Category: USA (Page 1 of 3)

USA- Deep South – 13

11 November 2023 / admin

NASA Gateway

Friday 10.11.23

A late afternoon flight departing Houston arriving at Heathrow early on Saturday morning. After very nearly two busy weeks it seems appropriate to take it easy this morning, pack and get ready for the trip so no additional exploring.

The trip has been fantastic. All of the anticipated highlights achieved and we have seen much of the recent history of American music from the part of the world. Alongside that two of the famous names trains – The City of New Orleans and The Sunset Limited. Graceland, Casey Jones, Tina Turner’s school and the related museum, a paddle steamer on the Mississippi plus the wonders of Space Center, Houston, particularly the Apollo Mission control room and not forgetting the peak at the history of Martin Luther King and Lookout Mountain. And of course the Peabody Ducks in Memphis.

The organisation of the trip all worked extremely well, the tour manager was capable and able to ensure that matters run smoothly – a good tour manager knowing what is going to happen and ensuring it does and being prepared when things need to change (such as the breakfast in Memphis when the train failed to appear) as well as being visible and knowing answers when asked all make it so much easier for the participants.

After flying back from Vancouver in somewhat uncomfortable Premium Economy we bit the bullet and came back business class – so we were assured at least some sleep and relatively comfortable flat beds for this journey.

We have covered something like 10400 miles – probably more given some of the routings and city tours as routes were not always direct. An excellent holiday.

USA – Deep South – 12

10 November 2023 / admin

Houston Mission Control

Thursday 9.11.23

And a day for the boys – Space Center, Houston. We have a bit of a trek out of town this morning on the coach and the roads and usage demonstrate my earlier comments.

The Space Center Houston is huge and now far more than just the Mission Control although that is our first destination as we have been given a timed trip shortly after our arrival on the site. The main displays and visitor area are a ride away from all the cool stuff as the area occupied has grown over the years.

Mission Control has been returned to the layout and equipment with which we are familiar from the Apollo missions in the late 60s / early 70s. The touring party sits in the viewing area overseeing the control room and we are played three recordings of those key events. Apollo 7 landing on the moon followed by the recording of Neil Armstrong walking onto the surface. The third recording is of the first report of Apollo 13 having a problem plus the surrounding story of bringing the participants back safely. Obviously now the visible technology looks hugely dated and one wonders how it would be organised today.

There were rudimentary computers on board the space vehicles and mainframes processing data – but these days when we are conscious of how Formula 1 (for example) has intricate reporting detail on their engines, chassis, wheels and so on all being fed not only to the pit teams but also to their headquarters (which can be half a world away from the race) it is a very different data process that would now be put in place.

As well as the displays in the visitor center itself there are two other major exhibits which also require a ride to the other side of facility – one is a Saturn V rocket launcher – which lies on one side rather than standing erect. The other is a visit to the astronaut training center which is a huge hangar with a huge variety of technical equipment where the potential travellers have to learn how to manage all of the equipment.

Shuttle Carrier and Shuttle

As with Graceland earlier on the holiday those with a particular interest could and probably should spend the whole day here – for the ladies of the tour this held the least interest.

USA – Deep South – 11

9 November 2023 / admin

Union Station departure Board

Wednesday 8.11.23

We are on the move again and our first stop this morning is Union Station where – given the usual generous Great Rail timings – we have a wait for our train to Houston. As before all cases are handed over to porters and loaded aboard the train and we follow separately to our assigned seats.

Union Station probably handles less passengers (and many less services) than Sandhurst station on an average day. So in European eyes it is unaccountably well appointed with a large number of seats, catering facilities and so on. The other travellers are also here in plenty of time – walk up and go is not the way they do it here! The train is scheduled to depart at 09:00 and we leave more or less on time.

Sunset Limited

We leave New Orleans by what seems a slightly twisting route eventually leaving the City over the Huey P Long Bridge with the train then coming to a stand on the raised section on the south side of the Mississippi river – and we are there some considerable time, although later in the day we appear to be back on expected timings. Freight is always more important than passengers in this country of course.

