Memphis, TN

We made yet another detour (it won't be the last!) from the mother road across the border to Tennesee (The Volunteer State, aka. The Dirty South). This is the actual door that Elvis, Johnny Cash, B.B. King and many others walked through to record their first hits at Sun Recording Studios! It was very hot (41°C) and a long walk, but very worthwhile.

Yes,this is one of the actual microphones that Johnny Cash and Elvis used. The studios themselves only comprise three rooms: the reception room, recording room, and performance space. This photo was taken in the same room as the Million Dollar Quartet, U2 and many others recorded their unique sound. Rock 'n' roll was invented in this room! It was really bizarre to look at the giant photo on the wall, and notice that the walls look exactly the same - because they are the same wall!

This was our tour guide, Cora. A dedicated fan, very enthusiastic and full of facts and information such as: the amplifier that Chester Burnett (a.k.a Howlin' Wolf) broke on his way to the studio, so filled it with paper - thereby becoming the first distorted guitar effect! Like most inventions, a result of an accident - but owner Sam Phillips (who later sold Sun Records to Nashville, and invested everything in the fledgling Holiday Inn chain - making more money out of hotels than 'Heartbreak Hotel' nyuk, nyuk!) liked what he heard.

The mark of a true fan - a signature tattoo. I'm not sure if she had any of the other artists - I was too meek to ask.

Morag found the Man-in-Black's seat. I'm not sure it's for real, as the souvenir shop was only built after the recordings.

We couldn't go to Memphis without visiting Graceland, the home of the King of Rock'n'Roll - Elvis Aron Presley.

Thank y'all very much.

St. Robert, MI to Little Rock, AR

Today, we reversed up the I-44 to see what the Meramec Caverns had to offer. Turns out - a whole lot! 26 miles of underground wonder... The outlaw Jesse James hid there a number of times, and it was a saltpeter (potassium nitrate) gunpowder manufacuring facility in the civil war. This photo is just before the "Wine Room", where botryoids that look like wine grapes are formed. It's also where the largest one of only two known onyx Ragonite formations (formations with legs and no other connections) are found. Obviously, they are also staggeringly beautiful.

This is one of my favourite photos from the tour (I took a lot!). It's a 15 second exposure (there's not much light underground), and because the tour guide turned off the lights as we went along, after I waited for everyone to get out of the way, I had to undo the tripod quickly and run along (in the dark) to catch up with the rest of the group. It happened a few times. Nothing like being in an 26-mile underground maze to get the pulse racing... the things we do for art, eh?

After an hour in the cool 15° caverns, Morag needed to warm up on the rocks of the Meramec River. Not for long, though - as our next stop was Arkansas (pronounced Ar-kan-saw) - "The Natural State".

We started to drive through some more geographically unique countryside - this photo is of the Ozark mountains. Prior to this it was the interstate (freeway, or motorway to UK folks) and many, many farmlands and prairies - I won't bore you with photos of those. The most remarkable thing about this area (I'm sure it isn't alone) is that one minute you see a billboard for a Baptist Church, and the next one is advertising guns and bullets!

We found an original Route 66 Gas Station! It has been serving petrol and fixing cars for over half a century. We spoke to an elderly gentleman by the name of Wayne, who asked us if we knew some-one in Yorkshire that he and his wife had been to visit. The souvenir shop next door was closed (the woman had retired), but we found a few momentoes from what was left of her stock.

Morag found a gas (petrol) pump very similar to the ones her Grandpa used to use in Skye! It was great to see authentic roadsigns and equipment, instead of the ubiquitous generic americana that we've found all over Route 66 so far. Real dirt!

This car was for sale (not sure how much), but reminded us of the gangster cars of the 40's. Also looked like the police car in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and the Sheriff's car in Pixar's Cars movie. For those interested, it was a Ford Mainline V8 Flathead (1953, I think).

Down the hill were a few rusting hulks ("project cars", the sign nicely said) that were a good metaphor for what happened the original Route 66 when the great Interstate was built. For more information, see the first "Cars" movie. I thought they had a distinctive aura of authentic history (much like the garage itself), and if only we could wait long enough, most of what we call 'outdated' becomes 'retro', 'classic' and then 'of historic importance'. That's what my Dad always said about his flares and his crocheted waistcoat, anyway.

A beautiful sunset, seen from a gas station just outside Little Rock. I can still feel the mosquito bites. Scary, but on the way out of town we saw a truck spraying DDT - some of the little blighters carry brain-hemorrhagic fever. I'm fairly sure we are out of the danger zone - will keep you posted!

St. Louis, MI

Escaping the anti-climax of Hurricane Irene, we headed south-west into 'The Show Me State' of Missouri. We had a cholesterol-busting brunch at a Dairy Queen and an all-singing (The Chiffons and the soundtrack to 'O Brother, Where Art Thou') short drive on I-55. We headed to St. Louis (don't forget, locals pronounce the 's') and the 'Journey to the Top' (Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial).

