Author: Sue Barnard

Our eighth day saw us on the road again. This time heading from Natchez to New Orleans. Climbing on board the coach I wondered what New Orleans would have in store for us – there was so much destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when a reported 1,500 people died and damage estimates reached $300 billion. Would some of the destruction still be evident, and to what extent had the city recovered? But answers to that were to come later. In the meantime we had a 200 mile journey taking us into the state of Mississippi.

Mississippi. Oh how I remember those school days where we would spell out the name M-I-double S-I-double S-I-double P-I as we played two-balls against the wall. There are now even online videos of how this game is played. Ah progress.

But back to the road. We headed across the expansive Natchez-Vidalia bridge (above) across the Mississippi River and towards our first stop at one of the many area interpretation centres – this is something the Americans do very well. This was a brief, but poignant, stop as the location was nearby the now-abandoned West Feliciana railroad line. The wagons would haul cotton across country to the Mississippi River for shipping all around the world. Poignant because our experience yesterday gave us an insight into the hard efforts and struggles of the Natchez workers, which ultimately led to worldwide trade.

The West Feliciana railroad was set up in the first half of the 19th century and fell into disrepair in 1978.

We were then off to a place we were looking forward to seeing, actually because our tour guide kept playing a catchy tune of that name – ‘Callin’ Baton Rouge’ by Garth Brooks. I can hear that tune as I write these words and like Garth Brooks, we too had to send our love down to Baton Rouge, and so we did while we lunched and made a short visit to Louisiana’s capital city.

The town included two buildings – the Louisiana State Capitol and the Old State Capitol. The former welcomed visitors from afar with its 450 feet tall tower.

We didn’t visit the tall State Capitol but did go inside the older Gothic Revival building which was designed by James H Dakin in 1850. It served as the Capitol until it was occupied by Union forces in the Civil War. It later faced fires and a reconstruction and continued once again as the Capitol until 1932 when the tall building was erected.

Inside this castle-style building was an ornate pink interior with beautiful spiral staircase and balustrades, Gothic arches and picturesque glass dome.

Proudly displayed at the entrance were 15 Louisiana Purchase flags alongside the American flag. These represent the 15 states purchased by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 from Napoleon Bonaparte when the latter needed finances for his war against Britain. New Orleans was sold and in return Jefferson gained control over the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River, securing an important shipping route.

Then we were off once again, this time reaching our destination at New Orleans. We had a quick turnaround, for our evening entertainment was a visit to the New Orleans School of Cooking.

This was an eye-opener. We learnt all about Gumbo! This is the official Louisiana state dish comprising mainly strong-flavoured stock, meat (in our case) or shellfish, vegetables and… LARD! Now I am familiar about the culinary uses of lard (can’t beat it in pastry or for roasting potatoes), however, we have never seen it used in such QUANTITIES! (Oh, I feel I am turning into an impression of Tom Allen.)

I appreciate we were cooking for more than 40 people, but this steaming pot held several kilos of lard together with a bubbling array of deboned chicken, sausage, vegetables, stock, and the secret ingredient ‘Joe’s Stuff’ seasoning – the latter being HOT. Be warned. The longer the recipe cooks the darker it gets, and the more flavourful it becomes.

Despite all the calories and cholesterol, boy it was tasty. We also tried Jambalaya which is a savoury rice dish developed in Louisiana by fusing together African, Spanish and French influences and consisting mainly of meat or seafood, or both, and vegetables mixed with rices and spices.

So endeth our first day in New Orleans, but two more were to follow.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2024

The next destination on our journey took us to Natchez, around 300 miles south of Memphis. Here we visited The Frogmore cotton plantation and gins – the latter not the popular drink of today but the old cotton engine that separated cotton fibres from their seeds.

The tour was predominantly about the old buildings, equipment, and the production and picking of the cotton, rather than a heavy emphasis on the life of the slaves, although there were books available in the shop to delve deeper into this if visitors wanted. Of course, the work from the early 1800s was carried out by slaves and some of their accommodation has been brought back to life with the restoration of 19 structures.

The huts and, below, an example of the interior

We were not told just how many slaves would have been working on this cotton plantation, but owners of the smaller sites – whilst possibly appearing to be wealthy – could not afford to keep many slaves.

We learnt about the yearly cycle of production here. A few acres were set aside for sugarcane for domestic use. Its byproduct, molasses, provided iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and carbohydrates. A pint of molasses, together with 4lbs of salt pork, a peck of corn meal (about 2 gallons), salt, soda, and lye soap were typical weekly rations per adult slave. 

Corn was also planted – in March – and its harvesting in August was arranged to not interfere with cotton production.

By far the remainder of the site was for cotton production and this involved the beginning of the year spent on necessary repairs of tools, equipment, barns, buildings and fences before preparing the land by adding a milo crop to the soil for nitrogen. The following months involved planting and cultivating this perennial crop before harvesting between September and November. 

