Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley

On Thursday the 7th of August we took a road trip to Robinsonville, MS to stay at Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino. On our trip we decided we would go to Graceland and head up to Nashville to visit family and go to the Johnny Cash Museum. Since we were going to Graceland, we figured we might as well check out Graceland Too and Elvis’ birthplace. It was random that it ended up also being Elvis Presley Week.

Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino I would not recommend. The walls were paper thin, we didn’t get our room cleaned one of the days, we were left with towels with holes in them and the food at the buffet wasn’t that good either. We would probably stay at the Horseshoe the next time. We tried their buffet and it was much better. The staff at Sam’s Town was very nice and friendly.

We went out to the River Bend Links Golf Course the first morning we were there. It was a nice course.

Johnny Cash Museum – Nashville, TN

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Elvis Presley Week

Elvis Presley passed away August 16, 1977. Elvis was born in Tupelo, MS where he grew up poor. He started his career by making a $4 gift at Sam Phillips studio, Sun Studios for his Mother. Sam Phillips was intrigued by Elvis’ voice and asked him to return to the studio to practice with local musicians. This was the launch of the “King of Rock and Roll”.

Elvis Presley’s Birthplace- Tupelo, MS

Graceland Too – Holly Springs, MS

Graceland – Memphis, TN on Aug. 10th.

Riverboat cruising returns to the Mississippi with American Queen

By Jayne Clark, USA TODAY

As the American Queen paddle wheeler steams toward the city early one morning last week, all eyes turn toward Richard and Suzanne Martinez, who are strolling onto the boat’s forward deck resplendent in antebellum finery.

She’s a sweet Southern belle in hoop skirt hoisting a floral parasol. He’s a riverboat dandy in broad-brimmed planter’s hat and rhinestone horseshoe pin. Suzanne bought the get-ups on eBay to wear on the occasion of the venerated steamboat’s return to the river for the first time since 2008. But the Tavares, Fla., retirees figure they’ll get plenty of wear out of the costumes as they pursue and wave at riverboats from the banks of the upper Mississippi.

“We’ve been doing it for years,” Suzanne says.

“So, you’re, like, steamboat stalkers?” asks a fellow passenger unacquainted with the proclivities of hard-core riverboat fans.

Read More: Riverboat cruising returns to the Mississippi with American Queen

Plan Your Trip Today:

All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
405.384.3880

• The revival of the American Queen – steamboating the Heartland of America

• Inaugural of the American Queen Steamboat

• Making all her dreams come true, yours too with extreme adventure and travel

Travel Tidbits – Mississippi, Disney dining, Portland and more

‘The Help’ puts tourist spotlight on Mississippi
Fans of The Help, the bestselling 2009 novel and new movie about the fictional lives of black housekeepers and the white women who employ them in 1960s Mississippi, are getting some help of their own in exploring the story’s real-life settings… USA Today

 

Disney dining gets a makeover
Culinary transformations have made meals as enjoyable as the sights … MSN.com

 

 

 

 

Radiation-Free Full-Body Scanners
As controversy simmers surrounding the levels of radiation used in full body scanners, a small company based in the United Kingdom has developed a machine that emits no radiation at all… Travel and Leisure

 

 

River cruising poised to return to Mississippi
Listen up, Mark Twain fans! Steamboat operations will soon return to the Mississippi River… MSN.com

 

 

 

Portland favorites and fresh finds for visitors
Sure, we love Mount Rainier, the ferries, the Space Needle and its George Jetson architecture. But everybody needs a change of scene. Our quick fix is… Seattle Times

 

 

 

Sample the delights of the Aube region of Champagne
Once marginalised for selling its grapes too cheaply, the region is sparkling once again… The Independent

 

 

 

 

 

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
415.384.3880

About All About Travel

Opened in 1978, All About Travel is located in the Oklahoma City area.  We are a family owned and operated company that has strived to provide our clients with the highest quality of service for more than 30 years.  Our agents can arrange all your travel needs from the individual hotel and/or car reservation to an around the world cruise.  Nothing is out of reach.