Hard to believe that an elevator took us to the top of a catenary arch (the pods you sit in look like something out of 2001, and work the same as the London Eye). The view from the top (on both sides) was expansive, as the local area is incredibly flat. For many years, the top of the courthouse was the highest thing around, and Mississippi River boatmen used it for many years as a navigational aid. On the other (Illinois) side was the Gateway Geyser - the tallest fountain in the world! Don't lean out too far though, if you don't have a head for heights (like me) - it will give you the willies! I had to check a few times, though - a cheap thrill, to be sure.

Then we jumped aboard the Tom Sawyer Riverboat, for a leisurely (and informative) cruise on the Mississippi. Not quite running on steam, nor using the paddle at the rear - it couldn't really be called a paddleboat steamer. It was very hot, and instead of a cool lemonade and a maid fanning my brow, I made do with a refreshing local beer (made across the river) called 'Budwiser', not sure if you have heard of it? The river is still worked, and we saw a couple of tugboats pushing mighty long barge-loads (up to 30!) down the river like a railway line. We are now safely ensconced in our Motel 6 in Saint Robert, after a mighty fine meal at the "Cracker Barrell". Tomorrow we head off for the Meramec caves and continue our journey to a town called Hot Springs in Arkansas.

Maryville, IL

Finally, we start the journey we have chatted about for months - Route 66! We are driving it, learning the song as we drive and meeting the people along the route. As we knew already the route starts and stops, but as soon as it re-starts the sign is there to inform you.

We firstly drove from Chicago to Decatour, a flat landscape with mostly corn farming and "Lodging, Eating or Wagering" information signs. We made sure we had some appropriate music - Blues Brothers and various takes on "Route 66". Next day we drove to Maryville on the outskirts of St. Louis, and checked into our first motel, feels like we are in a weird movie!

We popped out for dinner in a "Family style restaurant" and then experience Bobby's Frozen Custard. What an All American family experience, old style radio music, families, first dates and grandma and grandpa all indulging, all outside!

This is the radio which also doubles up as a seat.

We soaked up the atmosphere and came across a collection of great Harley Davidsons and also several old cars, all polished up for their Saturday night out. Ian got chatting and yes we did a deal bought this lovely 57 Chevrolet Bel Air, now we we drive in style! Not really but yes we both got to feel the leather and pretend!

Chicago (Part Two)

Woke up a bit late and raced from Wood Dale to downtown Chicago to catch the "Untouchables" tour at 12 o'clock. The cab driver (who believed all Britons lived on stipends, by the way) said "we would need wings" to make it to Rock 'n' Roll McDonalds (where the tour bus left) from Union Station in the 7 minutes we had. Apparently, we turned angelic and made it in time with only seconds to spare!

We learned many things about the prohibition and mobsters such as Al Capone and John Dillinger. The Biograph Theater was the location where Dillinger was shot, after being turned in by his "moll", Anna Sage. Ladies exited the theater and dipped their petticoats and handkerchiefs into the pool of blood as souvenirs, and the paperboy from the corner ripped up his papers and sold scraps for a quarter (how gruesome!). As a whole paper could be bought for 3 cents, he made a mint.

Lunch was at the famous Giordano's, with a stuffed special pizza pie that even I could not finish. Believe me, I tried! I let the pizza get the better of me, and left one slice for posterity.

We walked off our calories along the waterfront, and made our way to Millenium Park. This picture is of the impressive Jay Pritzker Pavilion (designed by Frank Gerhy), peeking over the top of the serpentine BP pedestrian bridge (also designed by Frank Gerhy). In the background is the Smurfit-Stone Building. The pizza (and the 38° heat!) was working its magic by this time - I could hardly see the photos I was taking. The park is amazing, it unfolds in the most wonderful way. The bridge (Frank Gehry's first) over Columbus drive is a harmony of form and function, and unites the walk from the waterfront via avenues of trees towards the great lawn - and the city beyond.

The main reason for visiting Millenium Park was to see Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate (which the locals call "The Peanut"). Watching people interact with the sculpture in various ways demonstrates the way that great art can touch young and old. Trying to wrap your brain around the multiple levels of reflections underneath started to stretch our understanding of the universe - very meta.

We grabbed some wine and cold brews, and sat on the steps of the bandstand to experience the cool sounds of Corey Wilkes' Kindred Spirits of the Horn (a celebration of the jazz music of Miles Davis and Roy Eldridge) until late into the evening. The combination of monster architecture, starry skies, syncopated beats (including an electronic turntablist from NYC) and the convivial atmosphere of a few thousand similar-minded humans made for a very memorable evening.

It was still early though, and so we walked back to catch "The Bean" lit by the city - even more impressive. In the background, a band played genre-busting live authentic Chicago house music. Passing by the momentous Crown Fountain, we walked 7 or 8 blocks to the John Hancock Building - but thought better of it (if you've been up one tower, you've been up them all - and the Empire State beats them all, in our opinion).

So we walked 7 or 8 blocks back along Dearborn St to the House of Blues - the infamous Chicago nitespot that just reeks of character. We saw a band called "The Special 20s", watched a Magna cum Laude geophysics grad student dance like her hips were on fire, and where a guy called Hank apologised for insulting us (he wished the Queen Mother well - a minor infraction, to be sure) by picking up our tab!

