Day 12: Next stop, Memphis

Today's drive to Memphis was smooth and uneventful.  The only hiccup we encountered was at the beginning and end of the trip.  Our GPS Lady, whom we have named Ginny, insisted on directing us back to Nashville this morning as we set off.  
My Yahoo Bernina Software Group buddy, also a Teresa like me, suggested that GPS Lady needs a name. So Ginny it is, because we bought the GPS in Virginia, and because GPS and Ginny  begin with the same soft 'g' sound. 
I am beginning to think that because Ginny came from Virginia, she becomes a little confused sometimes when directing us around other states, like this morning.  When that happens, the best thing is to pull over somewhere that looks like it has a large enough area for a bus this size, and reprogram her.  
I still rely on a good old-fashioned paper maps from AAA.  I follow the map to try to understand Ginny's choices, and they have not always been right.  But to give her the benefit of the doubt, it could just be operator error and that we are still not familiar with which of her buttons to push to get her going properly.  
Once we got Ginny sorted out, we stopped at the first Flying J to fill up, then were off back down the highway, a straight run along I-40 westbound.  The roads here are in good shape and the drive was smooth and pleasant.  I clicked away every so often to record the scenery, though the terrain did not change much.  We crossed several rivers and streams.  
Sticking with our rule of two's, we stopped for lunch at a rest stop about two hours into the trip. My AAA map shows all the rest stops along the way which is very convenient.
The one thing about Alpine (who also needs a name according to Teresa), is that it's so easy to work in the kitchen compared to Rialta.  While making lunch for my driver and me, I can also boil water for tea or coffee.  It feels rather fancy and decadent.  But so nice!

Here are a few pics to give you an idea of what this stretch from Nashville to Memphis looks like as we traveled through Tennessee.

Basically, we covered over 200 miles, in good weather, under blue skies, and saw some hill tops and lots of trees.  Eventually I pulled out my yarn and continued to work on a hat I had started to crochet a few weeks ago.  

Several signs amused us as we sped along.  Here's one from the DOT.

 

Here's one more I found interesting - 
 

At one point, Michael noticed that the car on the dolly ahead of us was the same model '68 Chevy Chevelle that his uncle Donald drove in Johannesburg.  

I am continually amazed that he recognizes so many different car models and can pinpoint the exact year as well.  
I see that men can and do pay attention to detail.... just not the ones that are important to us gals.




Driving past Jackson we saw many cotton fields.  Some were being harvested.

Eventually we reached Memphis. GPS Ginny let us down once more today.  Instead of leading us to our RV park, she directed us to a different destination announcing that we had arrived at the RV park.  This was not an error made by our human hands.  The Good Sam software that is tied to this GPS locates gas stations, stores, restaurants and RV parks for you.  All you need to do is click on the one you want and it transfers the coordinates to the GPS unit.  Well something went wrong because the address was the correct one but Ginny lead us into a residential neighborhood about a mile from the RV park. Since I don't yet trust Ginny, I make a point of writing down the address which we were able to enter and then she directed us to the right spot.  
And so we parked, set up, plugged in, and got the kettle going.  We had arrived relatively early today and had time to go for a walk.  The Graceland RV park, next door to the Heartbreak Hotel, is conveniently located next door to Graceland and across the street from Elvis' mansion.  
Tomorrow will be Elvis day.