Posted by kat on July 10, 2001 at 19:40:09:
Hey everyone I'm back, and man do I love my bed!
We left late friday the 29th about 9pm and we were underway with the three boys and a van brimming with camping gear siutcases and food and drink for the long haul. going was slow because when you have three young bladders you have to stop frequently.
We got into Memphis around 5pm and decided to stay the night at a hotel since we wanted a chance to make the holy pilgrimmage to Graceland, rested and refreshed.
Graceland was, well,... interesting. I understand some of you may be big Elvis fans so forgive me when I say...the decorater should be given two consecutive life terms for stuff like that.
Anyway it's interesting to see what one persons idea of extravagance was. I fould out quite a bit about the man I didn't know before, he was quite a philanthropist, he was athletic and had a raquetball court built on the grounds, he liked fake fur...a lot.
There is a strange sort of sadness about the whole Graceland thing, and I cant' quite put my finger on it. The place..a mansion for goodness sakes...is virtually frozen in time, cared for by people who don't live in it. Once it was a home full of people who loved each other and worked together. A place where there was always activity, people made music and prepared meals once, and now there is always activity, but it's strangers walking through a house with rooms roped off so you can't touch anything. You can't even go upstairs. It's eerie and fascinating, but it's very sad that no one actually lives there any more. The culmination of this wonderfuly talented, ambitious, energetic, unique man's dream has ended up being a cheesy tourist attraction and gift shop full of every
souvenier you could imagine. I don't know. It would be nicer if they took pictures of it, and let someone else buy the home and make new memories. After all he was just a man.
Personally I think they they blocked off the upstairs because he's still living up there, an aging hermit, a shadow of his former self. Perhaps he's an invalid unable to care for himself or maybe just writing his memoirs. Either way I saw Elvis.
Afterward we decided eating barbeque in Memphis seemed appropriate so we emberked on finding the perfect "hole in the wall b-b-q place" we drove around Memphis for about a half an hour and interviewed several city dwellers who wanted to know, "Do ya want wet or dry Barbeque?" We finally settled (except for Josh who had McDonalds) on Tops on Union Ave and we had the best Barbeque Pork Sandwich and THE most heavenly baked beans I've ever had.....
Next Stop, St Louis.