Memphis (Day One...)

Well, folks, we're in Memphis now!

Woke up this morning... another wonderful breakfast at the "TD" House... more swimming... more hot-tubbing; we hit the road around 12:30 p.m. and after a three-plus hour drive we arrived at our new "home away from home," Memphis' famous Peabody Hotel!

Exerting a wee bit of the irresistible "Barker charm" upon the lovely young lady at the check-in station helped to secure us an 11th floor river view room with all the comforts of home... PLUS... a TV in the   (as well as the big screen TV in the main room).

(*WINK*)

After a member of the bell staff brought up our luggage we headed up to the roof to enjoy the phenomenal view and await the arrival of...

(*DRUM ROLL*)

...the Peabody Ducks!

(It's good to be a guest at The Peabody!)

After "greeting the ducks" and exchanging pleasantries with the... er... "Duck Master"... we hit the bar - The Corner Bar - for a few happy hour cocktails (for me; Mary had one beer) and more pleasantries - these ones exchanged with our bartender and our fellow dru... er... customers.

(*GUFFAW*)

Next... to the pool! (A beautiful indoor pool - "Roman Bath" style motif! Separate hot-tub. Weight room. Cardio room. Full spa.) The pool water temperature wasn't quite as warm as I prefer (say 83-87 degrees), but it wasn't frigid. I'd say it was perhaps 80 degrees. Once you we actually fully in... well... it was pleasant enough.

We spent perhaps an hour at the pool before heading back upstairs to our room to shower and dress for dinner. Tonight's lucky winner of the "Where Will Bill and Mary Eat" sweepstakes... Folk's Folly... supposedly the finest steakhouse in Memphis.

It WAS damn good! I had the dry aged special and Mary had some fru-fru concoction that was also pretty good...

I won't list our whole meal; suffice it to say that from drinks to appetizers to salads... from bread to entrees... Folk's Folly met my expectations. And although it was our most expensive meal so far... I felt - feel - that the quality of the meal and the general experience of dining at a restaurant such as this easily justifies the splurge.

After dinner, but prior to returning to The Peabody, we decided to detour to Beale Street.

(*PAUSE*)

Touristy. Tacky. And frankly... it smells bad. (Beale Street at  night smells like Bourbon Street (New Orleans) in the morning.

(*SHUDDER*)

Still...

(*ANOTHER PAUSE*)

We saw it... we walked it... we can now cross Beale Street off "the bucket list."

(*WINK*)

Back to The Peabody... another quick "cool down" shower for me... and...

(*CYMBAL CRASH*)

BED TIME...!!!

TO BE CONTINUED...