Sunday, October 17, 2010

SEGMENT 12--Memphis, TN


Memphis Tennessee home of the Blues and BBQ. The first night I left Grandpa behind, packed my camera and a sweatshirt and had the park manager take me down to Beale Street. There are Blues clubs down both sides of Beale Street and the police close it down to traffic so you can take your drink with you out on the street.

The music was phenomenal. BB Kings Blues Club had a 9 piece band with two trumpet players, a saxophonist, a bass player, and the lead singer. WOW. I had so much fun drinking and dancing and listening to real Blues music in Memphis.


The next morning Grandpa and I took a tour on one of those tourist buses around the city. We saw all the big sites of the city including the Peabody Ducks, Sun Studios, the Lorraine Motel,  St. Jude's Children's Hospital, the Pyramid on the Mississippi River, Mud Island, and then we had lunch on Beale St.

In the afternoon, the tour bus took us to Graceland, home of the King Elvis Presley. I pushed Grandpa around in a wheelchair through the mansion and we got to see the whole thing. The dining room, kitchen, TV room, Billiard room and the Jungle Room. What a fantastic place. We got to see all his Grammy's and Gold and Platinum records. There were countless outfits and movie memorabilia. Also Elvis's grave site and car collection and his two airplanes the Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog.

Elvis died when I was just a baby, but the stories of his life have been told to me countless times. This is a part of American history and should be experienced at least once. I imagine if they make a similar memorial for Michael Jackson I will be more connected to him than I was to Elvis.

Grandpa said he got to see Elvis in concert twice at Lake Tahoe. The second concert was toward the end of his life and Grandpa remembers him looking like sh**.

Grandpa had a full day of walking and good exercise, so when we got back to the motor home he was exhausted and went to bed. I took another tip into town. This time to Charlie Vergos Rendezvous Ribs. This restaurant is the most famous, and busy, in town on a Friday night. I got right in and set at the bar. I sampled their dry rubbed pork ribs with hot sauce on the side. I have eaten at so many good restaurants on this trip, it's hard to tell which one has the best food.

Off to more Blues on Beale. What a great time I had in Memphis.

3 comments:

  1. so glad we finally heard from you.
    we are addicted to the blog!... never let it go that long again...
    looks wonderful in Memphis. we've been there and it's everything you say it is.
    Mom

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  2. graceland is amazing.
    I'm glad you got to see it.
    MOM

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  3. Ah, the Peabody Hotel Ducks. They are so cute.

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