Cotton was grown in the Deep South of America. Its bushes, when in season, comprise clusters known as bolls. When the bolls ripened, turning from green to white, they were plucked from their prickly pods which could injure the fingers. This was hard, back-breaking, work.

Pickers had to spend all day picking the bolls from the bushes and dropping them into a long sack, which could be up to 9 feet in length. As more bolls were picked the heavier the sack became. This involved men and women. Many might work from sunrise to sunset. Children would use smaller pillowcases for their collection.

The bolls were then transported to a cotton gin where the seeds were removed from the cotton fibres, but only an estimated 5% of the yield provided the desired long fibres. The fibres were then pressed into bales for transportation and sale.

Much cotton was sent to the UK. Part of our tour took us to the historic, listed and rare steam gin on the site, dated 1884. It is housed in the building below.

But operation today is vastly different and Frogmore is at the leading edge with its equipment. A most interesting video brought things right up to date. Latest computerised combine harvesters are capable of producing 900 bales of cotton a day with just 1% waste and byproducts such as shucks can be used for compost, with some of the shorter cotton fibres called ‘fuzz’ being used for insulation within TVs and – meeting a more recent demand – as part of vapes. Additionally, just two people are needed for the operation, but it comes at a price. Such equipment can cost $1 million – a far cry from the resources of yesteryear.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2024

There’s no reason to leave the Southern States of America without a broad insight into its musical  background. Our first visit was to the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum. This started life as an exhibition –  named ‘Rock ’n’ Soul: Social Crossroads’ – by the Smithsonian Institute to commemorate its 150th anniversary. The archive became so extensive that it now forms the content of the museum. To get the full benefit it would require a day, if not many days, to delve through its materials.

The exhibition tells the story of how people from all social backgrounds and races broke through cultural barriers to create new musical genres such as Blues, Soul and Rock ’n’ Roll.  These originated from the stories of Southern farmers expressing their trials and tribulations, hopes and dreams, through music and song, which is not dissimilar to the origins of the sea shanties created by maritime folk.  

One display summed this up succinctly saying: “Rural music – blues, country, gospel, field hollers and work songs – resonated with the rhythms of the land. Each generation added new instrumentation and styles, creating the songs that gave texture and poignance to family, love, work, tragedy and frustration”.

As one delves more there is a commonality is such songs. They lightened the load of often mundane workers’ tasks and lives. They were a means of releasing frustration, but also offering hope. Often the rhythm of the song played along with the rhythm of the work.

Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum takes the visitor through to the Memphis musical heyday of the ’70s and beyond, and includes references to studios including Sun and Stax.

This can be explored via visual displays but also interactive means such as audio tours and records played through its jukebox systems. As a bit of fun one can also act out a studio recording, and Ted managed to indulge himself.

Some notable information that added to our knowledge was finding out that Albert ‘Sunny’ Burgess recorded Hank Williams’s ‘My bucket’s got a hole in it’. Despite the title, if one listens to it online it will get many people jigging.

Our day from here took on a more sombre mood when we travelled to the Lorraine Motel, now a museum. This is actually the venue where civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jnr was assassinated on his room’s balcony in 1968. The assassin fired from a boarding house opposite.

In that era most hotels were for whites only, but the Lorraine Motel welcomed blacks and whites. Regular visitors included musicians Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin and Otis Reading.

While being a memorial to Dr King, the site – now named the National Civil Rights Museum – is a place for educating about the African-American fight for equal rights. When walking around the expansive interior it is easy to forget that this was once a motel until one comes across a bedroom and kitchen. These are the rooms that Dr King was staying in. 

From the outside the museum clearly looks like a motel, and on the balcony where Dr King was shot hangs a floral tribute. His cars are parked outside as if he is still a guest. 

The building from which the assassination took place is also part of the museum. This is now an exhibition centre which covers the search for the assassin and his arrest. As time was limited we did not get the chance to see this part of what is an extensive archive into civil rights.

But we were then to lighten the load travelling to our next destination in Natchez some 300 miles from Memphis. It was here that we got the chance to visit and interact with some homeowners.

The first involved a piano recital from the owner of the house, which is stacked with family memorabilia. And that is justified, for the Joseph Newman Stone House had been acquired in 1877 by a gentleman of that name and has remained in the Stone family for more than 147 years. The current owner, Joseph Britton Stone, is the great grandson of the original purchaser and who, not only told us about the family history and showed us a wealth of artefacts, but also treated us to a recital of a work by Claude Debussy played on a Steinway piano.   