We can help plan your honeymoon, your destination wedding or the much needed getaway for two.  Don’t forget about your business, we can handle all the travel needs for your company as well.  Anything from an airline flight and hotel for a meeting or all the planning needed for your next company-wide seminar.  We can arrange hotel space for all attendees and meeting rooms for all purposes.

Our agents travel to many destinations on FAM trips (Familiarization trips) these trips are designed by tour operators and cruise lines to make certain that travel agents are up-to-date on popular destinations and cruise ships.

So the next time you need to, or better yet, want to travel…Let us help, it’s what we do.

American Cruise Lines’ Queen of the Mississippi debut in New Orleans

On Wednesday, March 7^th, American Cruise Lines announced its brand new 150-passenger paddlewheeler, the Queen of the Mississippi, as it nears completion 10-weeks ahead of schedule.

Last week, at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Maryland the 23-ton, 28 foot-wide paddlewheel that was built special for the new riverboat was lifted and installed.

“This marks an important step in the creation of this authentic riverboat,” said Timothy Beebe, Vice President of American Cruise Lines. “The paddlewheel is one of the most important elements of classic riverboats, and this one isn’t just cosmetic – it’s fully functioning.”

Plans for completion will be in May, with a debut in New Orleans on August 11, 2012.

Complimentary amenities and features of Mississippi River itineraries and aboard Queen of the Mississippi include:

• Fully-functioning authentic paddlewheel that can be viewed from the Paddlewheel Lounge
• Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors to private balconies
• Room Service
• Wi-Fi in all staterooms
• Satellite TV and DVD player in all staterooms
• Gourmet coffee brewers in all staterooms
• High Tea served in the afternoon
• Top Deck Café – Hot and cold beverages, snacks, pastries available throughout the day
• Bottled water and soft drinks
• Nightly turn-down service

American Cruise Lines says, they will operate the authentic paddlewheeler over the entire Mississippi River System, including the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers. The Queen of the Mississippi will also be able to travel at significantly higher speeds than all other Mississippi riverboats, minimizing night travel and making more itineraries possible with longer visits to the river towns. A number of unique riverboat journeys are planned that take passengers as far north as St. Paul, MN on the Mississippi River and as far east as Pittsburgh, PA on the Ohio River.

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
info [at] allabout-travel.com
415.384.3880

“Epic Civil War” voyages for 2012 inaugural season of the American Queen

The revival of the American Queen is taking place in April 2012. The Great American Steamboat Company just announced three voyages that will take place August 10th – September 7, 2012.  It’s their “Epic Civil War” voyages that will highlight legendary battlefields and include on-board entertainment. The on-board entertainment will include actors, impersonators, leading lecturers (e.g.  Ric Burns & James I. “Bud” Robertson Jr.) balladeers (e.g. Bobby Horton) and reenactments to enhance understanding of this historical time in the U.S.

The three voyages are set to travel between New Orleans, La., Vicksburg, Miss., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky.

August 10-20, 2012: 10-nights between New Orleans, La., Vicksburg, Miss., and Chattanooga, Tenn. Ports: Helena, Miss., Memphis, Tenn., Paducah, Ky., Savannah, Tenn., and Decatur, Ala.

August 20-30, 2012: 10-nights between Chattanooga, Tenn. and Vicksburg, Miss.  Ports: Decatur, Ala., Florence, Ala., Savannah, Tenn., Paducah, Ky., Ashport Landing, Tenn., Memphis, Tenn., and Vicksburg, Miss.

August 30- September 7, 2012: 8-nights between Vicksburg, Miss., and Louisville, Ky. Ports: Helena, Ark., Memphis, Tenn., Henderson, Ky., and Louisville, Ky.

“We are thrilled to offer the ultimate historical experience during our Civil War cruises onboard the American Queen,” explains Christopher Kyte, president of the Great American Steamboat Company. “Our guests will discover so much of this country’s rich history told by leading academics and passionate storytellers.”

Meet some of the Guest Speakers: 

Distinguished Faculty Lecture: James I. Robertson, Jr.

 

Ric Burns

From the American Experience documentary “New York” by Ric Burns

 

Cathy Barton & Dave Para

 

Bobby Horton

 

To plan your trip today:
All About Travel
6104 Northwest 63
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
415.384.3880