This is going to be a big post, chock full of fun photos! So grab a coffee or tea or your favorite beverage and we hope you enjoy!
Yup! The capitals of American music are generally considered to be Detroit or Memphis or Nashville, but Muscle Shoals is very important to American music! The Who’s Who of American music have all recorded in Muscle Shoals! Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Bob Dylan, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding! Also Alicia Keys and Demi Lovato! And of course, Lynyrd Skynyrd!Small Town! Big Sound! Indeed! They call it the swamp sound! Whatever it is, it’s central to American music!FAME Recording Studios! Where it all started! Central to the sound of FAME was the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, but more on them in a moment! Hello Sigrid!The Front Door!At some point, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section aka The Swampers decided to strike out on their own and founded the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios! This is now a museum, as the primary recording studio has moved! Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded their first album here and immortalized the Swampers in their epic song – Sweet Home Alabama!The Front Door! Ever wonder why Cher named her 6th album 3614 Jackson Highway? Us neither, but there it is!Another reason to come to Muscle Shoals!Originally 640 acres, the Keller family estate is now down to 10 acres and owned by the local municipality!Helen’s childhood bedroom, which she shared with her teacher, Anne Sullivan!The famous water pump! Where Helen first started to connect a word she remembered from before she went deaf and blind with water and sign language hand signs for water!It’s been a busy morning and we needed a bite to eat! Nearby Ivy Green was this place!MMM! Yes! It’s amazing!Almost as good as the food was the story behind it’s proprietor!The menu is amazing! The food was excellent as was the service!The star of the meal was the Bourbon Waffles! The “syrup” was a Bourbon infused caramel! Being from Louisville, the chef uses Maker’s Mark! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Oh yeah, we had a veggie omlet and the candy’d bacon! Also delightful!We had to be dragged out of Superhero Chefs, but we continued on our way! MS! State #19!Tunica, MS! One of the gambling capitals of the US. S has been wanting to visit for years to complete…um…research! We came to the Horseshoe because it’s the only local casino to have Pai Gow Poker! Sadly due to staffing problems, the tables didn’t have dealers! Oops!The Gold Strike!Not sure what this casino was, but it’s being refurbished!Hollywood Casino Tunica! Our home for the night!The gaming floor!A little razzle dazzle at night!
We met in San Francisco in December 2013 and were married on Valentine's Day 2016. After two years of marriage, we've decided to trade in corporate life for a global travel adventure and our continued commitment to making a positive difference in the world. Follow our adventure.
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2 thoughts on “Day 23 – Muscle Shoals, AL – Tunica, MS”
Wearehere 
who woulda thunk! incredible diversity!
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I learned a lot….very intriguing. The picture of the gaming floor was captivating.
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