Today was "Elvis Day" - we started the day out on Elvis Presley Boulevard, some 9 miles south of downtown Memphis, and specifically at Graceland the home of Elvis from 1957 until his death in 1977. It is the 2nd most visited house in the USA (2nd only to the White House). The tour around the house itself was tremendous as it is, largely, preserved as it was back in 1977 and it provides a real insight in to its role in the life of Elvis as his haven of peace and tranquility. It is still occasionally used by Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis and Priscilla, when she is in Memphis (until recently she lived with her 4th husband in Rotherfield, East Sussex).
Across the road from the house itself are displays of various aspects of the life of Elvis including his cars and motorcycles, his period in the US Army, his records and films, his influence on other music stars and on fashion. Some, most notably the cars/motorcycles and his period in the US Army are very interesting. Others rather less so. Around every other corner is yet another brightly lit gift shop, too. God preserve us from brightly lit gift shops! Walt Disney would be proud of the whole experience on this side of the road.
Our route to our overnight stop in Birmingham, Alabama (another US state visited for the 1st time), some 240 miles south east of Memphis, took us, rather helpfully, via Tupelo, Mississippi, birthplace of Elvis . Here we found a very tasteful little memorial park, the home that Elvis grew up in, a timeline of his life, comments from various people with whom he grew up and two bronze sculptures up on a hill overlooking his birthplace where, apparently, he used to sit in his later years musing on who knows what. If there is a brightly lit gift shop there it was either closed or very well hidden. Top marks to Tupelo!
Another day walking in the footsteps of a music giant, albeit, one suspects, quite a reluctant one and one who would probably be astounded at the continued interest in his life and work the best part of 40 years after his untimely demise at the age of only 42.
Arriving in Birmingham after dark we dined at the Pappadeux Cajun Seafood Kitchen adjacent to our hotel.
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