Oct 16 – 17: Hot Springs, AR >> Memphis, TN
Driving Route:
October 16th - Graceland
Graceland. No, I’m not joking. Grandma Barry loved Elvis. And to be honest so do I. No, I didn’t go totally gleek, but Graceland was a place that Grandma Barry had always said we’d go to when I got older. Well I’m “older” and I wanted to do it … even if it was in her memory. It wasn’t cheap but the Gold Star family benefits helped out with some of the price. Benny’s child ticket was comp’d and my ticket was 6% off. We also got a voucher for a meal at one of the Graceland restaurants.
Our package ticket included the Mansion tour, plus exploring other exhibits showcasing Elvis' career, his automobiles, his wardrobe, his gold records, his custom jets, and much more from the Graceland Archives.
The first thing we did was go to Graceland which is across the street from the main part of the museum because it is still used, at least a few times of years, by Elvis’ descendants and family members. We got there by getting onto a shuttle that takes us from the one part to the other. They handed out these tablet type audio-video guides that get us through the estate without having to have a person-type guide. You start at the famous gates and then go up to the house itself and walk through at your own pace. Benny was excited because I was excited but he didn’t really get it except for the music part since he’d been hearing it since he was born. I would say even before then except that Penny thought my taste in music was bizarre. The tour of the mansion included the living room, his parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, TV room, pool room, the famous Jungle Room, his father’s office, the Trophy Building, the Racquetball Building, and Meditation Garden.
From the house, which actually isn’t really all that big to be honest, we went to tour Elvis' Custom Jets. Back in 1975 when he bought the planes it was really unusual. He purchased a 1958 Convair 880 and named it Lisa Marie after his daughter. He spent more than $800,000 having the jet remodeled. When we walked through I could only imagine what it must have been like back then, in Elvis’ heyday. The jet had a living room, conference room, sitting room, and private bedroom, as well as gold-plated seat belts, suede chairs, leather covered tables, 24-karat gold-flecked sinks and that is just the stuff I noticed. There was also a s smaller Lockheed Jet Star, with a yellow and green interior that was primarily used for taking Elvis’ manager and his staff from city to city on his concert tours.
That would have been wow enough but our tickets next took into the Elvis Presley Entertainment Complex - A state-of-the-art entertainment and exhibit complex of over 200,000-square-feet in size. It was set up so that you started at the beginning of Elvis’ life and followed him through to the end.
There were stores galore of course but the main focus was definitely on the museums and exhibit halls. The ones I remember the most and enjoyed the most, in no particular order, include the self-guided tour of Presley Motors Automobile Museum. Holy smokes, some of the cars were really neat. There was his iconic Pink Cadillac, his Stutz Blackhawk, the 1956 Cadillac Eldorado, his Dino Ferrari, a Mercedes Benz limousine, a Rolls Royce sedans, some golf cart funny looking things, and even more.
Another self-guided tour was of The Entertainer Career Museum. It was set up so that you immersed yourself in Elvis’ career through hundreds of artifacts and photos from significant events in his life. There were an amazing collection of gold and platinum records, his tour costumes including the stunning and iconic jumpsuits. There was movie memorabilia – all of which I’d seen thanks to Grandma Barry – and ton of other stuff. It got overwhelming a few times. It is a place you could go to multiple times and still find something new each time.
There were smaller exhibits that covered Elvis’ hobbies and things like that. You just wandered from building to building, winding in and out of themed halls. There was the motorcycle exhibit, Icons that influenced Elvis, the Tupelo Exhibit about the home and area that he was born in and how that influenced him, the “Hollywood backlot” that had some quotes and costumes from his costars, and cool exhibits that reveal his private life including one that showcased his daughter’s life and career.
The place where Benny had the most fun was the immersive, state-of-the-art, virtual experiences. Benny and I killed it on the Eras of Elvis Game. Via an interactive quiz told you which Elvis were you … the 50s, 60s, or 70s version. You get an downloadable photo as a keepsake. Another one was where you could “Elvis Yourself” by choosing a dynamic carousel of 3D versions of Elvis’ greatest outfits and then virtually dress yourself in the outfits. You could even strike a pose and again, you could get a downloadable photo. Benny was hilarious. I never knew the turkey could or even would do such a thing. I got the giggles so bad we had to take a break and admire our photos.
You could do other things as well like be part of famous Elvis album covers and movie posters. There was an interactive LED Dance Floor Quiz. Another fun one was the Elvis movie match game. You could sing on the set of a virtual Blue Hawaii movie set. Er … drew a bit of an audience on that one. My singing voice carries as much as my conversational voice. Thank goodness I didn’t mess it up and I even managed to get some applause.
The Elvis: Front Row - An Immersive Concert Experience – was really neat. It was like sitting in an Elvis concert. Very cool. I sat through the entire thing three times before knowing I needed to get us moving.
We ate at Vernon’s Smokehouse. Yum. It was a bit of a struggle to pick something though I had to keep the gluten-free stuff to the top of the list. There was authentic Memphis BBQ … pork ribs, chicken and beef brisket. There were also things like meatloaf, catfish, and BBQ spaghetti, burgers, and something I had to deny the temptation to get … a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Benny was Elvis’d out and on overload. The BBQ sauce might have had something red in it for coloring. Stupid of me not to think about the possibility. He wasn’t awful but he was definitely topped off and starting to be bothered by the crowds. He got upset over something, I think he thought I was leaving because he wasn’t behaving or something like that.