After persuading Morag to have "just one more drink", we raced across town again (it's becoming a bit of a habit - I call it "using time efficiently") to catch the last train back to Wood Dale, and the sanctuary of our cool air-conditioned hotel room. Not for the first time (nor the last I'm sure), I tempted fate by stopping for a couple of photos of the legendary Chicago Theatre (called the Wonder Theatre of the World when it first opened in 1921). Back in the day, it set the gold standard for lavish movie palaces, and served for us as a mighty fine cherry on the top of such a magnificent three days in the windy city.

Chicago, IL (The Windy City)

We picked up the car from Detroit Airport, and managed to get an upgrade to a luxurious mid-size with 24hr roadside assistance (and no $250 one-way charge, woo-hoo!) after letting the clerk know we were on our honeymoon - score! Our first mission after a good night's rest (we arrived at 1:30am) was at the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright's studio and house tour. The interior of his house (his experimental lab) was mind-blowing - it originally had two tree-trunks growing through the passageway from his house to his studio!

Many magnificent houses later, we caught two cross-town buses to get to Wrigley Park - home of the Chicago Cubs - in time for the Atlanta Braves game. Neither of us had ever seen an entire game (on TV or in real life), so were not really sure what to expect. Having booked a couple of seats in the bleachers, we were excited when the couple in the line in front of us said that this area was lots more fun and exciting than the rest of the (more expensive) stadium.

They were right! The atmosphere was incredible - from the $1 hot dogs to singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch - everyone seemed to be on the same group outing. If the visiting team hit a home run and some-one caught it, everyone chanted "throw it back! throw it back!" - all the other balls are kept as souvenirs.

The lights went up as the sun went down - a magical evening. We were told that the Cubs haven't won the pennant or world series since 1911 or so, but the locals love still them. As the night wore on, the stadium filled up - lucky seats were awarded, bases were loaded, and the tension grew...

Cubs win 3-2! We sung the Cubs' victory song along with the rest of the stadium. Go, Cubs, go!

London, ON to Detroit, MI

If it's wednesday, it must be London! No, we didn't get in the taxi, but thought it was a nice chance from the traditional black cabs. This was the view from the Greyhound bus terminal in downtown London (Ontario). In the background, you can see the ubiquitous "Tim Hortons" - named after the Canadian Hockey Player. It's a huge success (and a favourite of Edgar's - get your stock options now). Morag was given a box of TimBits (made from the dough from the hole in the donut) - in the end we gave the remainder to the nice customs officer at US Customs (it wasn't a bribe, honest!).

Made it to the border!

We got off the bus in Detroit, and spend a very alert walk (with all of our possessions) to the bus stop - a few blocks from the Greyhound bus terminal in Detroit. A lady commented that "we were really moving" - walking faster with heavy suitcases than she was without! Then on the Route 125 SmartBus to Detroit Metro Airport (only $2 instead of a $38 cab fare), to pick up the hire car for the rest of our trip...

New York, NY to Niagara Falls, ON

Experienced our first Amtrack journey from Manhattan to Niagara Falls, very comfortable and were lucky to have an inspector who doubled up as a tour guide along the way! Arrived at the Falls at 5pm and checked into a very nice Quality Inn and then headed down to the attractions, I say attractions as Niagara is very commercialised and so the Falls are in competition with the "Blackpool" feel! The Falls win each time though, they are magnificent.

We ate by the Falls, which were showing off by the way of a light show and then popped up the Skylon Tower to admire an aerial view.

Next day it's time to experience the real thing, so we took a tour on the Maid of the Mist, it was both spectacular and fun. Once again we joined the tourist brigade and popped on the very attractive poncho's, nice blue this time!

The falls are spectacular indeed, with millions of cubic feet of water flowing every minute. the day we arrived, two unfortunates had gone over the wall surrounding the falls, and did not survive. It's quite rare, but as you walk around, people do sit on the top of the railing and you want to tell them to get down, have they not heard the news!?

Later in the day we then travelled to our next destination - Niagara-on-the-lake, where we stayed at a very "twee" B&B. This town claims to be the prettiest in Canada, it is very pretty, with great views across the lake to Toronto. Next morning we met my relatives at the Prince of Wales Hotel. After morning coffee we pop by the Peller Estates Vineyard for lunch at Jason Parsons' restaurant - who is an English chef who has a TV series with two other chefs (called "The 3 Chefs") in Canada. The lunch was excellent.

The following day its off for a drive down to Sarnia (across the border from Port Huron) and Dresden (the location of Uncle Tom's Cabin). At Sarnia we were introduced to a French-Canadian snack "Poutines", Ian of course tried this, perhaps not the healthiest side to French cuisine as we know it!!

A quick pose by the St. Clair river with our lovely family (l-r: Ian, Rosina, Morag and Edgar), who kindly encouraged us to stay longer than planned. It's been great to have time out, relax, and plan the next step of our journey. It feels like home here - all the place names are either English or Scottish. It's fantastic to spend time with our family - life and time are both precious.