~~~ What Can I Say ~~~

Elmwood Cemetery

We love to visit cemeteries where ever we travel... Sometimes they are full of old headstones and ornate ones... Some extravagant and some simple... Sometimes they are full of historic information and sometimes just really old headstones you can barely read. We have visited many cemeteries across this country of ours and the Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis has been added to our list. Elmwood Cemetery is one of the most beautiful historic cemeteries in the South. Established in 1852 as a rural garden cemetery, it has 80 acres of rolling grounds, flowering dogwoods, crepe myrtles, Magnolia trees, ancient towering trees, and impressive memorials among winding paths and lanes. Elmwood Cemetery, the Office Cottage, and the Entry Bridge are all on the National Register of Historic Places.

When you arrive there you can purchase (for a small fee) a CD which takes you through the cemetery and narrates the headstones and significant ares. There is an area where 1400 people who died from the yellow plague are buried, then an area where Confederate and a few Union soldiers are buried, A Chinese section, and even a section of people who donated their bodies to research and science.

The one impressive monuments that we always see in old cemeteries are tree trunks with Ivy climbing up them. They were scattered all through this cemetery. Now I have seen these before but I didn't know that it symbolized something. The Ivy signifies - Immortality, Friendship, Faithfulness and because it is an evergreen that clings while climbing, it signifies the need for protection. Since it grows quickly, it also symbolizes regeneration, sensuality and revelry. ... Tree trunk signifies - Brevity of life ... A life cut short.

We took over 200 pictures. It was hard to choose which ones to share with you... Please enjoy the pictures of Elmwood Cemetery

After we left the cemetery we headed over into old Memphis to see an area they called Victorian Village ... Originally in it's hey day it was called Millionaires Row...I was pretty excited about seeing these huge homes but when we got there I was a little disappointed that the homes were in such bad shape. They are magnificent homes but in need of a lot of work... I later found out that the city has cut the budget for the homes... Here are a few pictures

The Harsson-Goyer-Lee House (ca. 1841) was once the home of riverboat owner James Lee. This striking eclectic-style Victorian had been unused for years,

Woodruff-Fontaine House is a beautiful French Victorian mansion which was built in 1870 along "Millionaires Row" & was the home to two prominent Memphis families.

The Massey House (ca. 1847), was built for

Benjamin A. Massey, an early Memphis lawyer.

The Mallory - Neely house was built in 1852, the 25-room home contains stenciled and hand painted ceilings, parquet flooring, and stained-glass windows purchased at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The Mallory-Neely House is the only historic property in Memphis to retain most of its original furnishings. Once opened to tour it is now closed to budget cuts.

I hope you enjoyed some more of the sites you can see when visiting Memphis

We have move on to Hot Springs, Ar and will have more pictures soon!

Until Later

Elvis has left the Building

Here is your gentle reminder... My something PINK

Friday we finally got off our butts and made our way into Memphis... Home of the BLUES, Birthplace of Rock n Roll ... I have so many pictures for you I hope it doesn't get to boring for everyone... We left fairly early in the morning and arrived in Memphis around 9:30... we drove all around town looking at things we found interesting in a little tour book... We knew they had a trolley that went around the city and we wanted to ride that too but couldn't find a depot or a place to park near one when we did find it... So after riding through town we went over to the River Park Visitor Center to ask them all about that... It just so happened it was right across the street from the visitor center... So we boarded the trolley and for $3.50 each we rode it all day and got on and off at our own leisure. If you ever go to Memphis this is the way to see the town. We decided not to go to Graceland since I had already been there but to see the other things we wanted to see... I love architecture of buildings so that was one of my to do's... SO hear are some things we saw....

Here is my Ralphie getting onto the Trolley and a full shot of the Trolley

Ralph again sitting inside the Town Trolley and a picture of the other Trolley that only traveled up and down on Main Street

A bronze statue of ELVIS "King of Rock n Roll" and BB King "King of the Blues"

The Mosaic Egg was sitting outside the Visitors Center and a view of the Memphis skyline

This beautiful building is called the Pyramid (DUH!) which up until 4 years ago was the sports arena in Memphis... It now sits empty and a lot of bums hang around it..

This is the new sports arena ... I would guess that FED-EX sponsored them...

Well we have made it back to Beale Street and the Blues City Cafe...

Here is pictures of Beale Street... It is a swinging place at night with all the night clubs

Here we are two hungry travelers just waiting for those RIBS... I think Ralph was saying YUM YUM! Bring on the RIBS....

OHHHH!!!! Lookie Lookie here they are and don't they look great... The salad was good but Oh those RIBS... YUMO I sure had no room for dessert after eating this big rack of ribs..

Inside shot of Blues City Cafe'

These next pictures are a few buildings of which many I had taken... I snapped hundreds of shots in the city. These I just thought were wonderful architectural designs...

This is the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It now houses the National Civil Rights Museum... This was a major turning point in history.

A view down a city street and the County Court Building

Here is the police station built in the early 1900's and a Lutheran Church from same time period.

This building is an old Fire Station built in the early 1900's. It is now a museum and a memorial to the fireman who have lost their lives helping others... My SIL is a Fireman & EMT

OK girls... I put these two pictures in for those of you who have not seen Graceland... Home of the KING and his grave site... These were actually taken from the last time we were here. But I thought you would like to see them

Hope it wasn't to painful with so many pictures... I really had a lot more I would have liked to shown you... Memphis is a pretty cool town and we give it thumbs up for visiting...

Until Later