I turn to listening to radio recordings – time to catch up on events in Ambridge amongst other things. To break the day up we book lunch on the late sitting (yes there are two!). The countryside rolls by – generically we are heading just about due west to Houston, Texas on the Sunset Limited which will (eventually) terminate in Los Angeles some 48 hours after the journey commences. Our route passes through Lafayette, Lake Charles and Beaumont amongst others.

Historically this was not a rich area and from a passing train it is hard to establish any definitive conclusions – but it does not reek of prosperity – there are some nicer houses and there are some which are far less attractive – with I suspect a predominance of the latter!

Lunch is excellent and we stay talking at the table as they have cleared up and do not seem bothered about making us go.

Once on the outskirts of Houston we are routed through a freight route and we end up passing the station and backing into it – but that will be to enable it to head off on the remainder of its journey to the West Coast. We arrive a little later than planned due to the Houston circumlocution – which means that eating out tonight is not on.

A quick coach hop to our hotel and with communications re-established (no wifi on trains) we can check in for our not too distant return flight. Dinner is in the hotel tonight and is perhaps one of the lesser meals of the trip. The warm weather has gone and it is raining. Houston is a modern city – at least in the centre. It is, as might be expected, heavily dependent on the car – but outside our hotel there is a modern metro shuttling back and forth. Time (and a wish not to be stuck somewhere distant) will preclude travel on it on Friday morning.

USA – Deep South – 10

8 November 2023 / admin

Charles Street streetcar

Tuesday 7.11.23

Today is a free day as far as the tour operator is concerned but that is not how we see it. There are shops, this is the USA and so it is time to acquire some Levi jeans as outlet shops are always very cheap and so our trips to the USA always include an opportunity to acquire jeans.

We head down to the mall by the river and soon my purchases are completed. Less happily the food outlets are at the very far end of the mall and no-one is doing anything particularly breakfast like. I think we all wanted a bacon butty or something similar even if it is not good for us.

With my shopping needs satisfied (three pairs of Levis – always bought on trips to the USA) I am released and I head for the Streetcars first taking the line along to the terminus at French Market. At the time of our visit the Riverfront service is not running and only the service back from French Market runs to Cemeteries “Canal Street line” is running and so I go to the other end of the line which is mainly a ride along Canal Street. At the end I double back slightly and then take another streetcar to the other northern terminus at the City Park and Museum. It is now mid-afternoon and incredibly warm.

Modern NOLA Streetcar

Returning to Rampart Street I then take the service to Union Station – a location we shall visit tomorrow. The service to Elysian Fields Avenue is not running so I return once again along Canal Street and can then take the historic trams operating to South Claiborne Avenue. However for reasons which were poorly explained the driver of the streetcar insisted that I and others leave the vehicle at St Charles Avenue about 9 stops short of the terminus. She was pretty insistent and it was annoying to then wait a good 10 minutes or so before there was a streetcar to return to the hotel.

This trip on the St Charles Avenue line as it is known was the most interesting as it traversed a very different part of the city – and the oldest in the world opening in 1835 and electrified in 1893. It has operated continuously apart from storm disruption throughout. The other lines at some point closed and subsequently re-opened. St Charles Avenue itself is fascinating with a tree lined avenue and some stately houses on both sides. Plus Universities and restaurants – which are too far in the wrong direction from the hotel for us to experience.

We dine at Mr B’s Bistro tonight – again in the French Quarter – a place which had been spotted on our walking tour yesterday and opposite the Hotel Monteleone where cocktails are taken.

By the way when arriving in a restaurant in the Deep South there is an absolute need to order a cocktail. Obtaining a whole bottle of wine seems to require a member of management being summoned with keys to unlock some remote distant storage to enable a full bottle to be extracted. This takes so long that the ordinary wine drinking punter can die of thirst before the bottle arrives. No wonder people order cocktails.

