navelgazing.omphaloskeptic.net Journal

Getting There - Aneel's Travelogue

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Rockets & Rockabilly Memphis, TN, Friday, 02 November 2012 11:30pm

I spent the morning at the Huntsville Space & Rocket Center. I think the exhibits are better than the ones at the Kennedy Space Center, though the actual artifacts on display at the KSC are more impressive. There's a large exhibit devoted to Werner Von Braun, who was the director of the Marshall Space Flight Center here in Huntsville, which gave an interesting look into the early US rocketry program.

It was not nearly as chilly riding west today as yesterday. I'm down to four layers, and planning to reduce further. The route to Memphis was mostly straight, but pretty: the occasional cotton field, fall-colored leaves, and grass.

An interesting tidbit: I crossed my old path today. I was riding south on the Natchez Trace almost a year ago, and spent a night in Alabama before heading into Mississippi.

Contrary to habit, I spent a little extra to get a hotel in downtown Memphis, rather than a motel on the outskirts. I think it was worth it. I had some tasty BBQ with the vinegary local sauce and spent the evening in the local music district. It's famous for the blues, but the best band playing tonight was a rockabilly act called Hillbilly Casino. They were doing a mix of original songs and covers (in case you thought the Ramones version of Rockaway Beach was too slow...).