubya himself.
You also get to look inside the Senate Chamber and the House of Representatives Chamber.I wonder how many corrupt conversations have gone on inside them.
After lunch at a vegetarian restaurant near the university i then got a taste of heaven and was in total dreamland as we found a cycle shop the sold Lance Armstrong clothing,bikes,books and signed jerseys.Unfortunately as we didnt have room in the car for a new bike i had to settle on just buying 4 tshirts and 2 magazines although i was more than pleased with that.
Upon prizing myself away from the shop we chilled at the hotel for a few hours and then went out to the cinema to watch Dukes of Hazzard and on the way back after watching it we encountered our own hazard.Somehow while driving down the motorway at 60mph everyone managed to avoid the chair from a 3 piece suite that had found its way into the middle of the road.
Seeings as we survived the chaos of that it was time to hit the town and head to 6th Street again.The texans are so friendly and probably the friendlyiest on the trip so far and they are so laid back but hell do they know how to party.Come 11pm though Simon had had enough so Jill and I continued to frequent a few more bars till 1.30am and by then the street was packed with people and the road was closed off.
Tired and abit drunk we made it back to the hotel after another fantastic night.Although we hadnt seen to much of Austin (although theres not much here)its certainly been a great place to visit.

Texas Capitol Building,Austin

Texas Capitol Building,Austin

Grounds at the Texas Capitol Building,Austin

Grounds at thenTexas Capitol Building,Austin

Senate chamber

House of Representatives Chamber

The floor of the Texas Capitol Building,Austin

The roof inside the Texas Capitol Building,Austin

Was on my way to Austin and still no reply from Mr Armstrong about him letting us stay at his ranch.You would think that after all the merchandise of his ive bought he would of least let us stay for afternoon tea and biscuits.I guess hes to busy going on tv and chat shows answering yet more false allegations from the bloody french bast**ds.
Everywhere you seem to drive in Texas the roads always seem to be being dug up but nothing looks like its ever going to get repaired.Even in the shopping malls they are digging up the floor.Maybe the workmen are like the ones in england where you get 1 man working and 5 standing there watching him.
Anyway on the way to Austin we stopped off at a shopping mall just north of San Antonio to visit the Discovery Channel store where i was hoping to buy some cycling clothing but even though they advertise they sell it they didnt stock any.
After that we made our way to the Natural Bridge Caverns which was somewhere i wanted to visit as it reminded me of Wookie Hole near Cheddar Gorge in England which i visited in 1990.The tour guide took us around for an hour in which time we saw an 8000 year old black bear jaw bone and going down to 211 ft we saw huge rooms full of fantastic stalagmites and stalactites in many weird and wonderful shapes.The caverns were great and the tour very interesting although yet again some chinese tourists managed to spoil it by talking all the way through the tour.
Then it was on the road to Austin and once we checked into the hotel and a short sleep we headed down to 6th Street where the local nightlife is.It turned out to be a fairly early night as everyone was tired so we decided to hit the town properly tomorrow night.

Natural Bridge Caverns,Texas

Natural Bridge Caverns,Texas

Natural Bridge Caverns,Texas

Natural Bridge Caverns,Texas

Another very enjoyable day and San Antonio is definately a place i would love to come back to.First up today was a trip to the Alamo but along we way we stumpled across a very nice Mexican style market so spent some time looking around that first.The we walked through the park before we arrived at the site of the Alamo.
It has a very historic past since being built in 1724 and what suprised me inside was flags from several countries including England,Scotland and Wales but then we were informed that this was because people from these countries come and helped the texans fight in the battle.
The battle itself was fought in 1836 and only lasted 13 days.This was when the Texans and other volunteers battled and lost to the Mexicans and even though the Mexicans won the battle the massacre served to unite the Texans and they then gained their independence.
After looking around the gardens and buildings the sun was getting unbearable so we headed in the Riverwalk shopping mall for a few hours and then went to see a film Wedding Crashers (very funny film) at the cinema.
By the end it had cooled down somewhat so we took a barge tour along the river and were told of some of the history behind it.
So after a few uneventful days previously Houston and San Antonio turned out to be very nice and enjoyable places to visit.