USA – Deep South – 9

7 November 2023 / admin

NOLA French Quarter

Monday 6.11.23

A walking tour of the French Quarter this morning – but watch out for the pavements! They are very uneven and broken with holes in various places – so as the group wanders around the area those at the front are constantly warning about watching the ground – which makes it hard to observe the architecture and surroundings.

The surroundings are of course fabulous and there are far too many photographs which makes it difficult to select one for the photo in this post. The history is complex – whilst known as the French quarter most of the buildings reflect Spanish influences – here is why.

The French had claimed Louisiana in the 1690’s founding the City in 1718. However in 1763 the area was ceded to the Spanish at the end of the Seven Years War. Two fires in 1788 and 1794 led to subsequent large scale rebuilding during the period of Spanish control – although retaining the “French” designation – which is what we see. Through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 the territory eventually came under the control of the United States.

The French Quarter is not a large area and we end near St Louis Cathedral and then walk to the waterfront so that we can see the departure point of our cruise later in the day.

Lunch, much to the detriment of my normal regime, is beignets which in New Orleans are fried pastries of leavened dough covered with huge quantities of sugar, taken at the Café du Monde – a busy establishment.

Creole Queen

We then amble along the river front noting the odd passing tram to the berth of “Creole Queen” – our paddle steamer for the afternoon river cruise. Our destination is the Chalmette Battlefield – where in January 1815 the British went into battle against some sneaky Americans. The British were banging their drums and making a huge fuss as they approached whilst the sneaky Americans quietly hid until they were able to destroy the British soldiers. It was also an unnecessary battle as a peace treaty had been signed in December 1814 but had not been ratified as the news had not travelled across the Atlantic. Our American guides – aboard the boat and also at the battlefield are of course entirely able to maintain their good humour given the poor organisation of British troops and the overwhelming defeat the Americans delivered!

In the evening we initially planned to eat at a nearby hotel – annoyingly a similar sized party arrived just in front of us and took the last table. Annoyed!

USA – Deep South – 8

6 November 2023 / admin

City of New Orleans

Sunday 5.11.23

An early start today (0545) and the coach takes us to the station. Unfortunately the City of New Orleans is not arriving for some considerable time. So we return to the hotel and we are able to have breakfast (thank goodness) before returning to the station. A wait but the train does arrive and we all climb aboard for the best Amtrak can provide – we are upstairs with a great view over the countryside and we wend our way south towards New Orleans. No great speed reached but there is a constantly changing landscape rolling past with many little junctions no doubt providing for freight traffic at many places.

Train timing obviously allows for the service to be horrendously late as it is probably going to arrive at its final destination on time! Given the early start the odd doze is in order as well!

Our itinerary means that we disembark at Hammond, Louisiana where our coach has been waiting (probably for several hours). The drive onwards is along Interstate 55 in Louisiana where Wikipedia confirms that 23 miles runs through the Manchac swamp and is one of the longest bridges in the world – with the railway running alongside for most of the distance before it veers away toward New Orleans. It was completed in 1979 and although the map shows ground beneath us it looks more like water to me – and presumably the usual residents of any swamp!

Oak Valley Plantation

Our return to the coach is predicated, as we are now really in the Deep South, by our visit to a cotton plantation – Oak Alley. The house appeared in “Interview with the Vampire” and other television programmes and films. Care has been taken to try and explain the two stories – those who lived in the big house and those who lived, originally as slaves, in the huts which are probably in a better physical state now than they ever were when in use.

The weather has been much warmer since leaving Nashville and even though we are here in the later afternoon it is very warm.

Our onward journey picks up Interstate 10 which uses another long bridge – I-10 Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge – along the edge of Lake Pontchartrain and various wetlands before reaching the City of New Orleans, often these days referred to as NOLA (New Orleans Louisiana) where we will be halting for a few days.

Our hotel is not far from the famous French Quarter and we head there for dinner. The first couple of places are already busy and Hard Rock has empty tables – and nothing available for an hour! Across the way however is the Bourbon House which asks us to wait for a few minutes and a space is cleared – so it is all possible.

