September 10 – Red Bay, AL (Chapter 2)

Wed. September 10

We are always looking for interesting things to do in the areas we travel. On this day we jumped into the jeep and headed to Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo, MS. Tupelo is a short 34 miles west if Red Bay.

We were pleasantly surprised at this memorial established to Elvis’ early life. The grounds are landscaped beautifully and quite meditative. The exhibit and stories from friends and family were interesting. The Birthplace memorializes the first 13-years until the family moved to Memphis. This memorial is maintained by the East Heights Garden Club.

Their website says, “In 1934, Vernon Presley borrowed $180 for materials to build a small frame house in East Tupelo. Vernon’s father Jessie and Vester, his brother, helped with building the little shotgun house. It was in this humble two-room home lit by a single light bulb in each room that Elvis Aron Presley was born on January 8, 1935. Elvis was one of twin brothers born to the Presleys. His brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn.”

The “birthplace” does not talk about Elvis’ later life and it is my assumption that Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.  has control of most things “Elvis”.

We went to Muscle Shoals for a bicycle ride.

The Muscle Shoals National Recreational Trail is a 17-mile paved and primitive trail and bikeway located on TVA’s Muscle Shoals Reservation. The ride took us through lush landscapes and across the Tennessee River on a long bridge.

Monday, 9/13, started our time in the Tiffin service bay. While the RV is in the bay, we spend time talking to other Tiffin owners in the waiting lounge.  On Thursday, we finished all of our “small” repairs and had a ladder installed on the Bus to make it easier for Joe to access the roof. Next stop is the cabinet bay to have our leaky shower floor repaired. After that, off to the paint shop for a minor scuff on the front fender and the bottom of the replaced spoiler. (No one seems to know why the bottom of the spoiler was not painted when they painted the top.) We’ll be in Red Bay longer than planned so we cancelled our reservations in Diamond Caverns Campground in Park City, KY. We’ll be re-planning our future routes to accommodate our extended stay here in Red Bay.

Such is life on the road. Flexibility and a good sense of humor is key. In the meantime we enjoy the company of friends at the campground and Red Bay Area.

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