Rick and Cathy Hit the Road

 Wichita! A surprisingly awesome city! We had such a great time walking the streets, patronizing local hangouts, learning the history, chatting with shop owners, and experiencing a terrific music venue.  Had lunch at this iconic restaurant with a long history of existence- 90 years. John, the second owner who grew up working for the first owner spent a long time filling us in on the history of the place. The people here are super welcoming. Felt like we made a friend for life! Oh! And the food was amazing here! Chicken fried chicken smothered in gravy and the world’s best chicken salad (it really was!) The homemade ice cream was delicious too.  Did a little beer “hopping”. It was just okay. Doesn’t compare to east coast beer. The atmosphere was pretty cool, though.  Discovered an alley with cool art. Had to stop and admire it. Took some time to walk through this amazing memorial/park honoring the partnership between Native Americans and Non-natives where the two rivers come together in

 Our blue suede shoes got a workout as we walked the streets of Memphis last night and all day today. We started out on Beale street the night we arrived, popping in and out of bars that had live music. I wish I had half the soul these performers do! Chis Gales at the Rum Boogie Cafe Outdoor Cafe band Needless to say we slept in just a bit this morning! Putting our walking shoes once again we made our way to the famous Peabody Hotel to watch the duck march! It’s a real thing with a lot of hype. Apparently, sometime in the 1930’s the general manager of the hotel and his friend thought it would be funny to put their live duck decoys in the hotel fountain after returning from a hunting trip and having a bit too much to drink. It was legal back then to use live decoys. The guests thought it was a hoot and loved seeing them. So, they kept it going. Then later in the 40’s a bellman at the hotel offered to train the ducks to walk the red carpet from the elevator to the fountain everyday. Now,

 After spending some much needed time back in Vermont with family, Rick and I set out once again across the country to retrieve our camper that was left in El Paso with our friends Bryan and Jill.  First stop- The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky.  What started out as a rainy, dreary day actually ended up quite nice. The Ark itself was fascinating and the museum inside informative. The whole place though is hard to describe. There’s, of course, the Ark ( which is the main attraction) along with a virtual reality experience, a zoo, a Christian concert (amazingly talented singers), restaurant, ice cream, camel rides, and a zip line ( weird, right?). All in all a very fun day.  Switching topics for a second I feel the need to tell you a funny, not funny story about the place we stayed in. We knew it was rustic, meaning the owners are currently making renovations and have been working on the cottage for some time now. The funny thing is, on one of Rick’s trips outside with Hailey ou