The house, which is quite small, is built in the style of a Greek temple, but encompassed a private billiard hall. Everywhere one looked there were intriguing historical items. Some of those that caught my eye included a book entitled ‘The history of the mild Yellow Fever in 1848’ (the area had been hit many times by the disease); beautiful ‘pocket doors’ which slide back into the surrounding walls when fully opened; and a chaperone chair which comprised three seats in a circular fashion. There were also many wonderful maps. The house was a treasure-trove owned by a most interesting individual.

The doors slide back into the interior of the walls alongside

Not a lot of romantic talk would be carried out by lovers here, accompanied by their chaperone

We then moved on and rather than having supper in a restaurant we were entertained by owners of an original plantation house, which enabled us to see how the interiors were decorated in their heyday.

Supper was served in the elegant surrounding of yesteryear

Such houses would have been those used by the plantation owners to entertain and impress their guests. It gave us some idea of what life would have been like for the plantation owners, but tomorrow would bring a greater insight into the life of the slaves.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2024

A trip to Memphis wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Graceland, the home of the King, Elvis Presley.

I didn’t know what to expect and I guess if Elvis saw the site around his mansion today he would be surprised too. His home is quite large – not excessive – but he had extensive grounds with stables and paddock for his horses. Within those grounds is also a chapel amongst woodland.

It was a bit of a surprise to learn that the house was not new when he moved in. I had heard so much about Graceland over the years that I thought the singer had it built from scratch. Instead he had purchased it from the first owner who, we were told, had named the site after a family member, Grace. At the time of purchase the then 500-acre farm was some way out of Memphis, but with a growing city it is now within a built-up area.

Elvis purchased the site in 1957 when he was 22, for a little over $100,000. Today it is worth a mint, but it was not always so. Graceland was considered ‘home’ by Elvis, a place where much music was played and where he could enjoy riding his horses.

When he died, at Graceland, in 1977, aged 42, his will appointed his father Vernon as executor and trustee. Vernon Presley died two years later. With the passing of time other family members have been involved in the handling of the estate and the Graceland site.

In the early years following Elvis’s death there were cash flow problems, but with careful planning the site expanded. The house was opened for tours in 1982, and a year later a nearby shopping plaza was purchased. This was the start of things to come in terms of development. Today Graceland includes that mansion and chapel, but also a four-diamond-rated guest house, a huge exhibition area and parking for his aeroplanes.

Tours can be made of the ground floor of the mansion. Upon entry, visitors will see a lounge set to impress. The seating area is extensive.

The lounge includes beautiful stained glass windows depicting peacocks

Next to view is his parents’ room with lovely purple decor. Then its onto the 1970s kitchen, pool room and jungle room.

Avocado-coloured sink, a sign of the ’70s

Pool room with beautiful fabric-decorated walls, ceiling and seating

Exiting is via a racquetball building, passing the stables and into a remembrance garden where Elvis, his parents, grandmother, and more recently (and sadly) his daughter Lisa Marie, are buried. This gives fans some time for contemplation and to wonder what music we missed from his early departure.

It seems even Elvis liked teds

But there is so much more of the King for the visitor to admire. In the exhibition areas across the road (Elvis Presley Boulevard) there are displays of his Cadillacs, motorcycles, walls of gold and platinum records, and possibly more than a hundred of his highly decorated and exquisite outfits. A visit is enough to make you ‘All Shook Up’.

So now we know where Ted gets his clothing inspiration from. He obviously thinks sequins are overrated

Outfits are displayed floor to ceiling

But the day was not over. Upon leaving Graceland we headed to Sun Studios, considered to be ‘The birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll’. It was set up by Sam Phillips who, it is said, discovered Elvis as an artist.

Phillips established Sun Studios in the 1950s and many leading musical genres followed. In addition to Rock ‘n’ Roll, this included Blues and Rhythm & Blues with Howlin’ Wolf and BB King. Country and Rockabilly saw hits from Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. All of these artists, and more, made their moves into recording through Sun Studios.

Today the site is still a studio, recording artists in the evening, with tours being carried out during the day.

But we still hadn’t had enough of the music scene. John and I tore ourselves away from our travelling companions to get the chance to visit the Stax studio, a short cab ride away.

Here we got our fill of Rhythm & Blues, and Soul music. Stax Records was established in the 1960s with a focus on recording local musical talent. The company was set up by Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton. The name Stax came from a combination of letters from their surnames.

Stax became a multi-million dollar company, launching almost 250 hits in the Top 100 R&B charts, and more than 160 into the Top 100 pop charts. A part of its success in the early years was that Estelle would sell the records the company had produced in the record shop next door. This proved a good source of income for the company whilst also providing a place for people to congregate and listen to the music they were producing. It also attracted aspiring musicians and singers.

