Elvis is King!

OMG… loved Graceland, loved it, loved it. If you want a trip down memory lane this is the place to go. Even Roger who was sceptical really enjoyed the whole package. Believe it or not it was a very emotional tour, especially the mansion and meditation garden. It brings tears to my eyes to think about it. The mansion is modest by today’s standards but decorated with an upscale flair of the sixties and seventies with some rooms very unusual.  Everything has been preserved as it was when he died and it seems sad to think that all living in that house stopped the day he died. To hear his daughter narrate about her life there as a child and how she remembers her father and his affection toward her brought a reality to the tour.   It was an audio self-tour that you could listen to as much of, or as little of, as you wanted. I listened to everything.  Following the mansion tour we continued on to the Elvis car museum. The Hollywood movie museum displayed clothes, posters and memorabilia from the movies he was in. It was awesome, bringing back so many memories of the theatre in Minnedosa where I saw many of those movies. Of course the words to all the songs come rushing back as you listen to the music playing in the background.  They even have an Elvis radio station. The clothes museum was also a hit showing and explaining Elvis’s unique flair for fashion. He had a great wardrobe with many accessories and belts and was very into bling. After about three hours of Elvis we preceded to Beale Street to catch a little jazz.

Beale Street is very unique with its jazz clubs, cafes and trinket shops.  The road is made of cobblestone and closed to traffic.  Musicians sit outside the clubs and cafes busking and drawing in the crowds. We went during the day, but apparently at night it is a lively scene with jamming everywhere.  On the advice of a local we tried out the blues café. Gumbo was first up on the menu and Roger went for it. I too tried a small cup of the hot spicy thick stew like soup. Wow southern heat. I exercised caution and ate only half of mine leaving Roger to eat the rest. I warned him to be careful as these things may come back to haunt, but he heeded not. The haunting began not long after we left the café as rumbles and bumbles filled the air or should I say fouled the air.  

After a short drive to see a few sites we settled on a walk along the Mississippi River park as I took a few pictures and Roger did some sketching. The temperature along the river was cool and finally we decided it was time to pack it in and head back to the hotel. Yes a good day and a full day of activity and lots of memories to cherish.  

Tomorrow we head towards Pensacola Florida.