Chapter 28 Walking in Memphis, Sara and Harry, Bike shop blues

As I have been on the road now for over 7 weeks, I am beginning to realize what this trip is really about.  It is not about the physical challenges, it is not about the scenery or even the history and local lore I have absorbed.  It has become really about the people I have met along the way and their stories, generosity and hospitality.  I am continually amazed at the spontaneous acts of kindness that have come my way.  I have no illusions, if I were traveling by car, my experiences would be quite different. But being on a bicycle especially with a dog seems to make you approachable even vulnerable. It seems to break down barriers, open doors and sparks people's curiosity.  It happens daily even hourly.  The past weeks events have reflected that more than ever. Now on with the rest of the story.
Memphis being a big city means finding real accommodations.  My first contact through Warmshowers.org leads me to Harry Freeman and his partner Sara.  They are an couple in their 70's living right in Memphis near a small college and the Memphis Zoo.  I had to warn Harry over the phone that before he agrees to host me I have a golden retriever with me.  While Harry admits he is not a dog person Sara very much is- especially for golden retrievers.  He wisely does what Sara wants, I am golden with a golden.  We arrange for my arrival in the afternoon leaving me free to see Memphis some in the morning.  First order of business is to get my  failing bike repaired.  I take it to Midland Cycle near downtown.  The place is pretty forlorn inside and a mess.  Half repaired bikes strewn around, piles of cycling goods, empty boxes, dim lighting does not give the best first impression.  Doug, the owner fixes my wobbling rear tire and replaces yet another broken spoke.  He figures out that I had replaced some spokes in my earlier repairs incorrectly which contributed to my problems. My rear tire which is just 3 1/2 weeks old has already worn out and is showing the cording.  He orders a new rear tire and new rear sprocket cluster that will take 2 days to arrive. I am not real confident with the place.  His workbench is piled high with debris.  I can't see how even finds anything.  The most accessible tools are the dozens of empty beer cans that line the edge of the bench. But, I put myself in his hands and hope for the best.

Memphis is named after the ancient city in Egypt.

That morning I make my way to the newly opened Bass Pro Shop that occupies the former basketball arena known as (and shaped like) the pyramid.  It is huge, the largest sporting goods store I have ever seen.  The interior is theatrically themed and more Disneyworld than Cabela's.  In fact, I learned that Bass Pro has purchased Cabela's that very morning for 6 billion bucks.  Inside the interior space is vaulted at least 20 stories high with a veritable recreated forest, bayous and backwaters serving as a setting for the merchandise.



"I'll take two"

Inside the cathedral of Bass Pro

The gun shop has a Beretta shot gun for sale for $82,000.  I prowled around for an hour finally buying some jerky for 6 bucks. Unfortunately, I can't afford the weight of a new Beretta lashed to my bike.
I also take in the usual tourist hot spots.  Beale Street is famous for its Blues music venues, beckoning neon signs and the Coyote Ugly café. Nearby Sun Records is where Elvis cut his first recordings. Today it is a restaurant.  The balcony of the Lorraine Motel is the location of Martin Luther King's assassination.  Years later it was saved from the wrecking ball and renovated into the National Civil Rights Museum, the exterior preserved to look as in that fateful day in 1968.  I decided to pass on
Graceland.  I am not a big enough Elvis fan to pay $62 for see his sock drawer on the VIP tour.

At home in the guest house.

When I arrived to the home of Harry and Sara that afternoon I found it to be a  wonderful refuge from the city and a great place to recuperate.They have a charming guest house fully furnished,  private and complete with kitchen and bath. Not too rough to for this weary traveler. Sara is taken in hook, line and sinker by Murphy.  He is especially ingratiating and worms his way into the big house in short order. Harry and Sara are both retired, he an environmental engineer and she a speech pathologist. I remarked that she had no southern accent.  She told me that she was originally from the North and being a speech pathologist, worked very hard to never acquire one. They were well traveled and earlier this summer had even been to Minnesota for 12 days.  Harry had read a book about the Great Hinckley Fire and was determined to see where it happened.  They drove from Minneapolis to Grand Marias making his pilgrimage to the Hinckley Fire Museum along the way.  I was ashamed to admit that I had not been to it nor the Connor's Northwest Fur trading post despite driving past both hundred's of times. They even had breakfast at the Naniboujou Lodge and knew the interesting story behind it.   Being good Memphis citizens they saw to it that I am taken out to have some genuine Memphis sweet BBQ that night.  In fact, I spent 2 nights with them.  The next day they even loaned me their car to visit  The Dixon Art Museum and Gardens.  I really had some very enjoyable and interesting conversations with them during my visit - all for a stranger.  When I finally rolled out of the driveway, I was carrying a gift  box of king size Milk Bones for Sara's new buddy.
Meanwhile, my bike shop buddy never seemed to answer his phone.  I had no idea if anything had progressed beyond some serious beer drinking.  However, when I arrived at his shop he was true to his word. The parts had arrived and were soon installed and I was on my way.  That is until 20 minutes later when the tire went flat.  I limped back and he replaced the tube and gave me a spare "on the house" even though it turned out one of my earlier tube patches had failed. As with other places on my journey, I had been warned by folks out in the hinterland of the dangers of Memphis- riots, murders and rampant crime.  I am sure it has it's problems, even serious ones but I saw nothing of the sort.