Randy's RV Adventure

 

With snow on the ground in Crawfordsville, IN,
Randy and I began our slow trek southward.

Crawfordsville, IN to St. Petersburg, FL  

November 17 to December 5, 2021 (Click thru the "Newer Posts" at Bottom)

This trip enabled Kelly VI and I to complete our map of the lower 48 states!

C'ville to Memphis
November 17-22

My fraternity brother, Randy, had mentioned a few times that he was interested in joining me for an RV Adventure.  He had seen a number of my FB posts about my trips, including Historic Route 66, since he retired recently.  I was planning to travel from Indiana following the Monon Bell Football Game and spend time in the states of the lower 48 that were still blank:  Louisiana and Mississippi.  Of course, we'd travel through IN, KY, & TN enroute, but that just made for more fun and adventure.  My rule to earn a state sticker is that when asked "What did you do in that state?", I canNOT answer "I drove through."

Louisiana & Mississippi are the two states missing on my
RV map of the US lower 48 states.

Before leaving C'ville, Randy & I took
a nice hike on the Sugar Creek Trail.

Our first stop after leaving C'ville, at
"Delt Third Thursday" in Naptown (Indianapolis).
We celebrated Wabash's Big Win over the Dannies.  
Murph, Randy, Ralph, Don, Jimbo,
Dan W., Brad, Larry, Craig, Hutch

Next stop was Franklin, IN.  This was my hometown during
high school and we got photos of my former church.

Old college roommates back together, Randy, Steve & Murph,
in Franklin, IN.

This brew was available at the pub Steve took us to .  .  .

.  .  .  And the next day we visited
Gnawbone, IN as we progressed southbound.
Gnawbone has always been a favorite
town name for me.

A classic Hoosier business in Gnawbone.

Randy & I Stopped to visit Ralph Dixon in 

Brown County, IN.  We got to kibitz as he, his

wife and their son worked on their current project.

As boys will always be boys, even at our age,
we had to take a break and plink some with Ralph's pistol.

Our next stop was to spend time with Kim Koch, a
college buddy in Evansville, IN.

Randy and I "pooling" around.  😊

Enroute to Memphis, TN we drove through a very
beautiful, if wintry, Land Between the Lakes.
Unfortunately, we didn't collect any photos.

We also didn't know that just a couple weeks later,
devastating tornadoes would tear through the area.
A fraternity brother of ours took dramatic and
heartbreaking photos comparing his home on the water
before and after the tornadoes.  Click Here. 

In Memphis, Randy and I ogled our way through one of
Bass Pros Shops' more impressive stores.  It is a 
huge glass pyramid right on the banks of the Mississippi River.
While they permit RVers to overnight in their parking lot,
we camped in the same park where I had visited in 2019.

Inside the massive structure there is a decrepit steamboat .  .  .

.  .  .  huge fish swimming in ponds floating powerboats .  .  .

.  .  .  alligators, large and small .  .  .

.  .  .  stuffed bear cubs and numerous aquariums with
hundreds of live fish.

Even the bar was a monster aquarium!

Randy and I rode the impressive, free standing elevator to the
top and got a terrific view of the sun setting over Memphis.

For a panorama, Click Here.

Hernando de Soto Bridge, Memphis, TN.
These lights actually do a fun and colorful display,
which I caught on video at my last visit.

Our evening was spent on Beale Street, enjoying music,
new friends and a few brews.

As Randy & I enjoy Jazz and Blues, Beale St. gets a 
"Thumbs Up!"

This fellow was playing and singing
great tunes at Silky O'Sullivan's.

at Silky O'Sullivan's

At Silky O'Sullivan's, for panorama, Click Here.

Our new friend, one of Memphis' Finest!
We struck up a fun conversation as we wandered about Beale St.