Day 17: Over the Mississippi

Memphis, TN to Little Rock, AR

I walked down to the Mississippi riverfront, symbolic halfway point of my cross-country journey.

Panorama: Mississippi River
Mississippi River, showing width from one bank to the other. It’s wide.
The face Memphis shows to its river

Went over to the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. Their exhibition was created by the Smithsonian and it’s excellent. It takes the history of Memphis’s music from the 1920s through the 1970s. They have enough musical selections to listen to for hours, and a great audio tour.

One of the points they make is that rock and roll was about the confluence of black and white influences, and was made possible due to social change (more mixing of the races) and technological change (radio, records, jukeboxes, television). Radio and records bypassed segregation.

Part of the original Grand Ole Opry transmitter, WSM Radio, Nashville, ca. 1932
Silvertone radio
The museum gave Memphis’s Big Star their due

Crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas and got to Little Rock.

Took a walk through an industrial area to the Rail Yard, an indoor/outdoor bar/restaurant. Or as they call it “a rolling backyard party.”

The Rail Yard, Little Rock

Had a pulled pork sandwich and stovetop beans. The beans were awesome, the pork sandwich very good.

4 thoughts on “Day 17: Over the Mississippi”

  1. It would be great if you would put a map of your route on the blog. I’m really enjoying your posts!

  2. Glad you’re enjoying it! As for the route, you wouldn’t want any spoilers, would you?

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