Day 13-Southaven, Mississippi (3679 Total)

GRACELAND and MEMPHIS! Where to begin. Whilst Karina was wetting herself with excitement I was rather apathetic to setting foot on the King's hallowed turf. After all, did Elvis sport a perm in the 70s and entertain thousands with mercurial football talent before returning to the club he loved 20 years later to create a team dubbed "the entertainers" based on their outlandish style of attacking football that nearly changed the way football was approached forever. In case there is any doubt in your mind, no. So for me there is only one King (though he is currently in exile from his kingdom, but rumours of his return are rife I hear). But I digress, safe to say I was non plussed. However, with my first timid steps into Elvis' pad I was stunned by my reaction.



The place is amazing, steeped in rock and roll history and is somewhere where you genuinely believe you are stepping in the footsteps of God's. Yes there's the jump suits, the cars, the planes, but for me it was the personal story, the story of a guy whose career went up then down and back up higher than ever before with the 68 comeback special. His house is a testament to his personality, its unique, there is no other place like it in the world. I was moved by seeing the personal touches, the jungle room, the hundreds of award winning records, and the piano he played on the morning of his death, with friends around him.



I am not a huge Elvis fan, I own a greatest hits record and that's it, but you can't not visit Graceland and come away with anything but a humble respect for an amazing superstar that changed music and the world. He died in his prime and is a loss to the world. To quote his epitaph "He was a precious gift from God"

The day did not end there however as we hot footed it to more musical hallowed turf and Beale St, Memphis. This place is the birth place of Blues, the street is littered with bar after bar of soulful music, we stayed to the early hours listening to bands- some great (The Soul Hole) some not (BB Kings Club). The latter should be thoroughly ashamed of itself for charging $9 a drink and showcasing a band that was more interested in jacking off to its own music than forming any sort of connection with the audience. Bah!



The night was ended with a smooth taxi ride home, whose driver couldn't have been more of a Memphis' legend as he regaled us with tales of Elvis, the Blues and played some Gladys Knight to take us home

Day 13- a good day


The night was ended with a smooth taxi ride home, whose driver couldn't have been more of a Memphis' legend as he regaled us with tales of Elvis, the Blues and played some Galdys Knight to take us home

Day 13- a good day

Alan

State lines crossed 1 (11 Total)
Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total)

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