Stax’ artists included in the early days, Rufus Thomas and his daughter Carla, and then expanded with Eddie Floyd with ‘Knock on Wood’, and Otis Redding with ‘These Arms of Mine’ and ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay’. Other well-known names were Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave and Booker T & the MGs. Stax went into involuntary bankruptcy in 1975 after their efforts to expand had failed which was a sad ending for a pioneering music business. The visit proved quite a trip down memory lane.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2024

Our days to follow in Memphis were to be jammed-packed with music and music-related experiences, but first we had to get there from Nashville. This involved more than a 200 mile journey with a couple of stops along the way.

First up was Parker’s Crossroads and it was a worthy stop indeed. This was the site of a battle in 1862 during the American Civil War which raged between the Union in the North and the Confederacy in the South. The root of the conflict was a dispute over whether slavery should be permitted to expand which the Confederacy wanted, or prohibited which the Union wished. The issue had come to a head when Abraham Lincoln (who was opposed to the expansion of slavery) was elected US President in 1860.

A more recent replica on site

The subsequent American Civil War raged between 1861 and 1865. In 1862 the Confederates clashed with the Union at Parker’s Crossroads. After a battle both sides claimed victory but the Confederate forces later withdrew having suffered greater casualties. Up to 750,000 soldiers lost their lives during the American Civil War, much of the South had been destroyed and the Confederacy collapsed. Slavery was abolished and four million black slaves were given their freedom.

The importance of visiting Parker’s Crossroads is that for around 20 years various groups have been fighting to preserve the battleground and its history. Some 350 acres of land have been saved, but developers and investors are eager to expand their foothold. A small visitors’ centre with storyboards and a video assist in keeping the history alive, with the help of those volunteers.

From Parker’s Crossroads we had the opportunity to stop off for lunch at a nicely decorated area called Overton Square, before heading into Memphis and its musically-abundant Beale Street.

A pretty area where even the roads are painted

Beale Street was called so by developer Robertson Topp in 1841. He named it after the naval officer, military general, explorer and diplomat Edward Fitzgerald Beale. The street was originally home to merchants trading goods with ships on the nearby Mississippi River. Around a similar time it attracted performing musicians.

But there was another important name to arrive on this street during the latter half of the 1800s, that of Robert Church. He is considered to be the first African-American millionaire in the South, born of a black mother and white father who owned a steamboat. As a young man employed as a steward, he regularly travelled the Mississippi with his father. He later sought work in Memphis, saving enough money to open a saloon.

In 1878-1879 the city’s population was devastated by Yellow Fever. Property prices plummeted. Seeing an opportunity Church bought businesses and undeveloped land along Beale Street. In one area he created Church Park which became a hub for recreation. Musicians gathered at this site, along with clubs and restaurants.

Famous names associated with the area included Jazz man Louis Armstrong; Rock, Soul, Funk and Blues man Rufus Thomas; and BB King (the ‘Beale Street Blues Boy’) to name but a few.

In the 1960s the street became a National Historic Landmark, and in 1977 was declared the ‘Home of the Blues’ by an act of Congress.

We visited several venues along the street, but perhaps the best music and entertainment we experienced during our whole trip was in Blues City serving ‘Music and meat that can’t be beat’. Here the Rockin’ 88s (pictured below) played, with its frontman doing a good impression of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2024

There’s some discrepancy. Nashville has been commonly called The Music City. Some say that Queen Victoria was responsible for the town getting this label, having seen the Fisk Jubilee Singers (of Fisk University) in the late 1800s. She was so impressed with their performance that she is said to have commented that they must be from a “city of music”. As a result Nashville took on The Music City moniker. However, others claim it was WSM Radio’s announcer David Cobb who coined the term ‘Music City USA’. It has since been the official nickname for Nashville.

Whatever the origins we were to find there was good reason for Nashville getting that name – music was clearly a major part of the city’s culture. The main focus of our tour was on music and in Nashville we experienced it in several ways. These included studio visits, live performances and an ‘audience with’, and museums dedicated to genres and individual musicians.

First up was RCA’s Studio B where an enthusiastic young man with a font of knowledge showed us around. This studio is one of the most significant music sites in the world, with artists such as Elvis, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Jim Reeves and Dolly Parton having recorded here. Elvis recorded more than 200 of his 700 records at Studio B, including in excess of 30 over a five-day stint. Our host spoke of some of the Elvis ‘outtakes’, but one left in is on ‘Are you lonesome tonight’. If you listen right at the end you’ll hear a click. For some reason this remained. Maybe time just ran out to remove it. The pressure was on to produce. At one time three songs a day were recorded here. At the end of 1956 alone RCA had sales of 10 million singles and three million EPs.

Other well known records produced included the Everly Brothers’ ‘All I have to do is dream’, Roy Orbison’s ‘Only the lonely’, and Dolly Parton’s ‘Joshua’.

In the studio we were shown the Steinway piano that Elvis played (pictured above) and ‘X marks the spot’ (below), where recording artists stand for the ultimate sound position within the studio.

