Silly, Shrouded and Sobering (and more BBQ)

 As we wind down our trip, we slowed down a little today. We slept in then headed across the street from our hotel (The Holiday Inn) to The Peabody for the marching in of the Peabody ducks. As the story goes, the whole ordeal started as a practical joke. The general manager had been out duck hunting. At the time it was legal to have live decoys. The general manager and his buddy had had a bit too much Tennessee sipping whiskey and thought it would be funny to bring the ducks back to the hotel and put them in the fountain. The public's reaction was favorable, and the rest is history. The duck master spins the tale, then goes up the elevator to the roof to bring the ducks back down. The elevator doors open, and the ducks scurry to the fountain. A big production that originated as a practical joke--silliness at its best. When we left there, we headed to Huey's for lunch. I think just maybe there is too much of a good thing (BBQ), or at least that's what our stomachs were telling us. I had a veggie burger (a very good one, actually) and Tim had a salad. Very good, but we didn't see the need for pictures.

We had scheduled a 1:00 tour of the Gibson guitar factory, so we headed on over. This factory is where Gibson makes all its hollow and semi-hollow bodied guitars. The process was protected so we couldn't take any pictures--shrouded in secrecy. It was fascinating to see how much craftsmanship goes into making the guitars. While I can strum a little on the guitar, I'd love to buy a Gibson and learn how to play the blues!

From there we walked back to the hotel to hop in the car and head to the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is at the Lorraine Hotel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. The hotel itself, specifically the rooms that Dr. King occupied had been restored. A large building that acted as the museum has been added to the hotel. It chronicles the journies of those individuals who sacrificed so much for the freedoms of all. I know that in my lifetime, I've never been asked to give so much. Sobering.

For dinner, we went to Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous for ribs and a little pulled pork. It was good, but not as good as Interstate. We didn't stuff ourselves, so there may be one more BBQ meal in our future before we head home!