Wow, compared to how little I got to see yesterday today was jam packed. I got into Memphis a few minutes after 8, crossing the mighty Mississippi one more time, and found my way to Graceland. I've never been a huge Elvis fan, but I do enjoy his music and this seemed like one of those things that you just have to see. There were plenty of people there early, and most of them were lining up to buy tickets for the $69 VIP package that allows you to tour everything, airplanes, stables, the works. I chose to just do the mansion tour. They give you headphones and an MP3 like device so you can listen to the audio portion of the tour - saves paying tour guides, I guess - and load you on a shuttle to go across the street to the house and grounds. Elvis bought Graceland for $100,000 when he was only 22 years old and lived there until his death in 1977. He made many upgrades and improvements over the years, including building a racquetball court and fitness center in the back yard - that cost twice as much as the whole house did in 1957! The decor of the house must have been state-of-the-art at the time of its last upgrade in the 70's, but I have to say that the green shag carpet on the ceiling of the"jungle" room was kind of comical (Sorry, Barb!). A very interesting tour, nonetheless. I didn't know Elvis was such a philanthropist - there was a whole display of checks he had written giving donations to a wide variety of organizations.
From Graceland, I went back to the north to Union Avenue and the Peabody Hotel to see the famous "duck march." If you're not familiar with the ducks, there are 5 northern mallards that are trained to ride the elevator down from their rooftop home, at precisely 11am (with the Duckmaster as a chaperone, of course) and walk the red carpet to the fountain in the lobby. They spend all day there until it's time (5pm) to reverse the march and go back to the roof. There were tons of people in the lobby to see the ducks, and a fair number of us who were there sans chindren! The tradition started 76 years ago as a practical joke after too much Jack Daniels, and it was such a hit that the ducks have been there ever since!
Beale Street is just 2 blocks to the south of Union Avenue, so I went there for lunch. The best pulled pork sandwich ever! At BB King's Blues Club! The BBQ sauce was the first thing I looked for in the gift shop. Too bad there was no live blues music, except for the lone trumpeter on the sidewalk. This is a place I would like to revisit when I can stay overnight in Memphis. As I left Memphis, I rode up Riverside Drive along the Mississippi and could see Mud Island and its hanging red cable cars, featured in the John Grisham book and movie, The Firm. Then it was back on the road to Nashville.
I was afraid that I might not get to Nashville in time to see the inside of the Grand Ole Opry House, but fortunately I had some time to spare. I got into the 4:30 backstage tour and learned all about the history of the Grand Ole Opry and its cast members. We saw the dressing rooms and even stood on the stage, which has a large circle front and center, a piece from the old Ryland Theatre which used to house the Opry until the new Opry House was built. I was hoping to see an actual performance there, but they are scheduled for Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, so I missed it. Ricky Skaggs and Alison Krause are there this weekend, and I would have liked to see either one of them. That's another thing to put on the list for next time.
Home is now only 48 hours away! Tomorrow I visit Mammoth Cave and maybe the Maker's Mark distillery before settling in in Charleston, WV.
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