Yesterday there were constant warnings on the TV regarding approaching storms so we decided to stay close to the hotel and take in two local museums. The first was dedicated to one of the original outlaws of country music, Willie Nelson. Although only looking small from the outside, the museum packed in a lot of exhibits telling the life story of Willie from his early years up to present.
Included in the museum is his very fresh faced and clean shaven first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1963.
Many of the exhibits, such as this pool table….
…..originally belonged to him, but were seized by the IRS when Willie didn’t pay his taxes. They were purchased by the founders of the museum along with many other pieces that have been returned to Willie.
As with all these country music museums there are a range of stage costumes on show ……..
….you can never accuse them of being under dressed. A throughly enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours especially meeting the man himself.
Right next door to Williie Nelson’s place is a free exhibition containing masses of memorabilia from the classic 80s TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. Starting outside with one of the General Lee cars used in the programme…..
……the museum was curated by the actor who played Cooter in the series. A wide array of merchandise related to the programme filled cabinets most of which were in their original packaging.
Several other vehicles used in the show were inside including the squad car…..
……and also a bedroom fully decorated with memorabilia.
Original scripts and costumes were also on display but pride of place must go to this portrait of Daisy Duke, made entirely out of Lego!
That one’s for you Oliver.
The weather, by the way, was gorgeous, no rain, plenty of sunshine and no storms. So much for the storm warnings.
As this will be the last post for this holiday, it’s time to reflect on the last couple of weeks with some things I have learnt about America
1. When driving in the USA the speed limit signs are very small and can easily be missed. It probably doesn’t matter too much as nobody seems to take much notice of them, except me of course.
2. On the roads in Tennessee and Mississippi there is a general lack of roadside eateries but there is generally a church every mile or so. Therefore it is easier to feed your soul than your stomach.
3. Talking of the roads, there are as many potholes in the USA as there are in the UK but in common with everything else here they are bigger and deeper!
4. The food has been great, plenty of meat and generous helpings but where are the veg? The diet restarts as soon as I get home!!
5. Southern hospitality is a real thing, everywhere we have been people have been friendly and welcoming. They seem to love the English accent even though many of them have never left this region.
We have had a brilliant holiday packing so much in. From my point of view the music has been great and you can understand why this is called the birthplace of American music. The Civil Rights museum was very moving as was the Civil War battlefield. I hope you have enjoyed joining us on our travels and Robbins Ramblings will return in September.
