We found a place to park around the block from the Peabody Hotel. We were told that certain hours of the day, that something special happens at the Peabody Hotel. We walked to the hotel and I went to the desk to be sure we were at the right place and to find out for sure what time the event happens. I was told to stay in this area and the event would begin at approximately 10:45 am.
At approx. 10:45, the Duckmaster, all decked out in a red suit jacket with a carved cane in hand, came out to the middle of the lobby and told about the oncoming event and the history of the duck walk at the Peabody Hotel. He told of the story that back in the 1930's Frank Schutt, General Manager of The Peabody Hotel, and a friend returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Jack Daniel's Tennessee sippin' whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful fountain.
In 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Mr. Pembroke became the Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement in 1991. The original ducks have long since gone, but after nearly 80 years, the marble fountain in the hotel lobby is still graced with ducks. The Peabody ducks march at 11:00 am & 5:00 pm daily.
Today, the Duckmaster, after telling the history of the Duck Walk, rolled out a red carpet runner which led from the elevator door to the beautiful marble fountain in the middle of the hotel lobby (as he does twice a day, every day). He got a young boy from the spectators to help him, and he, the young boy, and the young boy's father preceded to the elevator. They got on the elevator and the elevator door shut. The elevator went up to the 12th floor and stopped for awhile. Then the elevator started coming back down to the first floor. The elevator door opened and five ducks departed the elevator, waddling in somewhat of a orgainized march down the red carpet to the water fountain. The ducks proceeded to walk around the outside edge of the fountain and then got in the fountain's water.
To be honest, none of us were that impressed, but they sure do make a big ta-doo about the Peabody Duck Walk.
When it was over, we left the hotel and walked back to the truck.
It was getting close to lunch time, and Bob said he had a place picked out to eat lunch. He drove a few blocks away, and got to the restaurant that has been on Food Network's 'On the Road', and on 'BBQ with Bobby Flay'. It was a barbecue joint called Central BBQ.
We got there when it was just opening, with only just a few people ahead of us. Terryn & I ordered pulled pork sandwiches and baked beans, and Bob & Kolton shared a full rack of ribs, mac & cheese and baked beans. The food was delicious and the place was getting busy with people coming to eat some BBQ. When we left, there was a line of people outside waiting to get in.
After lunch, we got in the truck and went to Mud Island River Walk. It is a replica of the Mississippi River made into a River Walk. It also has a museum. In order to get to it, we had to take a monorail, which the grand kids enjoyed.
It was clouding up, so we decided to head back to Memphis, Arkansas (across the Mississippi River) and back to the campground.
The kids played outside for a while, until it started getting stormy, then they came inside. They played some games inside, and later, we fixed sandwiches for supper.
Mr. Mallard there has quite a harem.
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