Poor Boys and Pilgrims

  Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Sunday, August 3, 2008

Graceland

Memphis, TN

really started with an eleven hour drive from Asheville. Asheville, by the way is lovely place, and the Waffle House makes outstanding grits. Also we were able to attend the 26th Annual Quilt Show, which made me want to whip out my sewing machine. But enough about this. Our commitment to Elvis (and Paul Simon) dictated that we needed at least a whole day in Memphis and therefore set out on an eleven hour drive. This morning we woke up in West Memphis, which is really in Arkansas, bought our tickets to Graceland for $28.50 a head began our tour. The tour included the Graceland Mansion,

In front of the Graceland Mansion

which Elvis purchases when he was 22. I'm 22. I don't own a mansion. My favorite part of the house was Elvis' TV room which has yellow vinyl walls and navy blue couches, along with his signature TCB lighting bolt.

The TV room

There was also his pool room, where all the walls and the ceiling are covered with 350 yards of pleated fabric.

Yards

Yards

We also toured the Elvis Car Museum

Mamma Elvis' Fav Ride

, "Sincerely Elvis" which was basically a collection of his Jumpsuits (this really impressed me because all the decoration on them is handwork)

Handbeading

, as well as "Lisa Marie: The airplane", which has Gold Sinks and Gold Seatbelt buckles. I was surprised not to see any intense Elvis Fans. No one cried at his grave. No one showed up in costume. No reported Elvis sightings. Nothing. Mostly the people on the tour were people quietly looking at the wealth and vanity of it all.

After the tour we checked into our hotel. The Artisan. Which is an amazing combination of faux paris art deco and country manners.

Hotel Lobby

There are enormous van gogh paintings hanging from the ceiling. It hit 105 degrees today, so Chris and I were more than happy to swim in their pool before out night out on Beale Street.

Beale St.

Beale St, once the home of Blues is now a little like walking down Austin st or Lark St. A lot of Bars, some funny gift shops. But we found a place called the Boogie Rum Cafe and ate red beans and rice and fried pickles, and listened to some pretty good live blues.

Sorry I don't have more detail right now, but Its kinda late and we have another ten hours on the road tomorrow to Kansas. Any suggestions for a good time in Kansas, anyone.