Southern Chefs Food Tour In Israel.
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CENTRAL STATION HOTEL OPENS!
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
Hollywood Beach Private Pullman Car
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.
Nostalgia Rides the Rails-
Written by John L. Focht ©
FUNK'S GROVE, Ill.--As Amtrak's "Lincoln Service" train speeds along the Illinois prarie at 67 mph, it shows off a special car coupled to the rear---the Hollywood Beach, a restored private railcar, which is taking a group of 15 guests southbound to St. Louis.
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
For more Information about future trips contact Keith White at
Keith’s Rail Way LLC
OneCNICcat@prodigy.net
www.privatecarhollywoodbeach.com
Crypt of the Capuchin Friars, Rome Italy
“What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be.”
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Holiday Wonders at the Garden for 2018.
Holiday Wonders at the Garden opens Friday, November 23rd and runs (select nights) through December 30th.
WINNIE THE HIPPO GROWING SO FAST!
Winnie the baby hippo plays with her mother Binti while on exhibit at the Memphis Zoo. Winnie was born in the spring of 2017 and as she has been one of the favorites at the Memphis Zoo. Winnie is growing fast from 70 lbs. to an anticipated 3,000 lbs. Her mother Binti stays close and is very protective of her big baby. The hippopotamus is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable.
Elvis Week In Memphis 2018
AUG. 2018 ~~Women leave kisses on the wall of what was once the bedroom of Elvis Presley. This apartment, was home to Elvis Presley during his teenage years in Memphis. It is now open for tours.
Elvis fans can sleep in Elvis's bedroom, eat in the kitchen he ate in and sit in the halls where he played guitar because NOW they rent out the unit by the night for $250.00.
Presley lived in public housing with his family at Lauderdale Court before he reached stardom in 1956 as an entertainer. Regular tenants have occupied the income based apartment all theses years until what was Lauderdale Courts public housing underwent renovations. The units are now called Uptown Square apartments. Elvis lived there with his parents at 185 Winchester, apartment 328, from 1949 until 1953. The unit has been decorated to look like it would have during that time and then personalized with photos of Elvis and his family.
Uptown Square is just north of downtown Memphis.
Need you ask? Yes, I left a lip print of my own for the king.
VIDEO BELOW
© Karen Pulfer Focht
http://www.uptownmemphis.org/elvis.htm
August 11, 2018-
Today Andy Childs, Joel Weinshanker (left) (managing owner of EPE), and Lisa Marie Presley took the stage at Elvis Presley's Memphis at Graceland on Saturday to discuss the release of the latest album Where No One Stands Alone. Lisa Marie became emotional. Elvis and Lisa Marie Presley sing a duet on 'new' Elvis gospel album. Lisa said about working on this album "this is the best experience I have ever had." Her business partner and the albums co-producer Joel Weinshanker said of Elvis "What he’d want more than anything in the world is for Lisa to have some peace.
Lisa Marie Presley opened up about how she has overcome her addiction to drugs this week in Memphis.
Aug 13- 2018
Elvis fans renewed their vows in the brand new Graceland Chapel in the Woods at Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee during the 2018 Elvis Week Celebrations.
Previous Coverage
http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/elvispresley40
http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/2015/1/10/elvis-turns-80