USA – Deep South – 7

5 November 2023 / admin

Graceland Christmas Decorations

Saturday 4.11.23

Today is one of the big stops on this trip – Graceland – and it is a huge draw. We make an early start with the aim of beating the crowds which we almost do. The estate has taken over a large area across the highway where we park and which holds the secondary exhibits with a bus to take us over to the house itself. It feels a little like a rabbit warren as we head around the downstairs and then into the lower level – which clearly reflected updates at various times. Exiting at the rear of the building we see the and then there is a final very tidy garden with the graves of Elvis and his parents.

Elvis’ Rolls Royce

Back across the highway there are many displays – the cars being the first highlight and the two planes a little further away. However for real fans there are many other displays and people could easily spend a lot longer here than our four hours. Great Rail take the view that their travellers will not all be pure Elvis fans and so limit the time – however it is a reminder of how the King lived!

Sun Studio

The importance of Elvis was covered at RCA Studio B earlier in our tour but the next stop on our return to Memphis is Sun Studio. Here in August 1953 he recorded an acetate as a gift for his mother, plus another one off a few months later. However the secretary Marion Keisker brought him back a third time for a recording session in July 1954, which simply did not work until very late at night Elvis started playing the fool – probably enjoying himself and apparently that was the start of the legend. Three days later the track was played by a local DJ and most of the rest is history. The Studio has an upstairs museum telling the history of the site and then downstairs is the studio itself together with a selection of instruments. Real American history. Many others recorded here of course.

In the evening we wander out to the main strip for a drink and to listen to music – not quite as loud or all encompassing as Nashville – before heading to the restaurant previously spotted – the Flying Fish. A local delicacy is allegedly “po boys” and so tonight we eat as the locals. Order at the counter and then called to the counter when ready. So this is the local fast food and it makes a change – and actually tastes – so we have done well for local food in Memphis.

USA – Deep South – 6

4 November 2023 / admin

Casey Jones Museum

Friday 3.11.23

We depart Nashville by road – but there is a railway element in our stopping place. Jackson, Tennessee is our first halt as there is a small museum dedicated to the legend of the famed locomotive engineer, Casey Jones, later immortalised in a television series depicting various heroic tales. Jones died in a tragic accident in 1900 when his train, running at some speed, encountered a freight which had not cleared the main line as there was insufficient siding space. Jones had an impressive history of ensuring his trains ran to time and that night he was desperately seeking to regain lost time. All long before track circuits and modern signalling systems. He became embedded in American folklore and the TV series and catchy title song no doubt re-inforced that image.

However it tells a little story and we are able to see his restored cottage which was moved and attached to the museum. It is all a little rundown and not all of our tour actually visit the museum which is a pity – but the group is not at all strong on rail people I believe.

Tine Tuner exhibits Flagg Grove School

We move on to Nutbush and Flagg Grove School which now preserves the house where Tina Turner was born and also in a relatively small but interesting museum we are able to see a collection of Turner memorabilia alongside brief talks of the importance of the Tennessee river, other music acts and cotton. Cotton and slaves underpinned the economy here for a long time but the story is the story and cannot be changed. This is a delightful museum and the visit is well organised ensuring that nothing is a long lecture and with some seats for those of us unable to remain standing for too long.

Our destination today is Memphis and we are based very close to the music strip – which is much smaller than the one in Nashville. As we drive in I spot a restaurant which looks interesting – so make a mental note to check it out later.

The big hotel here is the Peabody and its infamous ducks so when in Memphis go to the local duck march! if you are taking afternoon tea you get to sit near the fountain and can see the ducks proceeding to the fountain (in the mornings) or to the lift (in the afternoons) to and from their special roof top accommodation. A strange ritual but it seems to pull people in. After dinner we return for a drink from the bar!

Dinner is at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous which was recommended in Nashville. It is along a slightly unattractive alley opposite the Peabody and if I had not been there in daytime we might have been less keen to turn along there in the evening, remembering that Memphis is allegedly one of the most dangerous places in the USA! The restaurant is in a cellar and once downstairs there was a warm welcome and some dedication to delivering the excellent food – barbecue ribs of some description for most of us and a very popular place judging by the people coming and going.

