Tennessee Travels Cont'd....

Friday- After a three hour car ride to Memphis we visited the King's house. Yes, I have been in Graceland and I guess it would be alright if you kissed my feet although I have showered since my visit.
The tour wasn't all I expected, no one is allowed on the second floor because it's Elvis' private space.... although that makes me believe even more that he is alive.
I was bummed that didn't get to see the toilet that Elvis "died" on, but I guess the kitchen where he made peanut butter banana sandwiches was good consolation. The living room was pretty cool because it was decorated like a jungle and I was pleasantly surprised by all of Elvis' ceramic monkeys throughout the house.
His grave site was impressive-- there were tons of people looking sad, but I think it should be a crime to look sad at Graceland.

After Elvis we ventured down to Beale Street -- which was 73 kinds of awesome-- and had some tasty BBQ and drinks at the Rum Boogie Cafe. I got a bucket from Silky O'Sullivan and basked in the neon while listening to Big Jerry play the blues in an alley (his band was amazing). We went into the Double Deuce, but neither Dalton or Sam Elliot were working so we went to Wet Willies for grain alcohol-laden frozen drinks. Beale Street got pretty crowded after dark, but you can carry your drink out of the bar and down the street to listen to live blues and jazz coming from almost every bar.
I don't remember much after that besides being called a little lamb while I bought corn nuts at a gas station....

Saturday- I restrained myself from drowning children in a scaled down replica of the Mississippi River at Mud Island Park. The replica was super sweet-- it followed the river from start to finish and even covered large tributaries. You could wade in the "Mississippi" and my travel companion especially enjoyed hopping over the "Mississippi" in small bounds.

We then hit the Pink Palace Museum, which has one of those big keyboards like the one in 'Big.' On the way back we passed the Memphis Scientologist "Church" and I gave it the bird and wished for napalm.

Then we went to the Peabody to see the Peabody ducks. Every day tons of people gather around a fountain in this old hotel at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to watch ducks come out of an elevator (from their home at the top of the hotel) and into the fountain in the lobby. I was amazed that the ducks didn't go apeshit (or would it be duckshit?) and attack-- there was a huge crowd and the flashbulbs were going off. I expected a King Kong scenario, but got a Disney movie.
Oh well, they can't all be winners.

I finally got to play some skee ball and then went to the Blues City Cafe where I had the best ribs ever. Beale Street was calling so we went for more drinks and saw an Elvis impersonator who sang 'You Were Always on my Mind.' Elvis didn't do that song originally, but I must say that any song sounds better when Elvis sings it.

Sunday- 10 hours of hell in the car. I counted 22 Waffle Houses and four adult book stores.