X marks the spot (lower left on the flooring)

One of the lesser known records produced at the studio. ‘Lullaby Yodel’ seems rather contradictory

The studio’s sound proofing had been designed to eliminate echoes and that remains today as our host demonstrated with several loud claps.

If I hear ‘I walk the line’ one more time I might go crazy. This was not being played at Studio B, but at the Johnny Cash museum. I don’t know why this was the only tune playing (repeatedly) considering he had recorded more than 1,500 songs during his lifetime. Nonetheless, the museum was a tribute to this popular country, rock ’n’ roll, bluegrass, gospel and folk artist who sold more than 100 million records. 

The museum displayed a wealth of memorabilia, including costumes, album covers, guitars and gold discs. But we were to get a closer insight into the Cash family when we were taken to ‘an audience with’, and that being with one of his granddaughters. Chelsea Crowell (photo below) is the daughter of Johnny Cash’s daughter Rosanne and husband Rodney Crowell, each of whom are in the music business. 

Chelsea told us that she had grown up to the sound of music, listening to a wide range of genres with the family. She was refreshing modest, telling us how she particularly liked writing songs. She interspersed talking about her musical life with a number of songs as she strummed her guitar. Our group of 41 visitors were able to ask questions and she was so approachable that she handed over her guitar to one member to play and sing. This experience came as a particular benefit of being in a tour group. Chelsea carried out these ‘an audience with’ occasions from time to time, but as individual travellers to book onto such an event would not have been possible.

Also visited was the Country Music Hall of Fame, a site that collects, preserves and interprets the traditions of country music. This museum detailed many singers, their works and equipment. Familiar names in the UK were Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, Brenda Lee and Jim Reeves. But what caught my eye were the costumes, especially the intricate leather outfits. Time and again the creators were listed as Nudie’s Rodeo Taylors. The suit that follows was created for Chris Ethridge of the Flying Burrito Brothers in 1968. It was later worn by Elton John for the cover of his 45-rpm record ‘Rocket Man’.

During some free time we took ourselves off to the Ryman Auditorium and, following a suggestion from a fellow traveller, we signed up for a backstage tour. We were lucky to get last minute tickets and it was worth it. The Ryman’s roots were in gospel music dating back 130 years, but the venue became the home of the Grand Old Opry and country music from 1943-1974. It is also considered to be the birthplace of bluegrass music dating back to 1945.

Its performance history was not always continuous, however. For 20 years the site lay neglected. Threats of demolition followed but with local groups rallying around to save the performance venue it was refurbished. Performers returned. In more recent years these have included Ringo Starr celebrating his 73rd birthday, Emmylou Harris, and Harry Styles. Coldplay is quoted as saying it is ‘The greatest theatre in the world’.

Our backstage tour took us around several of the dressing rooms including that of Johnny Cash and Minnie Pearl, but photography was not permitted. Front of stage included some rather restricted viewing, but also some ideal seats directly in front of the stage. Cushions are recommended. The seats comprise the old wooden pews.

But today, the chance to see a show at the Grand Old Opry House is the pinnacle of a visit to Nashville. This is the home of live country music playing. The 4,440-seater site was close to our hotel, opened in 1974 but didn’t originate here. The Grand Ole Opry was born in 1925 and transmitted via WSM Radio to the nation. In 1943 live broadcasting moved to the Ryman Auditorium and 31 years later to its current Opry House. Performances are recorded up to five times a week and transmitted live via WSM Radio.

A view if you are lucky to get centre-stage seats

It was a full house when we attended, but although most enjoyable and great to have experienced an evening listening to live country music our seats, as many others, had restricted viewing (not our choice).

Those playing live included the group Exile, John Conley, T Graham Brown, Pam Willis, Lorrie Morgan, Don Schlitz and Josh Turner. Each frontman (or woman) has the chance to experience part of the Ryman Auditorium’s history, for a large circle of the old floor has been incorporated into the stage of country music’s current performance home.

It is difficult to convey the experience in words of a performance at the Grand Old Opry House but rather better if one listens to some of those seasoned country music stars on-line. Don Schlitz for example is best known for his song ‘The Gambler’ and for writing ‘When you say nothing at all’. Josh Turner’s songs include ‘Long Black Train’, and Exile members have written numerous songs for others.

This was not to be the last of our live music experience in the Southern States, but gave us an in-depth look at country music and its effect not only on Nashville, but the rest of the world. It certainly lives up to its name of ‘The Music City’.

Copyright: Words and photographs, Sue Barnard 2024

PS Most of our reports have several photographs but these are not always available to view on some equipment. It is better, therefore, to click the ‘Read on blog’ or ‘Reader’ icons at the top of the postings.