Mexican market

San Antonio Park

San Antonio Park

A mosaic in San Antonio

The Alamo

The Alamo

The Alamo

The Alamo

The Alamo Memorial

The Riverwalk

Riverwalk Shopping Mall

San Antonio

Old San Antonio

Old San Antonio

Old San Antonio

San Antonio

San Antonio River

As we were staying on the outskirts of Houston we drove to the centre for a look around the city for a couple of hours before heading to San Antonio.The drive afterwards was similar to alot of the earlier driving in Canada with it being very flat and nothing to see for miles.How anybody would want to live between the cities is beyond me.
But once we arrived in San Antonio i was pleasantly suprised with what it had to offer.We booked into a hotel a short walk from downtown and then headed to the Riverwalk which on a barge takes you around 35 minutes to get around.It was spectacular and very picturesque and pretty.The river is full of restaurents to eat in and theres also a big shopping mall at the end where you can get the barges for a tour.After eating in all of places 'The English Pub' although we did have a view over the river we then headed back and the path was full of lamps to make your way back.

Downtown Houston

Downtown Houston

Downtown Houston

The Riverwalk San Antonio

The Riverwalk San Antonio

The Riverwalk San Antonio

A church at night San Antonio

I got up reasonably early so i could spend the whole day at the Houston Space Center.The first part of the tour was an hour tram ride around the space center grounds seeing various space shuttles from over the years and then into an old mission control room where various launches had taken place over the years.
Then it was onto a building where there was a complete layout of the latest space shuttle and the astronauts would practise exactly what they would do on a mission in space.
After being shown what several other buildings were and then a ceremonial type area where tress had been planted for missions that had cost lives we headed back to the main area of the center.
Upon leaving the tram ride which seemed a little rushed we sat in a small cinema and were shown what a space shuttle taking off feels like and they try to make you think your really in the shuttle at the time.Then it was into a new mission control room where we were informed on all the latest information and going ons concerning NASA and told about previous and future projects including there proposed shuttles to Mars and a Russian cosmonaut who has just set a record for spending over 800 consecutive days in space.
Other things of interest afterwards were 2 more films on Live as an Astronaut and Life in Space and a look at several space suits from the 1960's to the present day which now cost in the region of 20 million,and then finally a look around the museum with details on every mission made into space by American Astronauts.
Unfortunatly due to running out of time we missed one other film but it was a very enjoyable and interesting day.

Mission Control,Houston Space Center

Inside a space shuttle cockpit

An old spacesuit

An old spacesuit

A modern spacesuit

A space buggy

Astronauts on a mock up set

Got abit lost leaving New Orleans but after a detour we eventually found the road to Houston.Stopped off at the Texas border to take some photos but havent spotted Lance yet hahaha and then found a hotel directly opposite the Houston Space Centre.

Welcome to Texas

The Lone Star of Texas

Yet another day spent driving.As we were arriving in New Orleans you get great views of The Gulf Of Mexico and its a shame things didnt look nice in all of New Orleans.
My first impressions were that this place hasnt anything of any interest and why were we spending 4 nights here is a mystery to me,and come monday my impressions were correct.As you head downtown it feels like your heading to the slums of Detroit again and the only difference is that in New Orleans there is one area thats very pretty and thats the French Quarter,but stuck in the middle is Bourbon Street which is basically a meat market ie full of strip bars,drunken idiots thinking they are in Ibiza and clubs where live bands play the same rock songs every night.

MUM IF YOUR READING THIS THEN MAYBE ITS TIME TO SKIP THIS PAGE NOW!!!

The most popular and well known craze at Bourbon Street is collecting beads.Every shop you walk past they sell hundreds of beaded necklaces in all colours,shapes and sizes,so what happens is people buy the beads and you will see people standing out on the balconies of bars and clubs throwing beads at women and occassionally men and then the deal is the women should then expose their chests in return.
Having a few drinks and listening to a few bands on the first 2 nights was ok but like i said its the same music and songs everywhere so then come the 3rd night its just too much and what makes it harder is theres nowhere else to go.

French Quarter,New Orleans

French Quarter,New Orleans

French Quarter,New Orleans

New Orleans

New Orleans

Quite an interesting day really with going to see where Martin Luther King Jr was brought up and also buried.Atlanta doesnt really have to much to offer apart from the above and the Olympic Park that we also walked around later,thats unless your interested in the CNN building and Coca Cola factory.But having said that i was glad to of escaped the blues/country theme of Memphis and Nashville.We walked from the hotel for a look downtown and then over to where the Martin Luther King Jr Museum was.It certainly wasnt the nicest of areas to walk through thats for sure and i got the feeling i wouldnt want to walk here at night and felt just a little bit concerned at times for my safety although considering what had gone on here all those years ago in this area today is nothing compared to that.
In the museum we watched a short film on what life was like in those days with all the segregation of black and white people and then read all about the life of Marin Luther King Jr and his family which was very interesting.Then it was a short walk to the house where he was brought up as a child and even today its a fairly nice house and good sized considered in the middle class bracket back then with the lower class houses across the road.After we walked back and across the road from the museum to where he was buried and down to the church where the funeral took place.
After lunch and a walk around the underground shops we walked over to the Olympic Park but the heat was so hot by then that shortly afterwards we headed back to the hotel to relax.

