I have always loved the work of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright for his clean, modern lines so no trip to Chicago would be complete without doing a tour of his work there. We met at the Rookery building downtown so named because of the previous City Hall built on that site - an allusion not only to the crows and pigeons that inhabited it but also to the politicians. The name stuck. The new building in 1888, was one of the earliest buildings built with a steel skeleton frame. Frank Lloyd Wright was asked to update the interior in 1905. Two very knowledgeable guides, Joan and Bill, shared so much information with us - they have to be certified to talk about specific buildings. After a tour of the Rookery we headed out to Oak ... read more

The term ‘sold down the river’ really hit home today as we listened to the guide at the Underground Railroad Museum in Maysville. She had just done a DNA test and looking at the results wondered why she had so many relations in Louisiana and Mississippi. Maysville and neighbouring Old Washington were centres of the slave trade. So goods were not the only thing to be ‘sold down the river’. It was in Old Washington that Harriet Beecher (she hadn’t yet met Mr Stowe) first came across a slave auction when she and a friend visited, in 1833, the home of Marshall Key, clerk of Mason County, a wealthy farmer, merchant and manufacturer. The slave auction was held on the Court House front lawn. However good manners meant she had to exhibit passive complacency. Her friend ... read more

The first thing that we had to get right was the pronunciation of Louisville. It is not as it is written but shortened somewhat to something that sounds like Lureville. It was great to be in a big buzzy city again although the architecture was similar to the small towns we have been in, just higher. We were berthed a long way out of town as there was a large music and food festival downtown so all the berths there were taken. And of course ours was a late booking. We heard there was a hotel that had contemporary art in it. It was easy to pick as there was a huge gold statue of David outside. Even larger than he is in Florence. Rows of large red penguins adorn the pediment above the door as ... read more

We got up early on the 4th as there was a particularly low railway bridge that we had to clear and the Captain wasn’t sure if we could make it or not. It was just daylight as we approached the bridge. A towboat ahead of us just cleared it so we thought crikey, I’m sure we’re taller than them. A man was sent up the foremast to do a sight line as we slowed to a crawl. The stacks were lowered as was the Pilot House. The Captain and the two pilots were on the flying bridge and made the call to proceed, fingers crossed I think. All trip we had been told about these low bridges and how last flood they made it by one or two inches. Well this time we were a couple ... read more

Being in Memphis, Tennessee we just had to visit Graceland, the home of Elvis and weren’t disappointed. The house itself is very gracious and homely. As far as mansions go it is quite modest. He bought it for his parents and the last person to live in it was his Grandmother who outlived them all not dying until 1980 aged 90. The decoration inside is just as it was when she lived there. Stunning peacock stained glass windows separated the lounge from a small side room. The photos tell the story best. I didn’t realise he was the surviving baby of twins, his brother being stillborn. In the Rock and Soul Museum in the city (Graceland is only 15 mins out of town) you could listen to songs, two in particular, Blue Moon of Kentucky, and ... read more