“Are you kidding Little Bear?! You were great. I mean I know this place probably doesn’t mean the same to you as it does to me but you were still willing to go for me. I want you to know that really means a lot to me.” That chirked him up and I added, “But it is time we get back to things we need to do. We both need new hikers so I’m thinking we can go to this place not too far from here called the Bass Pro Shop. It is in a pyramid.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Really.” And it was. And the way things were on sale was real bizarre until I found out the store was prepping for a major renovation right before Christmas season. In addition to new hikers I sunk some money into other things: Elk, Wild Boar, and Venison sausages, Jack Link’s bacon jerky, Uncle Buck’s gluten free fish batter, and Steak strips jerky. I also got a some old-fashioned candies that I’d been jonesing for and I tucked it away for “that time” and for stress eating at night after Benny is asleep.
After the Bass Pro Shop overload, I took a chance and went to Beale Street. Yeah. I know. Not exactly the most kid-friendly area of the city but this might be our only chance to do something like this. We stated late enough to eat at BB King’s restaurant and listen to some live music. I even got Benny and I up to dance much to his laughing embarrassment, but we did it and it was fun. We also hit up some of the souvenir shops like Boulevard Souvenirs, Schwab’s Dry Goods Store (“if you can’t find it here, you’re probably better off without it”), and this place called Feelin’ Memphis that looked like the business end of a street trolley. I let Benny get something from each but the only thing he really wanted after the first store was a “hound dog.” It was almost an exact replica of one that I couldn’t afford at Graceland for a quarter of the price. Yeah. Elvis the Hound Dog is now an official member of the Stuffie Crew.
Once the “adults” started coming out in droves we lit out of there. It was still daytime and people were already getting a little crazy. Can’t imagine what it must get like when the sun goes down. Not to mention it was time for six-year-old boys to start calming down and getting secure.
Tonight we are overnight at the Memphis KOA. A brick wall surrounds the place and there is a King Kong gate with musical notes on it but other than feeling like we were driving into a really odd prison . . . what's not to love? The location is just 15 minutes from Beale Street so was easy to find. The vintage neon sign pointing you in didn’t make it any harder either. After we made it through the rigorous guard shack, we pulled through into a shaded big-rig site with free cable TV, free Wi-Fi, a pancake breakfast, a pool (closed for the season), giant chess and checker sets, and a playground. The playground was next to their Kamp K9 for dogs.
Benny had been so good it was an easy give to take him to the playground. I was helping Benny learn the proper way to do chin ups when it sounded like a heard of buffalo were running up behind us. Nope. Not buffaloes. There were three Newfoundland dogs. Big. Black. Giant. Freaking. Dogs. I probably broke some kind of record climbing to the top of the monkey bars and pulling Benny with me.
“Oh, I am soooo sorry. I think they thought your boy was one of my grandsons.”
Now I know I occasionally slay some people with my Southern Accent … and do it on purpose when I’m in the mood … but that little old lady must have stepped right out of some antebellum mansion in the last day or so. Wow. I used to know a man that lived on the Suwannee that would have beaten her in that department, but it would have been close.
“They don’t bite Dea-ah. Not unless I tell them to. Just come on down and let ‘em sniff you.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “When is the last time they ate?”
It was her turn to laugh. “Oh, ‘bout an hour ago. They’ll get a snack before bed, but I try to keep it small.”
I slowly got down but it was obvious the dogs had no interest in me. They were waiting for Benny. I looked at the three dogs and said, “No jumping. He’s big for his age but you three would still squish him.”
When Benny saw that I wasn’t scared he decided he wasn’t either.
“Oh my Lord. I hope he hasn’t had his bath yet ‘cause he’s gonna need another one,” the woman said shaking her head at the antics of her dogs who had decided that Benny needed some loving on.
I smiled, “Either way I think he’d consider it worth it.”
The two of us talked up until the mosquitos started coming out while Benny and … Huebert, Louise, and Dartangen … Huey, Louie, and Dewey … kept each other entertained. She and her twin brother – now widow and widower as both had lost their spouses over the last five years – travel around the country going to dog shows. She gave me some great tips and had a lot to say about Florida which is where they normally “winter over” but they would be staying with another sister in South Carolina this year until their property was fully repaired. She was amazed at how well-mannered Benny was and offered to take him off my hands. It was a joke, and I know it was a compliment, but it still made me uncomfortable. I’m glad we are heading out in the morning. And yes, Benny required a real scrub down to get all the dog slobber off.
“I’m glad the Crew was resting. They might not have understood how to behave. Or the dogs might have thought they were the wrong kind of toys.”
“When you’re right, you’re right. Ears cleaned?”
“Squeaky.”
“Well then I guess you can finish that documentary if you want to.”
“Can I just have an audio book?”
“If that’s what you want. You tired?”
He shrugged. “I just want to use the earphones. Please?”
“Of course. Just promise …”
“My eyes hurt.”
“Let me see.”
“On the inside. That smoke from the kitchen.”
“Ah. Tell you what, you can listen to a story if you let me put some compresses on your eyes.”
I think he is now asleep. His eyes didn’t look irritated, he may have just been tired. I’m not sure but I’ll keep an eye on him. I hope not but it is possible he needs glasses. I wore prism glasses for about a year at his age to realign where my eyes focused. Sigh. One step forward, two steps back.
I better get him more comfortable and get to bed myself.