MEMPHIS, TN 8-28-2017

Sam Phillips' Sun Studio

This area is fertile ground for entrepreneurs!  Kevin Wilson founded the Holiday Inn chain because he was married with six children and wanted inexpensive places to stay when the whole family and the dog traveled together.  FedEx was born in Memphis, the brain child of Frederick Smith, who was told that it could never work.  St. Joseph’s Aspirin and Dr. Scholl’s foot remedies began here.  Sam Phillips owned Sun Studio and the original building is still open.  Sam Phillips launched the careers of BB King, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley among many others.

The Peabody Hotel features a one-of-a-kind event.  Folks from around the world gather to watch.  A half dozen ducks reside on the roof of the hotel and are tended with love and care.  At 11 AM each morning, they walk to the elevator and ride down to the first floor.  A red carpet is rolled out from the central, grand marble fountain to the elevator and a red carpeted set of stairs is arranged at the edge of the fountain by the Duckmaster. 

The
Duckmaster

When the elevator doors open, the “March of the Ducks” begins.  They exit the elevator onto the red carpet and waddle along to the stairs, then climb the stairs and jump into the fountain.  The ducks spend the day in the fountain and at 5 PM, they march along on the red carpet to the elevator.  They ride the elevator back up to the roof level where they spend the night and wait to repeat the same performance the following day.

Picture plagiarized from a postcard

It all began in 1933 when Frank Schutt, the General Manager of the hotel, went duck hunting with a friend.  They arrived back from the trip having sipped a little too much “southern comfort,” shall we say, and Frank came up with what he thought would be a funny prank.  The two of them put their live duck decoys in the fountain and retired.  In the morning, the rest of the guests were not horrified as they expected, but tickled!  And thus, the tradition was born and “The March of the Ducks” has become internationally famous.  The hotel parlor was packed with people from every corner of the globe.  It is the funniest, most delightful thing to see. 

Ducks taking care of business!

The Duckmaster explained that the ducks are wild and employed for only about 90 days.  Their wings are clipped so they can’t fly away but otherwise they are not tamed, named or spoiled.  They are returned to the wild after they are fully-grown and a new group of ducks is supplied by a local farmer. 

Pal & Fritz on Beale Street

Beale Street in Memphis is the home and birthplace of jazz and blues.  It is only a block or two long and bordered on either side by shops, cafés, restaurants, saloons, music stores and collections and antiques from the golden age of jazz and blues.  A trip to Memphis is not complete without a stroll up and down Beale Street.  Across from BB King’s Place we four found The Blues City Café, highly

Sign at the Blues City Cafe 

recommended by the locals, where a cold local brew and a serious, hot, spicy bowl of gumbo is served containing rice, okra, shrimp, crawfish and catfish.  Delicious!

Best gumbo in town!

Bass Pro Shop pyramid

Front window display

Our next experience was the Bass Pro Shop.  The building, an enormous pyramid, was originally a sports and concert center for a local college.  A new center was built and the pyramid lay long empty.  John Morris, the owner of Bass Pro Shop was courted by the business community of Memphis and the state but was reluctant and nervous about the success or possible failure of this venture.  He went out fishing with one of these businessmen who tried to coax him into a decision.  He finally said that if he caught a 25 pound catfish, he would agree to do it. 

A catfish sealed the deal!

Rob in the Bass Pro Shop

Within 30 minutes, he caught a 27 pounder and the deal was sealed.  Bass Pro Shops are known for their extravagant and opulent displays but this one goes miles beyond.  Filling the 400,000 square feet of the pyramid are complete towns, bridges, trees and ponds full of fish and, yes, alligators.  You can unload any extra money you have for a $175,000 shotgun or a $175 duck call.  The displays are amazing!

“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you.  This is the principle difference between a dog and a man.”  - Mark Twain

(Don't know if this will work!  Has sound!)