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Published: November 13th 2008
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Breeze sing a happy song
This heart of mine is singing right along
Dont know where Im going
Dont know where it ends
Till the grass is greener, beyond the bend
I havent got a care
Im just on my way to anywhere
Pocketful of nothing, nothing I can spend
Hope the grass is greener, beyond the bend
Beyond the bend,
Perhaps therell be somebody waiting whos right for me
So I got to move around
And I know Ive got to cover ground
Oh the trip is shorter when you got a friend
Gotta find that rainbow beyond the bend
Beyond the bend, beyond the bend
'Elvis Presley
Today we ventured into Memphis to see, as my father puts it, "Dead Elvis." Yes we went to Graceland to pay tribute to the "King." Though I wasn't even in utero when Elvis died, I find it fascinating that people still come to pay their respects and see his home 30 plus years after his death. Even in the rain people flock here from all over just to say they came. People young and old, from the U.S. and overseas, men and women...basically anyone
you can think of...were streaming through the gates to have their chance to lay eyes on Graceland.
Elvis bought Graceland in 1957 for $102,000 from a local physician and his wife. Though to us that seems like a bargain, Elvis paid a fair sum for this estate. The grounds itself were already named "Graceland" after the doctor's aunt who had purchased it for him and his wife after they were married. Her name was Grace so it was only fitting that they name it after her I suppose. Elvis liked the name and decided to keep it. Seeing it firsthand I have to say I am glad he did. There is a certain allure to the estate. Even now its sprawls across some 13 acres of land. Though seeing it 30 plus years ago may have been better then seeing it now as I kept stooping my shoulders in order to hit the ground fast if there happened to be a drive-by. (Its not in the best area...Memphis is known to be a fairly dangerous city and has one of the highest murder rates around)
As you pull up to the house...you actually park across the street and
buy your tickets and then they bus you over...you just stare in amazement at its size. Everyone stumbles off the bus and looking like dweebs with their headsets on (I almost didn't want to wear mine but thats how you know what room is what and what happened where) you are herded into the foyer. You can have a camera but no flash photography is allowed. You are allowed only in the downstairs area and the basement. Basically you walk around his house and look at how he had it decorated, which to be honest, is kind of tacky but that was the times. My favorite room was the Jungle room. He had it outfitted in the early 70's and its just a neat room with animal print couches and green shag carpeting. You aren't allowed upstairs because he never wanted anyone to go up there that didn't belong. After you tour the house you can walk out and see the office and his racquetball court that is now converted to a shrine of Elvis anthology (outfits, pictures, records, awards etc). Walking around his grounds it was like you could almost still feel his prescence. I am sure everyone feels
that way though....how could you not when everywhere you turn you see his picture or hear a song. The one thing that stuck in my memory was how generous a man he was. He used to donate a lot of money to charities and he even helped fund the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii. He grew up in a very poor family and he never forgot that. He had his parent's move into his house and he took care of them and when he would hear of a family that was having trouble he often offered to pay their bills. What a way to "pay it forward" (thats for you Howell!) and give back to the community!
After your done with the exhibits the last thing you see is his actual grave. He was buried in a cemetary not far from his house orginally but his father felt that he would want to be buried near his home which he worked so hard for. He had his casket and his mother's casket exhumed and buried in his garden. When his father died and his paternal grandmother, they were also buried alongside he and his mother. The garden is very
peaceful but the thing that struck me is how many fresh flower arrangements there were. Apparently to this day there are fans of his that still send arrangements to pay tribute to him. There was a sign that said that no flower arrangement (real or silk) were turned away. I was amazed by the fact that people still feel so strongly about this man...this icon really...to never forget him even in death.
Once we were done with the tour we set off to make as much progress as we could through Tennessee. Much to my dislike we did not go by the Memphis police department. My father convinced me that if I walked in there and asked for Caroline Mason (those of you who watch he First 48 on A&E know who I am talking about...those who don't its a reality show about murders and the police officers who try to solve them) that they would think I was nuts. Though I grumbled about it, I realized he had a point It remind me of the time when I asked the bus driver to stop at Dog the Bounty Hunter's office in Hawaii and he looked at me like
he was a loon! After all I guess my father would be the authority on this one...then again I wonder how many people wanted to take a picture with him after his appearances on TV? My guess is probably no one...he isn't as high profile as Caroline or Tony or Mitch or the rest of them. Anyway we did manage to pass a Memphis police unmarked car so I just pretended it was her and waved. I am sure whoever was in it thought I was crazy but I'll never see them again!
We decided to bunk for the night in Clarksville Tennessee and will head for Nashville and Gatlinburg in the morning. We made pretty good time today, in spite of the rain, and are looking to be home sometime this weekend. I am not sure what we'll accomplish tomorrow in terms of sights to be seen but I am sure I'll have some story to tell. As always I hope I haven't bored you all..."Dead Elvis" is not exactly what my generation cares to hear about I'm sure but believe me when I say down here the "King" is alive and well...at least in spirit!
Hope
the weather is holding out for y'all. I'll catch you all on the flip side.
p.s.
The title of this entry is actually an Elvis Song and I thought it was fitting for the trip. I just can't seem to get good ol' Elvis off my mind!
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