Day 7 - Memphis day 1

200 miles south of Ste Genevieve is the city of Memphis. The drive down has arrow straight roads for miles. 

 The highways always make me think of the 80s movies smokey and the bandit and I half expect to see Burt Reynolds driving along in his black transam followed by the sheriff!

The landscape for much of the journey is farmland and flat as far as the eye can see. 

Unfortunately our arrival in Memphis was met with more heavy downpours, making the city barely visible as we entered.

After checking into our hotel a short walk was Beale Street, the Beale, with live music, and southern BBQ restaurants. We are at a place called the pig having the BBQ lovers platter.

From there the short walk to the civil rights museum was also a walk of discovery that our waterproof jackets were far from waterproof and we all arrived at the museum soaked to the skin.

The museum sits on the site where Martin Luther king Jr was shot and killed, the Lorraine motel. The museum is far more than just a history of civil and human rights but serves as a place of education for all that go through it. It shows how badly we have treated each other in the past, the life of slaves, women, and also how we still treat other to this day. Whilst noneof us still believe in slavery, society is still battling with racism, sexism, and homophobia among other forms of discrimination. 

The lasting message of the museum for me is simply, we are not done yet. Discrimination still exists all over the world  As a teacher this has to be a continuing message for my students and to those that I have influence over.

There was so much to see and take in and this is a must for anyone visiting Memphis.

The rest of our evening was spent relaxing in the hotel.