Starling Travel

Since Little Rock is so close to Memphis, Mike’s mother wanted to see Graceland, Elvis Presley‘s home and final resting place. We agreed to go with her because it was the only thing she really wanted to do on this trip.

We stayed at the Graceland Campground across the street while they stayed at the Heartbreak Hotel. Both properties were extremely clean and well-kept. It felt like we were staying at The Disneyland Hotel, except instead of going to Disneyland, we went to Graceland.

When the tour bus took us across the street and dropped us off at the famed house, I was surprised at how SMALL the house was compared to my imagination. (Continue Reading…)

I love the site, They Kept Everything. He not only shows all the memorabilia that his grandparents had kept their whole life, he gives some explanation of what he’s showing. This brochure for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, for example is a wonderful glimpse into the past.

He says,

This brochure on one side totes all the benefits of visiting Great Smokey Mountains National Park, while the other side is classic boosterism. This propaganda offers some interesting insight into life 60 years ago.

Click on over to his site to see all the pages of the brochure:

• They Kept Everything: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Brochure, 1950

Via: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Brochure, 1950 | Retronaut

Jim Reams wrote a weblog of his own for years. When he decided to open his BBQ restaurant, he announced it on his weblog. Opening day he had a crowd of fifty readers at the door. See this video of Jim describing the Nashville style of BBQ and his business.

• realVerse [ spirited media ] – Mothership BBQ

You can read Jim’s weblog here:

• Mothership BBQ

BBQ is a fierce competition in the United States:

“Texas does beef. Tennesse does pork.”

With so much contention in the world, I actually feel a happy comfort with the idea that Texas and Tennessee think they understand BBQ. It’s when the Mormons learn how to BBQ green Jello that the fighting will turn ugly.

Real Live Preacher traveled to Tennessee to perform a wedding for a former member of his little church in Texas. While there, he sampled the famed Tennessee BBQ and visited the tourist town of Sevierville. Read his adventures here:

• Real Live Preacher – Friday in Tennessee (BBQ East of the Mississippi)

• Real Live Preacher – Sevierville, Tennessee

• Real Live Preacher – A Smoky Mountain Wedding

Next time you are traveling, bring along a notebook and record your thoughts about the places you see. Having a record of your journeys will let you relive your trip over and over.