with Jim and Gayle

May 2004

We returned to the swamps and bayous of Louisiana this month.  We visited our Foretravel friends, Barbara and George, in Lafayette and then went to Gibson to listen to Zydeco and Cajun music.

I bought tickets on eBay (cost less than half the face value) for Tim McGraw's sold out concert in Gulfport, Ms.

We were not impressed with Memphis, but Graceland was well worth seeing.

Nashville is a big, clean, prosperous city.  We visited more Foretravel friends, Jack and Linda.  I bought tickets on eBay for Martina McBride and Alan Jackson's sold out concert.

Louisville, KY. is in the heart of Kentucky Bourbon country.  We toured three distilleries, Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, and Heaven Hills.  Maker's Mark was the best tour and their chocolate-covered bourbon balls were out of this world.

Lexington, KY. is Thoroughbred horse country.  We spent a day at Churchill Downs, site of the Kentucky Derby.  We toured Three Chimneys horse farm (home of Seattle Slew, among others).  This was an eye-opening tour.  Shown is "War Chant"; stud fee just a mere $60,000.

We are now connected wirelessly to the internet via Verizon.  Verizon says they currently cover 64% of the country.  It worked well for us in Gibson, LA, Pass Christian, MS, and Memphis, TN.  The connection was marginal in Nashville, but we could connect with a lot of retries.  We had no service just outside of Louisville, KY.