It will come as no surprise that most things in America are big, but we hadn’t expected quite how large our first stop in Nashville was going to be. When our cab from Nashville airport dropped us off at the initial hotel of our Southern States USA group tour we couldn’t quite believe our eyes. We soon found out this is the largest hotel in the country without a casino – the latter point was quite a relief to me as previous experiences saw us having to take an extended walk through vast smoke-filled gaming halls before reaching the reception and hotel lifts… but I digress.

Our hotel, The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Centre, had a whopping 3,000 rooms. Rooms, such as ours, had two large single beds. Well I say single – each was the size of a standard double bed in the UK. What is more, each bed had five pillows – so on average 10 per room. Multiply that by 3,000 rooms and at 30,000 pillows it entails a whole lot of ironing. 

Just one of the many hotel lakes

Even the guitars are huge

The hotel had a dozen restaurants, a shopping mall, large swimming pools with rapids, four-lane racer slides, indoor lakes, and a whole lot more.

As we walked around on the first day we passed a recording studio within its mall. This turned out to be the home of WSM Radio which broadcasts country music 24 hours a day. And we soon realised we had landed in the home of country music when we saw, thorough the studio windows, a real country singer with her cowboy hat, denim shorts and knee-high white cowboy boots. This was singer-songwriter Annie Bosko (pictured) who has written songs for Willie Nelson and performed alongside Adele, amongst others. If country music is your thing you can catch the 24 hour broadcasting on-line at WSM Radio.

What we also hadn’t expected was that our four-day Nashville stay coincided with the annual CMA (Country Music Association) Fest, considered to be the number one country music festival in the US. Last year it grossed in excess of $65 million according to some sources, and this time had 11 stages with music playing from morning to night.

We got a feel of this when we jumped into a cab to downtown Nashville (unfortunately a 30 minute drive away) where we were to find the main strip, Broadway, closed to traffic so fans could enjoy the many bars and stages. As we worked our way along Broadway the sound level was LOUD. 

Early fans head for day one of the festival

Not knowing the Fest was on we had other things planned and to get our bearings we boarded the hop on, hop off, trolley bus.

This took us past many small houses that had once been used as recording studios. Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, and the Eagles are all said to have recorded in these small venues. We also passed an hotel where Elvis once stayed and which has since added a guitar-shaped swimming pool in remembrance (or could it be marketing?). 

A site we would not have seen during our limited time in Nashville had we not been on the trolley bus was the Marathon Motor Museum. Marathon had its origins in the Southern Engine and Boiler Works founded in Jackson, Tennessee in 1884. Its name gave a clue to its production – that of gasoline engines and industrial boilers. Some of those gasoline engines were being purchased as components for companies assembling cars. It was rare that companies manufactured entire vehicles to their own design and using components they had produced on site. But things were to change when a young engineer, one William Henry Collier, joined the Southern Engine and Boiler Works in the early 1900s. Collier wanted to build a car he had designed and to do so at the company in which he was working.

The agreement to do so was to reap rewards with the launch of their first vehicle with gasoline engine in 1907. Investors flocked to be involved. Several models were developed based on Collier’s design. The vehicles were to be sold under the name ‘Southerns’, but this clashed with another company using the same name. Instead ‘Marathon’ was chosen. Such was the success that the company needed to expand production and took over a cotton mill in Nashville. Several models followed and by 1912 200 cars were produced a month.

Sadly, that success did not last. While the Marathon car had a reputation for quality and reliability, demand outstripped supply and the company went into receivership.

Today this nationally-registered historic industrial premises houses a museum focused on the motor company, plus shops, cafes, distillery and work spaces. The building still proudly emblazons the words ‘Marathon Motor Works 1907’. An estimated nine Marathon cars still exist worldwide although not all have been traced.

From here, having hopped off at the motor museum we hopped back on the trolley bus, passing (rather bizarrely) the Parthenon. It was sited in Centennial Park in the west of Nashville and is a replica of the ancient building in Athens. It is said to be accurate to within an inch of the original – it is not a copy of Athens’ actual ruins of today! 

Why was it there? It was originally intended to be temporary and built to celebrate Tennessee’s 100 years as a state, as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in 1897. The Parthenon was chosen to reflect Nashville’s labelling as ‘The Athens of the South’ named so for its educational opportunities, due in part to the establishment of schools such as Vanderbilt, and Fisk. We were to see on our travels that Vanderbilt now has vast estates and elaborate buildings in Nashville. Some of its students are able to spend a year overseas on work experience. We know that as one of the companies John had worked for had such an arrangement.

But back to the Parthenon. The original building was not built to last and in 1920 the decision came to pull it down, or rebuild. The community wanted the latter. Today, the building has been purposed to educate the public about the original Greek Parthenon, 5th century BC Athens and its people, and life in Nashville since 1897. Fine aims indeed. We looked forward to learning more… the building was closed.

