Southern Chefs Food Tour In Israel.
Read MoreMore than 1,000 musicians from the world over converged on New Orleans and did their best to convince promoters, festival organizers, music critics and disc jockeys that they are the next Big Thing.
Read MoreIn the fall of 2019 baby jaguars, Lulu and Bella, were born to the Memphis Zoo. They were recently put on exhibit. The cubs, both girls, were born to Diego and Philomena, both who were bright to the zoo with hope that they would breed. You can see a video of other animals from the zoo, including Winnie the baby hippo and Bogie the baby giraffe on my blog. Follow my blog at www.karenpulferfocht..com
You can also find this photo in this months Memphis Magazine (Jan. 2020)
Memphis developer Henry Turley and Kemmons Wilson Companies have developed a 105 year old property in the South Main neighborhood of Memphis. Together they renovated and reopened The Central Station, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, this week.
Turley, who is known for developing “livable neighborhoods” said he wanted people who travel into Memphis by train to have a nice place to stay.
The hotel, which will showcase Memphis music, has a Listening Lounge/Bar— Eight and Sand, which contains an expansive collection of curated vinyl records spun by a local DJ.
The location is in the artsy South Main neighborhood of Memphis which hosts a street festival the last Friday of every month called Trolley Night.
The Arcade Restaurant and Earnestine and Hazels, a famous dive bar, and many other bars and eateries are within walking distance of the hotel. Saturday mornings there is a Farmers Market next door spring to fall.
Within a mile guests can visit the National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street, a movie theater, The Orpheum Theater, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, The Blues Hall of Fame, Old Dominick Distillery and many other Memphis attractions.
http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/central-station-memphis
Keith White purchased and restored the Hollywood Beach Private Pullman rail car, which is one of only three that existed. He houses the train car in St. Louis and offers a few short affordable trips per year for rail fans to enjoy.
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967
All Photos © Karen Pulfer Focht
Below is an original advertising picture of the Hollywood Beach put out by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
Written by John L. Focht ©
It is a restored classic railcar originally used by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad to carry passengers on their "Silver Meteor" New York-to-Florida trains in the 1950s and 1960s. It's an unusual combination of half lounge and half Pullman sleeping car, one of only three such cars, built in 1957.
The car is a labor of love for its owner, Keith White, 68, of Naperville. Ill. White is a retired Illinois Central/Canadian National rail traffic controller who started his career in Memphis, Tenn., then went on to Chicago.
"I really need to have this," White said the first time he saw the car. "So, it took a little bit of foolishness," he laughs.
It takes a lot of time and money to restore such a car, White says. He bought the car in 2016 for an amount he doesn't specify. He has spent about $500,000 to upgrade and renovate it. And now there are storage fees, insurance costs, annual inspections, Amtrak's charges to pull the car. ($3.67 per mile).
"It's definitely not for the faint of pocket book!" White says.
White has completely refurbished the Hollywood Beach, essentially bringing it back to its original look and feel. The large solarium lounge, with its large windows all around and on top, gives riders a full panaoramic view as we cross the Mississippi River on the MacArthur Bridge.
The car has five complete private bedrooms, with individual bathrooms, for overnight guests. It sleeps 10. The Pullman-style rooms provide a comfortable couch during the day and have beds that pull down from the wall for sleeping. Everything has been immaculately and expensively restored--- even the little "boxes" where first-class bedroom guests in the 50s could put their shoes before going to bed, to have them returned and shined by morning.
White has added a full kitchen and even a shower to the Hollywood Beach.
He runs trips on the car about four times a year, making arrangements to hook onto Amtrak on their routes. The Hollywood Beach just completed roundtrips from Chicago to St. Louis and Chicago to Carbondale. White and several couples spent the night in the bedrooms while the car was parked at Chicago Union Station.
Guest fares pay the expenses and make White a little money, but the Hollywood Beach isn't about making money. It's more about White sharing the experience. Likewise, it's not all about getting to a destination--it's about enjoying the journey.
The affable White and his wife Maggie serve as the crew. It has a homespun flavor. "It's like visiting Keith's cottage," said one of the guests, while sipping a beer. Keith cooks bacon and eggs for breakfast and serves all the meals. They put out bowls of Goldfish crackers and Tootsie Rolls. He is a conductor, cook, waiter, maid and attendant all in one.
At the end of this trip, the car returns to St. Louis and is switched into its home, the tracks next to St. Louis Union Station.
White, sweating, wearing an Illinois Central hardhat and yellow vest, says, "It's a lot of work. It's taxing. But I love it."
Written by John L. Focht ©
Owner of Railcom, Germantown, Tennessee
OneCNICcat@prodigy.net
www.privatecarhollywoodbeach.com
