GRACELAND, baby - Jim Colyer

---

Michael and I made it to Memphis on July 3, 2008. We spent that night at the Heartbreak Hotel and returned to Nashville the evening of July 4. The Hotel is next to Graceland. Being a Triple-A member got me a discount. We toured the mansion. It was my first time in Graceland since Karen and I were there nearly 26 years ago. I thought it was good for Michael since he was born and grew up in Tennessee and has a career going at SunTrust Bank in Nashville. We filed through with other people. One thing that was different was that we were allowed to take pictures inside.

We rode the free shuttle to Sun Recording Studio at 706 Union Street. This is where Sam Phillips recorded Elvis Presley in 1954 and 1955. We stood on the spot where rock and roll was born. I wanted Michael to get a feeling for the Elvis story and for music superior to what he grew up with. He called the Sun Records tour interesting.

We went to Beale Street. It has been rebuilt since I was there in 1977. We saw SunTrust Bank and walked to it. We ate at Hooters. It rained. I feared for my Indiana Jones fedora. We went in the Gibson Guitar store, and I got a picture of Michael with a guitar.

We drove on to Tunica, Mississippi. Tunica offers casinos and gambling. We had planned to stay the night but decided to drive back to Nashville. With gas at $4 a gallon, we needed to watch our money.

---