House where Martin Luther King Jr was brought up from birth

Plaque at the home

Artin Luther King Jr burial site

Martin Luther King Jr grave

Ebeneezer Church where the funeral took place

Georgia State Capitol Building

Olympic Park,Atlanta

Olympic Park,Atlanta

Olympic Park,Atlanta

Olympic Park,Atlanta

Olympic Park,Atlanta

Pretty much another full and long day driving with the exception of stopping off at the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchberg and going on a free guided tour.
Its definately worth a visit if your in the area at all and the tour guide made it all the more enjoyable and even with his redneck accent hard to understand at times his jokes and stories were hilarious and he was really interested in where people were from and where they were going.During part of the tour in one building he got us all around these huge wooden containers and quickly lifted the lids up and down again giving us a very quick inhale of breath of the 140% proof whisky in the process of being made.
Now considering im not a whisky drinker at all the smell got me thinking that maybe i should start.
After the hour long tour we made our way to Atlanta and i was hoping to get to spend some time at a place caled Rock City which has some fabulous views from the hills down to the town and apparently you can see 5 states on a good day,but due to time i never got the chance to go in.The drive to the top of Rock City was still impressive though as we winded round hairpin bends in the car with huge drops off the edge (would of loved to of cycled up and down it) and i managed to get some photographs near the top.Eventually after getting caught in a big thunderstorm the accident/traffic jam we made it to Atlanta at 9pm.

Rock City,Chattanooga

Rock City,Chattanooga

Atlanta at night from our hotel

Thought i had better see what was downtown so wandered around for an hour by myself but nothing of any interest worth mentioning.

OH NO!!!!!!!
Nashville home of country music.Looks like im going to be spending some hours looking at these 4 walls in the hotel room.
Arrived at 4pm and just ventured out shortly for food

Visited Graceland for most of the day and it was surprisingly quiet considering it is Elvis week. As we pulled up to the front of the house I was surprised at how small it seemed. You get the chance to walk around all the 1st floor but upstairs is closed to the public for personal reasons we were told. The trophy rooms are pretty impressive with more gold discs and trophys than you could imagine and it really puts it into perspective how successful Elvis really was. What did surprise me was the amount of money and time Elvis actually donated and did for charity and theres quite a display of different charities and people that benefited from this. Something that did make me laugh though was upon walking around the house his taste in décor. Part of the house has the walls and even the ceiling decorated in a green shagpile carpet and whether this was just to his own acquired taste or something that was popular in this era im not entirely sure but its certainly not my chosen taste in décor. The last thing to see on the tour of Graceland was the Meditation Garden and then the place where Elvis, his twin brother who died at birth, his mum and his dad are laid. Across the road from Graceland is an area where they have a museum with several of his items like his cars,motorbikes stored and theres also the outfits him and his wife got married in along with many other items of his. Finally we got the chance to look inside 2 of his planes which he also totally redesigned inside and out.
All in all it was a very enjoyable trip and that’s considering im not really a fan of Elvis.
Later that evening we also visited the site where Martin Luther King Jr was killed and the whole area doesn’t look like it been touched since that day 4th April 1968. Theres 2 old cars sitting in the parking lot to that don’t look like they’ve moved since that day either.

The Entrance to Graceland

Elvis Presleys Dining Room

Elvis Presleys Kitchen

Elvis Presleys Den

Elvis Presleys Snooker Room

The back of Graceland

Elvis Presleys horse paddock

One of Elvis Presleys 3 Trophy Rooms

Elvis Presleys Army Uniform

Elvis clothing

A few of Elvis Presleys Gold Awards

The Meditation Garden,Graceland

Elvis Presleys mums original headstone

The Presley family burial grounds

Elvis Presleys gravestone

The Presley family burial grounds

Elvis Presleys car

Elvis Presleys Rolls Royce

Elvis Presleys Jet 'Lisa Marie'

Plaque at Martin Luther King Jr shooting scene

Spot where Martin Luther King Jr was shot