So there we were, all the people on the airplane and me. First leg of the trip: DCA to Newark, NJ. Business suits everywhere. And there we went, backing up from the gate. Taxiing to the runway...
BUT WAIT! A man, wearing shorts and a polo, unbuckled his seatbelt, got up, and rushed to the flight attendant. He'd left his laptop bag in the airport, right there on the seat. She made a quick call and said that as soon as we landed in Newark, they'd try to get him on the first flight back to DC to pick it up. And then we waited. And then, we started moving again--back to the gate! And we waited. And suddenly there she was, some lady doing the ground work bringing his bag to the plane! Something about having backed up his files, but his glasses were in there... a million dollars worth of material or intellectual property... and at long last, the man was reunited with his bag! And off we go!
Or do we. All of a sudden, the pilot comes over the loudspeaker and says, "Well, folks, the good news is that man got his bag back. The bad news is, our new take-off time is 11:59." We were supposed to leave at 11:18. Oh dear. Glad I had a long connection in Newark! So there we sat, waiting... Thankfully, once we did get in the air, the flight was easy and we were only 5 minutes late! Amazing!
After just over an hour in Newark, it was off to Memphis at last! Carol was waiting for me in the airport, and a happy reunion was had by all! First stop, Shelby Farms Park for paddle boating!
Paddle paddle paddle... it's hard work, but we got it done! Yes, it was hot. Yes, we were disgustingly sweaty. Yes, we saw ducklings. And yes, we were glad we did it!
As soon as we got back to Carol's house, Carol showed me where to put my stuff and told me I should jump in the pool. Now that's a true friend. =) Her husband grilled filets, we had creamed corn (my favorite form of corn) and squash and quinoa salad, and for dessert, it was Hershey Bar Cake for us! After visiting and mapping out a plan of attack for the next day, bedtime arrived at 8:30. It was a good night!
And what a morning! It was already muggy by 6:30, but time to run! There's a great little trail out by their house, and I explored the neighborhoods, too. Looks like a good ol' Tennessee subdivision: Beautiful, big homes, large porches and driveways, a yard--not at all like the town homes in the DC area, and quite a lower price tag as well. It's amazing what a factor location can be!
Shower, breakfast, and out the door! Next activity: Square Beans coffee shop at the Collierville Square!
SO cute! They have old theater seats in there, pictures that were taken over a hundred years ago upstairs, and memorabilia from Collierville over the years. I wish I could go there every morning!
We walked around the square sipping our coffee for a while. The buildings have been very well-preserved from what I could tell, and though many (but not all!) have changed owners and purposes, it seems many have been in continuous use through the years. And they have a great mural, too!
Water tower in the background=very Southern!
The other fun things on the square are the train cars that you can actually walk through and take pictures with:
Carol in the hallway of the 1940s Executive Car--virtually unmodified since the '40s.
And a true Southern girl, hoppin' on the caboose!
The Executive Car was cool because it looks very much the same as it did when it was new--original light fixtures, colors, etc. It was small, of course, but quite swanky! It has a shower, a couple of bathrooms, a dining car, kitchen, living area, and of course sleeping rooms! (More pictures in the link below!)
And then it was time to discover Davies Manor Plantation! It's a former plantation house that stayed in one family, the Davies family. It's now a house museum. We arrived about 10:50 under the belief that they opened at 10:30. When we arrived, however, we quickly discovered they open at noon! We called the phone number on the sign to see what we could do about this, since there's nothing else in that area to really see or do. The woman in the office said we could take the road around to the back and walk around the grounds if we liked--and we did! There are several outbuildings there, as well as many, many deer!
Eventually someone came around, and I quickly used my docent status and friendly Southern skills to befriend her. =) She gave us some more information and some water, and said the docent should arrive in 20 minutes or so. The tour was nice. There are several family pieces in the house, as well as antiques of the time. The house itself had been added onto over the years, which is always interesting to see--walls that don't exactly match, etc. Here's the house from the walkway:
Satisfied with our tour and on a time frame, it was time to go to tea! My mom's friend Debbie runs a tea restaurant and shop out of her home, so no trip to Memphis is complete without tea at Debbie's!
And someone was there to greet us! Debbie does a lot of parties for ladies and groups for holidays, get togethers, etc., but this day, it was tea for three! We enjoyed a lovely meal, and it was so fun to catch up with Debbie! Here is our meal:
Chowder and tea sandwiches
Tea sandwiches, scones, lemon bars, and tarts
If ever you're in the Memphis area, you will definitely want to see if Debbie has some space for you! She's an excellent cook, and her home is beautiful. Her husband built it specifically so she could have her business there!
See more pictures here, and follow along next time... We have a tour scheduled, and we'll be walking' in Memphis!
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