Enroute to Arkansas

Today we traveled from Clearwater through Florida, Alabama and am now typing from a hotel bed in Tupelo, Missisiippi.

We passed through Birmingham today and just at the edge of town OMG!

The string of Alabama tornadoes at the end of April passed through the area and I could not believe what I was seeing. I can't remember the road, perhaps US78, but I was talking to Jerry (he was driving) and saw a huge tree stump that had been sheered and a house that looked like it was partially burned and partially torn down. Then I noticed the tree stood alone but not because nothing was built around it but because the neighboring houses were rubble. About the same time Jerry responded to what he was seeing to the right and I turned and saw mass destruction about as far as i could see. Seems the torando tore a path through this part of town and tore up everything except the asphalt on the road. It's one thing to see it on TV, another to see it in person and so close up. Was tempted to take a photo but decided not in case anyone is still entombed in this horrible destruction.

While Memphis may claim Graceland as Elvis's home, Tupolo is his birthplace and they are very proud of it. Here's a few photos:

( The old downtown area had painted guitars sticking out of the sidewalk on everyblock. Not actualy guitars but metal, pop art painted ones. Very cool - maybe a photo tomorrow?? We were tired and hungry and only ooh and awed at them. )

The house - a small, shortgun style. There is a vistor center but we wanted to get a hotel and something good to eat (we had been living off gummy worms and chex mix all day, lol) so just popped out for a few photos.
Historical marker at the home. Reminds me, Alabama was full of historical markers. Will need to look them up sometime as I learned nothing whizzing by at 65mph.
A concrete walk circles the house and there are many of these "bricks" of dates and a carving of an event to match these dates.

Tomorrow the plan is to stop in the Memphis area to see a relativem, buy some flags & flowers, go to cemetery to place them on Dad's, grandparents, great grandparents, and GG grandparent's graves for memorial day. Then, it's off to Mountain Home to visit Vern.

This Weekend

Wow - what a weekend! It was busy but fun. Jerry had inventory so I spent much of it with my mom.

Saturday was beautification day. I had a manicure, pedicure, waxing, and a hair cut to prepare for a night of culture. I delivered trays of food to the base for Jerry's inventory crew and then took the moms to a nice dinner. The last event was the opera Carmen at Ruth Eckert Hall with my mom, a coworker, and her boyfriend.

Sunday started with a blueberry pancake breakfast, yum yum, and then a visit from cousins Erica and Sarah. It was good to finally get to expose Jake to a child. He was OK. My dogs love little Sarah but Jake was unsure. Not bad, just unsure. Then mom came over and we played on the computers and listened to NPR before leaving for a casual dinner and then the Ultimate Elvis Tour. Now that was fun! I loved watching the seventy something women acting like seventeen year old girls. They were screaming and getting kisses from the performers. The best part was everytime I looked at my mom she had a smile on her face.

A photo from the tour's web site. It was produced by Elvis Prestley Enterprises.

My mom in the Mahaffey theatre. It's old and beautiful. Loved our loge seats right int he center.

Coco Palms

Tomorrow we are having an employee appreciation day at work. The theme of the party is "Luau". I'm making sweet and sour meatballs tonight, and bought a pineapple and mangos for slicing. I bought dozens of leis at the Dollar Tree and fished out my old Hawaiian music CD & a boombox. Tomorrow should be fun but today all the preparation has me nostalgic and a bit blue.

While Greggory Abbott was belting out his #1 hit "Shake You Down" in 1987, I was on the garden island of Kauai at the Coco Palms Hotel - a Polynesian styled resor - saying "I Do". The photo above is the chapel where Jerr & I were married (vintage photo from the web). We didn't have Greggory Abbott singing for us but we did have an acoustic guitar player struming traiditonal Hawaiian music, which was beautiful, and two stranger off the beach as witnesses (the strangers were on their honeymoon too). The hotel was also the site of a convention of forensic pathologists while we were there so we heard some interesting talk in the Jacuzzi.

Sadly, Hurricane Iniki struck in September of 1992 and caused so much damage to the picturesque grounds (coconut groves and beautifu lagoons) that it was never reopened and basically lays in ruin now. And to think this is the place where Elvis filmed the final scenes of "Blue Hawaii"! Sometimes, when I have trouble sleeping, I fantasize and let my imagination run free about some place or project. One of these is restoring this place to it's pre-hurricane status. It wasn't a slick, modern, boutique hotel; instead, it was kinda old school with large clam shell sinks. Some people thought it was out of date - I thought it had ambiance like an old, dark steakhouse.

I searched the web and found these photos of the grounds. When I could locate them, I also included "after" shots.

The before and after of the entry way. I remember driving up there, getting out of the car to register, and the visiting the shops across the driveway to check on the flowers for our ceremony and Jerry buying me a pair of pearl earrings as a wedding gift to wear on our wedding day.

Before and after of cabins along the lagoons. At sunset, performers would come up the lagoon in outrigger boats, usually with torches, and land on the beach for their show.

This is where we had our after wedding lunch. I remember I had a shrimp salad on croissant with papaya. It was heavenly but I was just too hyped up to really reklax and enjoy the meal or the atmosphere. The before photo really doens't do it justice because you can't see the mural and it makes the restaurant look crowded - which it was not.

The only thing recognizable to me in these before and afters is the metal stair railing (the shots are from two different angles). There was also a Jacuzzi surrounded by a rockwall, like a grotto.

Below is the main hotel building, post Iniki, which is where we stayed. There were also cottages available along the lagoon.

So, if any investors out there are looking for a project, think Coco Palms! I'll be your first guest when you reopen ;)