May 10, 2012 - Rest Day in Memphis

Jalaire took the car to get looked at this morning, so I did what any good travel partner who didn't do any of the driving would do...slept in! It was awesome..then I watched a movie and did nothing. When Jalaire got back she had stopped for soda and snacks, or as we call it breakfast. (I'd of done the same of course except I didn't have the car) As it turns out the liquid pouring out of the front of the car was just condensation from the AC. The car doesn't like humidity either. :)

After I was ready for the day we headed out to find a laundromat. We plugged an address into the GPS and started out. When we arrived at our destination, clear across town we were a little concerned because it was well...a house...in a nice sub-division. :\ Thinking that this couldn't be right we searched again for a laundromat and found another nearby address. When the GPS took us 1 sub-division over we then thought maybe we should call Bartlett's Laundromat and find out exactly how to get there. So, I picked up Clark (my cell phone, I name random objects..don't judge) and called.

A woman answered...in a different language...I just politely asked if it was Bartlett's and if we could get some hours of operation or directions maybe..after a few minutes of language barrier she was apparently done and just starting shouting at me in what ever language it was she was speaking! So i just hung up. We decided to go back to the hotel and regroup however on the way (we had the GPS going just in case it decided to be helpful) we discovered....a laundromat! Exactly ONE BLOCK from our hotel!! So, I'm glad we drove all over Memphis on rest day for something that was right in front of us. lol.

The next couple of hours are extremely exciting...we did laundry and read...however I did finish my terrible terrible book that I was reading (The Bachman Books by Stephen King there are 4 novels in that book...I only made it through 2...TERRIBLE!)

After laundry was lunch and in Memphis that means BBQ (it was a very popular theme on this trip). The previous night after we got back to the hotel a random man in the lobby saw we had Interstate BBQ cups and asked how we'd enjoyed it. Then he offered the suggestion for The BBQ Shop (formerly called The Dancing Pig) so we decided to check it out. THANK YOU RANDOM MAN IN LOBBY!! I'm not sure if he was a guest or an associate..but he gets a gold star for this recommendation. It was hands down the best BBQ of the trip and that's even with the lights going off in the middle of our meal!

This is where I wish we had
interactive internet...cause oh
that smell and taste...mmm

We also had plans to go see The Peabody Hotel if we had time.  They are most famous for their ducks, who live in the lobby fountain during the day.  They march the ducks down to the lobby at 11am and then back to their rooftop condo at 5pm.  We got there about 4:15 and decided to stick around.  It's a big deal there so I'm glad we got there early.  There was time to take pictures before the march and we got a decent spot along the red carpet.  Side note...I went a little crazy over the ducks! I mean, come on...they're ducks!

I'm a duck

I so thought the fountain would be bigger!

this shot could have been SO much better...
yet it still makes the blog

I love the random blue feather!

The official elevator of the Peabody Ducks

It amused me how people staying at the hotel were so offended
by the duck's elevator...it's not like they keep the ducks a secret...
come on dude.  You can chill.  There was one guy trying to get up
to his room and he was NOT HAPPY about the ducks or the crowds.

The Duck Master rolling out their red carpet

The story of the ducks is told before the walk

These next pictures are pretty bad...but it was a crowded lobby and those ducks booked it to the elevator!  I didn't have time to work out camera settings.

After the ducks we went back to the hotel for the evening.  Stanley was pretty tuckered out and had to take a nap.  Jalaire and I stayed up and watched some TV.