As day eight began, Oprah and Gayle came downstairs to the lobby of the posh Peabody hotel, where they'd spent the night. There they ran into a throng of excited fans. Only, they weren't assembled for the famous road trippers...they were there to see a flock of Memphis's biggest local celebrities.
Everyday at 11 a.m., several ducks take an elevator down from their home on the roof of the Peabody and waddle down a red carpet to the fountain in the lobby of the hotel. They swim around there until their "shift" ends at 5 p.m.
This tradition started in the 1930s when, as a prank, a Peabody manager put ducks in the fountain. An instant hit with guests, the ducks quickly took up permanent residence. Now overseen by a "duckmaster," they work for 90 days before retiring to a private reserve.
