In order to drive from Oxford, MS to Chattanooga, TN, one must drive south to Birmingham and then north again to Tennessee. This traverse took us through Tupelo, MS, the birthplace of one Elvis Presley. Having already stopped on a corner in Winslow, AZ, how could we pass up the opportunity to see the place that shaped The King. After Elvis achieved some popularity (and money) he returned to Tupelo and bought back the house he was born in, which his father built, and the surrounding land. On that land now is a fairly large and nice gift shop and museum that covers his life in Tupelo. The house is a tiny 2 room abode, front bedroom and back kitchen. The church Elvis attended and sang gospel has been moved to the grounds. There were a surprising number of people here, even 3 women from Australia.
The countryside we passed through today was so beautiful. There are hundreds of redbuds scattered through the woods which are just beginning to break with pale green buds. Occasional dogwood dot the woods. As we drove east and north we entered the Appalachian Mountains. Chattanooga sits on Chickamauga Lake and Nickajack Lake, which are both part of the Tennessee River. Chattanooga abuts the Georgia border and lies at the transition between the ridge-and-valley portion of the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. The city is therefore surrounded by various mountains and ridges.
We are staying near the river. The area is filled with restaurants, movie theater and an arts bluff area. As we've seen in many places the restaurants were filled with people, young, old and in between. It's hard to understand the recession. Maybe things really are improving. See more photos at Flickr.
