Reset search
USA 2026 Calkins
  • Vicki Calkin
  • Simon Calkin
  • Vicki Calkin
  • Simon Calkin

USA 2026 Calkins

A 35-day adventure by Vicki & Simon Read more
FollowInsightsInsightsCalendarCalendarPhotosPhotosShareShareBucket list
InsightsCalendarPhotos
  • Trip start
    April 29, 2026
  • USA 2026 Calkins
    1

    Mode of Transport

    April 29 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    First time on flight with Simon's new mobility scooter, courtesy ACC. Simon has named him Go Go. We have checked in our bags, and gone through process so AirNZ will let Simon drive to airplane door and then staff will store GoGo in the hold. Hopefully of the plane we are travelling on 😊
    Having coffee and ANZAC biccies. It's 4.15pm and check-in only starts at 4.50 so believe it or not, Team Calkin is actually early for once!    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Houston

    Apr 30–May 3 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Wednesday 29/4/26 Houston
    Arrived at hotel around 4.30pm. After 13.5 hours flight on top of drive to Auckland we were not up for any sightseeing.
    Headed just down the road for food and I had a lovely IPA with my meal -
    so just one photo 😊    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Houston wanderings (1)

    Apr 30–May 2 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Thursday 30th April 202
    Houston, I love your parks, trees, murals, sculptures and mosaics. Lots of beautiful old buildings, and some cool new ones too. Spotted one gecko, turtles, an eel like creature, and one squirrel. We spent the day wandering a few blocks either way from hotel, with siesta mid afternoon. Coming back from Discovery Green we happened upon a pub with a live band playing great foot tapping music and had a beauty steak dinner. Lucky we are carnivores at heart, as we'd had BBQ brisket sandwiches for lunch in the underground Foodcourt! (there are offices, shops and walkways underground here)
    1. Market Square Park
    2. Lynn Wyatt Square
    3. Hermann Square
    4. Old Sam Houston Park
    5. Buffalo Bayou Park
    6. Discovery Green    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    131

    Space Centre Houston Friday 1st May 2026

    May 1 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Woke to steady rain which developed over the day into torrential rain with thunder and lightning, and cooler temperatures (ah, the relief!)
    We caught a tour to the Space Centre Houston, which we were both blown away by. We had prebooked a tour of the original control room, pretty cool. Just wish we had more time at the Centre (not helped by the bad weather that kept us in the Rocket Park building for longer than required). Definitely somewhere I would recommend.
    Suggestion: arrive at opening time, leave only when turfed out!    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    13

    The Grand Ole Opry Saturday 2nd May 2026

    May 2 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Awesome show. We both enjoyed it so much! Soaked up the good vibes and love for country music.
    Mission BBQ for dinner beforehand was suggested by Amy, our driver from Nashville airport to hotel. Food was good, decor was armed service related memorabilia. They provide free food/good deals for servicefolkRead more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

    May 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Sunday 3rd May 2026
    Dolly Parton Display
    The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is outstanding.
    This is but a small snippet of it's offerings and only from the first display (which took forever for me to work through)
    Dolly Parton, I salute you    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    This display was fab. Pick a decade, then pick a song from selection

    Johnny Cash Museum 1. Nashville 5.5.26

    May 5 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    A highlight of our trip for me. Never knew what a kind philanthropic man Johnny Cash was. Also very taken by how poor the childhoods of some of my favourite greats were, and how when their fortunes changed they didn't shy away from helping others (also reflecting another commanility - their Christian upbringings - which they took into their adult lives AND actually applied! e. g. Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton)Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    Interesting rock layeringVicki's new favourite. Yummy!

    Nashville to Memphis driving Tues5/5/26

    May 5–8 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Was a nice slow start leaving Nashville after picking up car and (Simon, brave man) driving to Memphis.

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    11Cool trike that we both took photos of but in the glare of the night lights this was the best image1

    Nashville Wanderings Mon 4/5/26

    May 5 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Nashville has a high proportion of absolutely gorgeous old buildings in and amongst newer buildings. Photos taken at Marathon car works buildings taken Sunday 3/5 during tram ride. The rest taken after visiting Johnny Cash Museum, walking back to hotel. We stopped and watched the madness that is Nashville. Our dinner table, which I was very chuffed to nab, was inside the bar, but open to pavement and shenanigans.Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    Look what I found!Lift to glass observation deckSimon was keeping tabs on me 😂

