Wednesday 11th September

Today is the 18th anniversary of September 11, 2001 evidenced by the ceremony on the TV this morning at ground zero in New York, but also by all flags flying at half mast wherever we ventured today.

Today was a casual catch our breath day ... that said we did 18,600 steps walking around Memphis !! We decided to go to the Memphis Pyramid, which is basically a hotel and a Bass Pro Shop, except this Bass Pro Shop is a bit different... more about it later.

Our apartment is located in the Victorian Village district, and it was not until today that we walked down the street we are on toward downtown, and discovered all these beautiful Victorian mansions !

OK, back to the Bass Pro shop, there is a swamp on the ground floor of this store, including live ducks, alligators and quite a few variety of fish. Inside it also has the longest free standing elevator in the world (28 stories) high, which leads to an observation deck and a restaurant. The pyramid sells clothes for adults and chidren, fishing gear, duck hunting paraphernalia, guns and bullets and anything else for personal protection, camping gear, boats and 4 wheel buggies. There were stuffed bears, deer, boar and flying ducks....a bizzare place to visit.

After 2 hours wandering around the store we headed back to Beale Street for a final visit, but mainly to head back to the Blues City Cafe to have the dessert we didn't have room for last night ! Apple dumplings and chocolate brownie, both with icecream.... so yummy !!

The last thing on our list of things to do was to cross the Mississippi into another state, yes, Memphis is in Tennesee, and West Memphis, just over the bridge is in Arkansas, and the question we have been pondering is why isn't that state pronounced .. Ahh-Kansas ?? It looks nothing like Arkinsaw to us !! Anyway we drove across the bridge, some 13 kilometres into Arkansas to a Wallmart Supercentre, where we spent an hour wandering around the store, just so we can justifiably put an Arkansas magnet on our fridge.