We headed back. Nashville, so far, looked a fun town. Not only was the CMA Fest in full swing, but so were many hen parties for which I share some photos. We looked forward to what else Nashville had to offer in the days ahead.

Copyright: Words and photos, Sue Barnard 2024

And we’re off. Well almost. Music will be at the forefront of our next trip as we head to the Southern States of America – sometimes referred to as The American South, or to make it brief, The South, or even more briefly, Dixie. 

Our first stop will be Nashville, the home of Country Music, and where would we be without mention of Dolly Parton? A visit will include a trip to the studio where she recorded ‘I will always love you’. We will see a show at the Grand Ole Opry – the venue famous for honouring Country Music and keeping its history alive.

From there we will head to Memphis for Blues, Soul and Rock ’n’ Roll, and of course we can’t miss the home of Elvis – Graceland.

We will then take in Natchez and a cotton plantation to find out about a more sombre side of history no doubt, before making our way to New Orleans to discover its music and cuisine, its French and Spanish architecture and get a taste of the vibrant nightlife. 

But why is The South called Dixie? There are several suggestions. One is that it was named after two British surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon who were commissioned to settle a long-established boundary dispute between the North and South. Their work involved surveying 233 miles of territory between Pennsylvania and Maryland during 1763-67. Along the way they placed milestones with a P on one side and an M on the other. This dividing line became known as the Mason-Dixon Line and territories beneath the line became know as The South, or Dixie.

No doubt we will discover more about this and so many other aspects. So all we can say is Ye-Ha, let’s bring it on. Hmmm… I wonder if I will be able to resist buying some cowboy boots.

Copyright words and images: Sue Barnard 2024

And so our trip was almost at an end. Having left the delights and hospitality of Robinson Crusoe Island we had a 400-mile sailing to Valparaiso in Chile, taking around a day and a half. 

We had visited this area of Chile 22 years ago, so took the opportunity to take things a little easier, but not too much. Valparaiso and the nearby Santiago (where we were staying) are not the safest of places to visit and even our local guides were wary where they took us.

Valparaiso, our docking point, is one of Chile’s most important and busy Pacific Ocean seaports. It has a long history, and away from the bustling coastline with its huge stacks of containers and transporting lorries, features an historic quarter which was granted UNESCO status in 2003. It also has a labyrinth of cobbled alleys and colourful buildings. But with time at a premium this was not where we were heading.

Instead, it was over to Santiago, an equally busy area and the country’s capital some 70 miles away. This town was founded in the 1500s by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia and too features attractive architecture, winding streets, and very busy areas. An estimated 40% of Chile’s population live here.

With the help of a Spanish guide, speaking through a broken-English interpreter (not easy), we took the opportunity of a whistle-stop tour of Santiago. Making things a little more difficult was the fact that our guiding duo was wary of us even getting out of the vehicle (for safety reasons). Nonetheless, we did visit the cathedral and had a very quick walkabout, viewing the Palacio de La Moneda (the President’s palace).

On the edge of the town we visited the beautiful garden of Laguna de las Aves – a relaxing escape from the busyness of the centre, which we were not used to after three weeks of little-populated islands.

A trip we did manage on our own via the use of taxis, was to a most delightful craft area, the Centro Artesanal Los Dominicos.

This land had been donated to the Order of the Dominican Fathers of Recoleta in the 1800s by an Irish citizen living in Chile. Although his name wasn’t stated I suspect it to be Anthony Fahy, a Dominican priest, chaplain and keen supporter for 27 years of Irish immigrants who struggled with the Spanish language.

Since 1983 part of this land has been set aside for the purpose of encouraging artisans to make their creations in view of the public and to subsequently sell them. It was a delight to actually see them at work and admire their skills, and was a far cry from viewing the usual imports. There were more than 100 workshops and small eating places. 

And so to some overall thoughts of our trip across the South Pacific.

This had been an incredible opportunity, giving us the chance to visit so many islands – both inhabited and uninhabited. We experienced and were able to compare so many cultures – the French Polynesians with their genuine warm welcomes, floral garlands, food and hospitality; the rather British approach on Pitcairn; the histories and mysteries of Easter Island; and the stories within Juan Fernández Archipelago all of which gave us such contrasts. Then there were the birders themselves and viewing their passion for these winged creatures. And never to forget the experiences of landing on islands where few people had walked before over the decades or even centuries. 

This was such a rare chance and one we much appreciated. But we had to leave, in order that we could travel again. Next destination: South Korea.

Copyright: Words and Photos Sue Barnard 2022

I would have walked 500 miles yesterday to achieve the things we experienced on Alexander Selkirk Island, but that was yesterday! After today’s so called ‘moderate’ hike you have got to be joking. I’m exhausted. Long walks of discovery are now off my agenda! Up and up we climbed today, and then up some more.