    Bass Pro Shop at the Pyramid, Memphis

    May 6 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Wednesday 6th May 2026
    Spent a few hours and had burger dinner at this oversize Hunting and Fishing type store (though they sell lots of unrelated product too).
    Apart from multitudes of product, there is also an indoor swamp with alligators, a bowling alley, an observation deck (which we didn't venture to), bridge over stream, waterfall, and catfish pond. I couldn't stop laughing at how OTT it all was, all the trees and buildings were more than lifesized, it was amazing!Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    The Office area

    Graceland House Tour 7.5.26

    May 7 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Elvis brought Graceland as a very young man, thus fulfilling a dream to have a home, and to provide a home for his parents. Elvis lived here til his death.
    Regardless of your opinion on the decor, you've got admire him for that!Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    Roadside sign in Memphis as we walked toward Beale Street
    Roadside sign in Memphis as we walked toward Beale Street

    Graceland The Clothes 1 - 7.5.26

    May 7 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    One of the displays I particularly wanted to see at Graceland. Really interesting to see the two different clothing styles - the Rock n Roll Elvis, and the post 1969 Elvis in jumpsuits. Not much actual pre 1969 clothing (instead, display boards). Lots from the post 1969 era on display. Jumpsuits galore, it was amazing!Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    211Taken in Memphis cityTaken in Memphis city1Taken in Memphis city

    Graceland the Place 7.5.26

    May 7 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    So much to see at Graceland, aside from the mansion tour itself. Huge warehouse sized rooms full of displays; Elvis' time in the army, his records and awards, his movie career, vehicles, clothes, a tribute area called "icon", a display about Colonel Tom Parker, souvenir shops, the cafe. That's just what we saw, and still there was more!Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Memphis to Vicksburg Friday 8/5/26

    May 8–9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Big drive today to Natchez via Vicksburg.
    Tunica, Clarksdale, Helm, Vicksburg
    Stopped in Tunica to fill up car. Took photos of houses in the wee village. Driving out took photos typical of Mississippi very flat with fields of crops. Still lovely clumps and drifts of trees which I think may be waterfilled areas. Wind turbines on the way to ClarksdaleRead more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    Different firms of defences

    Vicksburg Site of Civil War Siege

    May 8 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    This is a National Park adjacent to the township of Vicksburg. From October 1862 to July 1963, the park was the site of battles culminating in a 46 day siege, in the struggle to control the Mississippi River during the American Civil War.
    These photos were taken in the small information area inside the park office, before driving the ring road through the battlefields    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Vickburg War Monuments

    May 8 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    As you drive the ring road through the battlefields there are many monuments, each located in the vicinity of where that state's combatants were based. Individual states paid for their own monument (i.e. not federally funded). Interesting to note the difference between the more modest vs. grandiose.Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    In meeting room, Houmas Plantation. Rescued from the museum of neighbouring plantation being soldup

    Vicksburg USS Cairo

    May 8 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Within Vicksburg Park the rebuilt USS Cairo, sunk in December 1862, and discovered in 1956. One of the US' first ironclad warships.
    Last two photos are of another (smaller) fighting boat that was housed in the museum of a plantation that neighboured Houmas House. When that plantation went up for sale Houmas Plantation rehoused the boat, it's displayed in one of their meeting rooms.Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    Beautiful park let alone it's interest for it's historical significanceBlue/Union Forces/Northern StatesRed/Confederates/Southern StatesBeing in their home area Confederates were mostly buried elsewhere. Divided even in death!Scores of markers for the deadChuck advised battles were fought out in the open. Trees were planted later for erosion control

    Vicksburg Park Terrain and War Cemetery

    May 8 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    The land was open, (so enemy must have been easily visible) with grass covered rolling hills and natural mounds (not the result of explosions or earthworks). You drive a ring road through the areas where the troops were based and fought. It's remarkable how close each unit was based to that of their enemy, just goes to show how ineffective their weapons must have been. The blue markers denote union (northern) bases, while red the confederate (southern) forces.
    I was incredibly lucky to be driven around the park by one of the ranger's, Chuck, who is there as the park's biologist/geologist (though actually a paleontologist by profession). Though not a history buff (he said) he was able to provide insights to a visiting Kiwi trying to remember who was who in the American Civil War! For me, definitely a highlight of the whole trip.    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Natchez Area Antebellum Houses 9.5.26

    May 9 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Natchez was a fabulous picturesque small town by the Mississippi. Further out of town (or on the outskirts of the town as it is now) were many grand antebellum houses set on land. These would have been the homes of plantation owners. We didn't go through any of them (plenty of tours available), but we did drive-by quite a few! As impressive as they were I preferred the beautiful homes near to the business centre of town. There are whole streets of gorgeous quaint well maintained original houses that are being used still.Read more