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Published: April 20th 2009
We left Memphis yesterday after visiting Graceland. On one side of Elvis Presley Boulevard is some hideous complex that holds various exhibits including his jets and cars. The war memorabilia of Elvis was worth seeing as it had many little ration and equipment cards, his uniforms and the story of meeting Priscilla. Mostly I thought this side of the street was poorly setup with the main goal of getting visitors to visit all the exhibits seperatly so that you then have to enter one of 13 gift shops. Also, park some where else other than the complex as it appeared they were charging $10! We walked from our hotel as it was next door. When you are ready to see the mansion they hand you an audio set and you hop on to the shuttle which brings you literally across the street, through Elvis' gates and up the Graceland driveway. Very beautiful.
I believe the home was built in 1926, Elvis purchased it for $100,000 when he was 22 years old. You are allowed to tour the home in a 'this direction only' at your own pace while the audio tells you what you are looking at. The home was sparkling clean and all the furnishings looked brand new, shiny and vibrant. In photos the rooms look gaudy and over the top but it actually is very attractive and homey, in that peacock and yellow sort of way. You are not allowed upstairs...but you are allowed down stairs....which is where the TV room and pool are located. When you go outside you can see some home movies of his family playing with the go-carts and horses and then you are shown to the racquetball court. The racquetball court now houses many of his gold records and jumpsuits. Elvis and his family are also buried at the estate. The mansion tour is very well done and enjoyable, and thankfully does not have a gift shop attached to it.
From Graceland we crossed the Mississippi River and into Arkansas. Upon reaching western Arkansas we decided it was going to be the most remote sounding part of the trip. If you mention central Nevada, anyone will think your in Vegas, and at least everyone knows where Nebraska is and whats there. We said hello and goodbye Oklahoma City as I pointed out Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill, carpet stores and of course the state fairgrounds Colosseum. We landed in Clinton, OK at an Econolodge, which I highly recommend as it has a comfortable bed, good shower, and is dead quiet.
This morning we are headed to Amarillo, located in the Mountain Time zone. I am hoping to find a cowboy hat, a steak at the Big Texan, and the Cowgirl Museum.
Happy Trails,
Culver
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putnam
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I did go to arkansas and oklahoma for a couple of weeks when I was about 14- to a logging camp hunting lodge of a lumber company- my friends uncles company- it was hilly woodlands/ timber with rocky streams- tornados, giant wild boars- mostly we just shot dr pepper sodacans with 22 rifles, and water snakes in the river-fished for alligator gars but didnt catch any, and violated what would be a bunch of laws nowadays-like shooting at buzzards from back of a pickup truck in tronado weather- came home with chewing tobacco, one rattle snake rattle and there was crystaline quartz . no lawyers runnin everyones life out there...yet