Lost and the blues

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Day 8
I awoke in a dingy hotel room, but then I went to sleep in one as well. The bed sucked, and there was no matters pad, just a too small too thin sheet. Alas, that is all a distance nightmare tonight. Four states distance.

I started in Missouri, took a bridge into Illinois and another into Tennessee and stopped at the post office and the cross at Fort Jefferson Kentucky. This monument overlooks the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.

The photos do not do it justice. The amount of water that flows east of the Continental Divide and into these life givers is daunting to a mere mortal man. There is work beyond man.

I pulled into Cairo Illinois. I was heart broken here. This was a wonderful town, full of southern mansions with the detached garage in the back. As I road through the streets I noticed that if there were cars there they were all 1980’s and earlier big cars. These were the hold outs. Bless them, I hope their children come to visit. It was a sad town. The stores were all borded up, save a few booze and cig joints.

There is a book about how $20.00 a gallon gas, and how it would rebuild these towns. I fear the cost, but would love to see a rebirth of the grand small towns of America. Maybe I will own a hotel there, if I can get the cats to move.

The road led south, well sort of. I kept turning south.
The roads led me into Kentucky and several hours later I knew not where I was. I had failed to bring a Kentucky map, but I loved the roads.

Someone in the State legislator is married to or related to someone who has something to do with paving. The roads are beautiful! Smooth and black, with a yellow line somewhat in the middleA black ribbon, cloaked on the sides by deep greens with the passing peek of the river… Heaven.

My radar detector did scream at me as I passed a house, the sheriffs car was in the driveway, nose in, no one in it. I think I yelped!

Ride the river route and get lost! I pulled through a cross roads, and realized I was totally lost.

There was a store there CJ’s I had stumbled into Cayce Kentucky. I had a lovely home made lunch of from Judy, of chicken legs, a red bull, and a bottle of water. Judy told me about her town. It was the boyhood home of Cayce Jones, the Locomotive engineer, of the cannon ball fame. There is a nice memorial there that talks about that faithful day, April 30th 1900 when he died tiring to stop the locomotive. You know the story, now you know the place he was raised.

The next stop today was a into Memphis, Beale street. With all the history and music. I road into Memphis, under the expert guidance of Nichole, and was about to leave as I was thwarted trying to find a safe place for my trusty steed. after checking out several garages for a safe place I was on my way, and stopped at a police car blocking Beale street .

He directed me into Beale to park there! Wednesdays is bike night! The street is blocked off for bikes! There is a blues God! I rode up and parked directly across from ‘Bad Pig’ sat outside, ate and drank sweet tea. I took a walk and listed to some music.

Boy, we need to come back!

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