We got up early to go to Mass at 9am. St Peter’s Church was walking distance from the hotel. We were pleased with ourselves how we were able to get about Chicago and the same in New York. We had good directions and the streets are logical.
Chicago has the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. It is called Willis Tower formerly known as Sears Tower.
Not sure how many floors – over 90 anyway – maybe 100 – unbelievable !!During our stay in Chicago, we had a couple of meals in Millers Pub. We liked it there and Delia, the waitress looked after us very well and the food was yummy too.
There were great paintings on the wall and these two caught our eye.
Chicago is full of unusual sculptures. I liked these in particular.
We were surrounded by high-rise blocks.
And this is the oldest house in Chicago – now a building of historic note.
We were soon to leave Chicago and be on our way to Memphis so we checked out of the Palmer House Hotel and took a taxi to Union Street Station and we got in the queue to check in our big cases and once again one of the bags was overweight so we had to start shuffling stuff again !!.
The train was running late so we had to wait in the lounge. If you are in a Sleeper compartment,you get to wait in the lounge. We eventually were called to board the train to Memphis. It was a double-decker train and we were directed upstairs and OMG there was less space in this ‘roomette’ than the train from New York !! We went for dinner in the dining car and settled down to bed at about 10.30pm. John managed to get on to the top bunk but was so claustrophobic that he was finding it hard to breathe. The ceiling was closer to the bunk on the double-decker than on the previous train so we decided to swap places. I got on to the first ledge and then up a bit further and then I swung my bum on to the bunk and as I moved my head in – the ceiling was on a slope and my head got stuck. I couldn’t move. I was stuck fast. My head was lodged between the bunk and the ceiling. You have to be a contortionist to travel overnight on the Amtrak. I can hear Joan laughing already !! I did manage to get my head unstuck and got to lay down. The whole of my body shook with the motion of the train. I suppose it was appropriate that we were going to Elvis’s town because ‘There was a whole lot of shakin’ going on’. The Amtrak has been an unbelievable experience – not one of John’s brightest ideas !!
We arrived in Memphis early in the morning and the station building was like something out of the wild west.
We took a cab to the Heartbreak Hotel where we are staying for the next two nights and at 7.30 in the morning Elvis was singing in the lobby and Elvis movies were playing on the TV.
We were pleased that we were able to check in so early and a room was ready which was appreciated. We loved the hotel. It is on the property of Graceland and Elvis is everywhere even above our bed. The room was very nice and we had a lounge area as well.
We were told that Continental breakfast was being served and we could go through. It was quite substantial and it was very welcome after the ordeal on the Amtrak and guess what – Elvis was serenading us as well !!!
Well, we are going to sort ourselves out for the day so I’ll sign out. Hope everyone is feeling well.
Lots of love and God bless
from
Sally XX and John XX
sally's space 