Memphis on the whole is on a par with Detroit, but on a smaller scale. It has the same derelict buildings, dirty streets and a similar amount of locals just wandering the streets, asking for change. Strangley though there is a greater lure to Memphis, but I guess that's the wonder, the wonder of Elvis.
Today we made it to Mud Island. As ever though there are more stumbling blocks as the Memphis Belle (WW2 plane) is undergoing restoration before moving to a new site in Memphis. I'm a bit gutted, but there is still plenty to see for your $8.
The Mississippi River Museum (not my normal idea of fun) details the history of the river and how the boats have developed and describes the different that have worked the river. It was far more interesting than I thought it would be and extremely well put together. They even had a mock up of an old paddleboat steamer.
After the traditional exit through the Gift Shop (the americans really have go that sorted) we walked the length of the Lower Mississippi River. All 1000 miles of it. Admittedly it was on a scale model. A bizarre idea I know, but they've actually built a detailed model of the Mississippi River, on Mud Island. They've built in all the twists and turns, the flood plains and the levee system. Also included are all the tributaries and they've tried to recreate the flora and fauna. The scale is 30 inches to one mile. All the cities that the river passes are also detailed. The tour guide who walked and talked us through the river was extremely informative as well. Having intially been a bit pessimistic about my trip to Mud Island and disappointed at not being able to see the Memphis Belle, I now would highly recommend a visit (if you're in Memphis). I think it's a real little gem.
Today I also learnt that the Mississippi is used by barges to ship goods up and down. Each barge can contain what 1300 articulated lorries can carry. That's huge. These barges are then strapped together and pushed by powerful tugs. We saw 28 (4 x 7) barges being pushed by one tug, but apparently they can go up to 72. Sorry, but I find that incredible.
We had to spend the rest of the early afternoon chilling on the Island as the Civil Rights Museum is closed on Tuesday. That's just typical of the trip so far. We finally managed to find some cheap (in fact free) internet access. It's at the public library. The Pooters are only pentium 1's and running Windows 95, but it's better then shelling out $5 for 15 minutes.