USA – Deep South – 5

3 November 2023 / admin

Preserved Railway line Nashville

Thursday 2.11.23

We have a free day today as far as Great Rail are concerned so we can take it easier. So our first stop is breakfast – Pancake Pantry – which is just a couple of blocks from the hotel. It is obviously popular – we are in a small queue, hopefully for not too long. There are a couple in front of us and when the serving staff emerge they want a table for 6 – which is annoying as we do as well. However not all 6 people are present, so when the next server emerges we volunteer ourselves to take the table. An excellent outcome and it is followed by an excellent breakfast, Jackie had been looking forward to pancakes for a few days!

We then walk to the city centre and I go up on the John Siegenthaler Passenger Bridge which passes not only over the river but also over the tracks of the former Tennessee Central Railroad (now CSX) on the far side of the river, but on this side of the river is a station from which the Tennessee Central Railway Museum runs services on Saturdays – so no operations today!

Travellers in Nashville

Alongside the Country Music Nashville also has an impressive concert hall in the Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Symphony Center which we pass – with some nice adjacent statutary.

Jackie and I opt for a quiet afternoon – these holidays can be quite tiring and we tend to sleep badly when we changes beds so we retire to our hotel room for a rest this afternoon.

Having braved Broadway Street last night we decide on a different experience tonight and dine at the Four Seasons Hotel. The best bit was that as we were leaving one of the staff enquired as to our next destination – Memphis and gave us a recommendation for a local restaurant!

USA – Deep South – 4

2 November 2023 / admin

Nashville

Wednesday 1.11.23

Today we are going to see Nashville itself. We take a drive alongside the Cumberland River and see the older parts of the city although it is currently one of the fastest growing places in the USA as the local authorities have gone out of their way to attract businesses into the area. Settlements in the area commenced in 1689 however the first permanent construction did not come until 1779 with the establishment of Fort Nashborough and by 1806 was incorporated as a city becoming the county seat. By 1843 it was the state capital of Tennessee. Our tour enables us to see the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry for a long period before relocation and from time to time since, We also pass the Woolworth Theatre which was a key location during the sit-in civil rights protests in 1960 which led to the desegregation of such facilities.

The prime attraction is Broadway Street where many of the outlets are honky-tonk bars serving music and food to the visitors and we will return here later. Honky-tonk is regarded both as a style of bar and music dating back to ragtime possibly deriving from poorly maintained pianos. Or possibly to pianos made by the Tonk brothers. The linked article does not seem to support the name really relating to prostitution – but who really knows? The most famous is Tootsies and our party enters – with me in the rear. I am stopped by the doorman who is unwilling to let me in with my Canon camera. And around here you do not argue with a doorman! So I do not get to see the inside!

However our main stopping point this morning is the Country Music Hall of Fame, a modern building telling the story of country music over the last 100 years and paying homage to the many famous names which have graced the country music scene over those years.

Lunch proves slightly difficult and we end up in a food court where none of the food on offer actually appeals and the noise levels are off the scale, so that I can hardly hear what is happening. In my view best avoided.

RCA Studio B

Our visit this afternoon is to RCA Studio B which was one of the major recording locations through the country music years. It was built in 1957 and was the origin of the “Nashville sound” initially under Chet Atkins who was the RCA Musical Director in Nashville. A later larger studio became Studio A and the original became Studio B. Elvis Presley recorded over 240 tracks here whilst Dolly Parton was allegedly so nervous on her first session that she accidentally collided with the building when parking her first new car!

The studio is now primarily a history lesson and tourist site but some recordings are still undertaken although it appears pretty low tech compared with the inside of a modern studio and maybe that is the appeal.

Earlier in the day as we progressed along Broadway Street we had identified a likely looking spot for dinner, where we go in the evening. Their attitude to low alcohol beer and service means that I cannot recommend it.