Day 2: Magnolia's and the start of our demise.

Well, we made it everyone! The tornados cleared Memphis without anyone (except the screaming weatherman on the TV) giving two shits about it. GOOD MORNING MEMPHIS! You look quite different in the daylight...

Like this PIECE looming over their skyline for example:

I'm sorry, what?!

Memphis with their very own Luxor Hotel? Why didn't you say so!! Well, not so fast. We couldn't find a straight answer from ANYONE in this town as to what this was and why in Lord's name it was here. Even asked the front desk of our hotel what the PURPOSE of it was and the look across his face was as if I told him to switch to a new God I just came up with the night before. He stammered, took a deep breath, and slowly muttered "...nothing...".

Point taken. Peace out Memphis.

Ok, ALMOST. Headed South, we were beckoned one last time to the place where every Memphis visit wouldn't be complete without: Graceland.

Thats right. The homestead of America's first pop icon and all-around bad ass, Elvis Presley. Taking the exit off of the freeway, we were immediately greeted with ELVIS PRESLEY BLVD, three trinket/memorabilia shops, sandwiched in between a falling over Long John Silvers. Hell had finally come to Earth folks.

I'm going on a hunch and saying this was NOT how this street looked when millionaire Presley was searching for peaceful estates outside the city limits. It was a total mess. Elvis's Estate aside, this was an American hellscape created by what has to be the worst humans imaginable. There were made up museums, anonymous t-shirt stands, ( I think I spotted an airplane with Lisa Marie Presley's name across it). I don't know.

So, after realizing the only way into the estate was via audio group tour, and the only way into that was waiting in a line of a 150 people with the average age of DEATH, we just decided to pull over quickly, and snap this:

Great. We all got it? Good? We can move on? Ok cool.

Onwards South! Within SECONDS it seemed we had crossed into that forgotten state of Mississippi. But surprisingly so. And I say surprising because the first thing we both noticed was that Mississippi is BEAUTIFUL y'all. But beautiful in that Mary Crawley quietly terrifying type way. Striking from the outside, but say the wrong thing or make the wrong move and that shit is POPPING OFF.

Mississippi also appeared not to be too big on humans. Not a whole lot of them here, folks. What there IS alot of??

Dead Armadillos.

PS, I hate Armadillos. (Or as I call them, God's shout out to outer space). I had certainly made peace with the fact that I would probably see some on this trip, but lets wait to the desert maybe? Wrong.

So, this is the part of the blog where we talk about Ke$ha.

I've slept well at night the last few years feeling confident that Ke$ha's pop culture footprint was confined to Miami, Long Beach Gay Pride, and my theater friends workout mixes, but I'm telling you right now. MISSISSIPPI LOVES KE$HA. Every radio station had her on. At all times. I can only believe that they assume she is a mirage and/or a man-made hologram via tumblr. Both could be right.

HELLO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI! This was a planned pit stop along our route to take in one of the true treasures the American South has to offer. SOUL FOOD.

However, the first thing we saw was this:

We'll leave it at that Jackson, MS.

Nothing full well this is a city you visit ONCE in your time on Earth, Sean and I made sure to make the most it. So we headed right for what we came for:

TWO SISTERS KITCHEN.

Tucked away in a century old Victorian House behind the state capital, I can't even begin to tell you what this place did for us.

Absolutely incredible. 

This is why I love road trips and why I love America. There I said. Take it or leave it. We walk in the door and are greeted immediately with a 12 course soul food buffet and everything else you could ever think of. And the thing you just tasted wasn't nearly as good as the next thing on your plate. Everyone was fascinated with us, and we were fascinated with them. 

The food we have had on this trip so far has been incredible. No doubt. But this meal is something I will never forget. In my life. Top 3 of all time. I love this country. Ok, I said it again. I can only sum it up like so.. 

THIS

+

THIS

=

THIS

I love you Two Sisters. You're everything that makes the world right. People were SO nice and SO interested in where we came from and who we were. Because thats the only way they know how. Inspiring stuff. 

Our waitress Celeste was the ambassador to this experience and the only reason we don't have a picture of her is because I lost feeling in my limbs 3/4 the way through the meal from food coma. Enough said. 

Ok, so this is only a half update. We have SO much more on the day and its STILL HAPPENING!! So we're gonna go experience it. Updates coming soon!!!

BYE NOW!!