Each morning the ship’s nicely-presented ‘Chronicle’ two-pager arrives under our cabin door. This provides us with the daily schedule and how to prepare. There were three options today: an uphill 3-hour strenuous walk (think I’ll give that a miss); a history walk around the town (interesting); or ‘a moderate nature and botany walk uphill to Plazoleta el Yunque, a 2.5 mile roundtrip. The latter sounded just my cup of tea. 

Before explaining what we did get to know about this island, I would just like to say, our steep walk upwards was never ending. I saw a peak in front of us, not realising that was where we were heading.

I read a notice along the way which said: “Easy access trail where one can appreciate diverse types of vegetation” – not if you’re gasping for breath. It continued: “It also has an internal circuit where native forest is predominant with examples of eucalyptus, ferns, gunnera, cinnamon trees, and (the highly invasive non-native Chilean wineberry) maqui.” 

I was almost on my knees when we reached a campsite. I was in no fit state to put up a tent even if I had wanted to. Here we discovered the internal (or infernal) circuitous boardwalk. It seemed the obvious route to take, but we had no idea where it was taking us. There weren’t any signs. Having struggled uphill, we walked round and round ducking under branches and watching our step on the slippery boards as we went. Eventually, we reached the campsite again… and, well what to do next but take the steep walk back down. 

However, it was not to end there. There were several other sites for us to see once we got back to our original landing point some hours later. Before I touch on those there is something important to say about Robinson Crusoe Island, as alluded to in the previous posting.

Remember the name Alexander Selkirk, the Scottish buccaneer? He actually arrived in 1703 on what was then known as Isla Más a Tierra, later named Robinson Crusoe Island. He never set foot on Más Afuera (later known as Alexander Selkirk Island).

His ship was the Cinque Ports. The story goes that, upon arrival at Isla Más a Tierra, he quarrelled with his captain Thomas Stradling, complaining the ship had a leaky bottom. He is said to have retorted that he would rather stay on the island than sail with the ship. The captain took him at his word, and left him there.

It is said that Selkirk remained on the island for almost five years until he was rescued by an English sea captain Woodes Rogers, who commented that he looked more rugged in animal skins than the island goats themselves. It is further said that the story inspired Daniel Defoe to write the book Robinson Crusoe, although that is based in the Caribbean and his character was marooned for 28 years.

It seems that Selkirk’s judgement was correct. The Cinque Ports ship later sunk off Colombia.

After that stage in its history, the island is considered to have been inhabited by pirates (and some, it seems, remain today. More about that later). There have also been reports of buried treasure dating back to the 1700s and hunters have scoured the island in search of this ever since.

By the 1800s the Juan Fernández archipelago came under the governance of Chile. In the 1900s the islands became a penal colony housing, particularly, political prisoners. In 1966, in an attempt to capitalise on the tale, the Chileans renamed Isla Más a Tierra as Robinson Crusoe Island thus raising (conveniently) the interests of passing tourists.

This volcanic island itself is considered to be up to four millions years old; is the largest island within the Juan Fernández archipelago; and has the largest population of around 1,200 people and rising, with 120 school children.

An important economic source for the community is fishing, especially for the spiny lobster. It is believed 98% of the fish are endemic, and of the 200-plus plant species found on the island, half are endangered or rare (including the cabbage tree). In addition, there are two highly invasive plants, the mora (wild blackberry) and the maqui (another berry-producing plant). These are taking over where native plants grow, and that in turn has a detrimental effect on the animals, birds and insects that live there.

Official steps are being taken to redress the balance and at the start of our climb we visited a seed bank where a gentleman showed us around. So far seeds from 70% of the plants have been collected – the aim is to achieve 100% – and to discover how best to propagate them.

It is hoped these actions will safeguard, particularly, the critically endangered firecrown hummingbird, which is native to this island only. The bird depends on some of the island’s equally-endangered plant species. We were lucky enough to see one with the help of the birders on board who were hunting amongst the trees.

The island also has a lot of history, especially from World War One. The German ship SS Dresden arrived at the island in 1915 trying to evade British warships. It was cornered by the HMS Glasgow and HMS Kent and the merchant cruiser Orama. The ships opened fire, and the captain subsequently scuttled her. The ship is at the bottom of the ocean, but what can be seen is a shell hole in the cliffs. We walked to that site and saw the hole. Nobody told us if the unexploded shell was still in the cliffs. It certainly didn’t look as if it had been removed, and who would attempt that?

Also to be seen are several caves near the shoreline. These housed political prisoners in the 1800s, and maybe it is possible Alexander Selkirk frequented them during his stay in the 1700s.

But a fitting end for our exhausting day, and what was almost the finale of our cruise of discovery, was a party held for us by the people of the island. We didn’t meet any Alexander Selkirk lookalikes but we did meet quite a few pirates, who were most welcoming and happy to share their booty.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022