Tunica, Mississppi
January 3, 2003
Down in Mississippi! We've driven pretty much straight south. First stop was my Grandparents in Southern Michigan, then the next night in Southern Illinois at my friend Keith's house with his Korean girlfriend. Michigan and Illinois are all snow as usual at this time. Nothing too exciting there.
The following day after Illinois, we took ALOT of back roads through Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee all the way down to Mississippi. At one stop, trying to cross from Missouri into Kentucky we ran into a dead end. We had to ring a buzzer for a ferry to take across, and after it never came, we had to turn around and head back the same way we came for about 20 miles until we could take an alternative road over the Mississipi River to get back into Kentucky. Another interesting stop was two of the worst towns I've ever seen in my life. Cairo Illinois and Helena Arkansas should be avoided at all costs. Particularly Helena. I've never seen a more dilipitated town anywhere, it feld like a 3rd world country. But it was quite interesting nontheless. The backroads were all quite interesting, we crisscrossed states going back and forth all the way to Memphis, Tennessee.
So what'd we do in Memphis? Well, Beale Street and Elvis' Graceland were first priority.. thats another kind of crazy town.. I can't say I really like it too much, but I can see why Elvis or Blues fans might be crazy about it. I was quite shocked to see the 30-something adult males working the counters of Graceland tourist shops. You could tell they were very passionate about their jobs, and going into great detail with the many older women fans with their EP hats and sweaters. Interesting overall.. but the mansion doesn't look like much compared to mansions everywhere else these days.
That same night we stayed in the casino areas of northern Mississippi. The Tunica area. They weren't anything like Las Vegas. First off, they are all spread out and it takes about 10-15 minute car driving to get from casino to casino. Second of all, there are only 7 large ones. I don't know why people get so exicted about the place. But it was okay, we did see a Comedian, who asked my girlfriend and I how long we'd been dating, and if she'd ever smelled my farts. The Comedian told us that farting in front of your girlfriend is the key to a good relationship. I can't say I agree but it was funny nontheless.
Lake Charles, Lousiana:
January 5, 2003
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Wintermoon2@yahoo.com