Country Star’s Boyhood Home Could Complete Southern Music Tourism Trifecta

Johnny Cash’s boyhood home of Dyess, Arkansas is undergoing a $3.5 million makeover in an effort to lure tourists to the area. That means tourists can soon (ahem) walk the line(s) between Nashville, Memphis and Dyess on what could be the ultimate southern music trifecta. Okay, nobody will probably actually walk the distance between these three places, but it is kind of cool that resources will be in place so people can easily visit the homes of Elvis Presley, Taylor Swift and Johnny Cash — plus lots of other musicians, too — on their very own homes of the stars tour through the south.

Royal Caribbean stays current, looks ahead

It’s been a busy week for Royal Caribbean International.

Rumors have been flying around about what the innovative parent company to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises could possibly do to top mega-ship Allure of the Seas. This week we got a glimpse of what might be in store and a little look back at the past.

“While we look forward to a period of slower growth, we do not intend to stagnate,” said Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain. “We have been considering our next new building project and we feel that the time may now be right for such a move.”

Fain mentioned the new ship topic in an earnings call that reported a huge gain in earnings for the company over the previous year. The Miami Herald reports that Fain gave few details, but said the ship would be part of the Royal Caribbean International brand and would likely be the first of a series.

“We have been working intensively on developing a design that reflects our innovative spirit, but in an efficient package and we think that we are near to an acceptable outcome,” Fain said.

It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Royal Caribbean is truly an innovator but continues ongoing programs that define what they do. An ongoing focus on fitness and incorporating trendy but timeless art on their ships while continuing humanitarian efforts in Haiti give a good idea of the depth of the company.

You can bet whatever direction they go, the result will be unique and exciting with some fun events along the way. For example, last week Royal Caribbean hosted Taylor Swift for a concert on Allure of the Seas.

On the eve of her Speak Now world concert tour, Swift performed favorites and song off her new album. Winners from a Clear Channel Radio promotion packed the ship’s Aqua Theater.