Stop and Smell the Diesel: Memphis, TN

"I ain't no saint, but I've tried never to do anything that would hurt my family or offend God...I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kid that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world." -Elvis commenting to a reporter, 1950's.

We spent the majority of the day on Wednesday traveling. We drove through New Mexico, Texas, and part of Oklahoma. We stopped for the night at the Elk City/Clinton KOA campground located near Clinton Lake. We were glad that we did not choose to continue to Oklahoma City as the weather was pretty bad there during the evening. There were even some funnel clouds spotted in that area. There was some noise from the interstate at this camp ground but the camp ground itself was nice....shady, clean sites, and friendly staff. We had dinner in Elk City at Lupes Mexican restaurant. It was actually some of the best Mexican food that we've had in a while.

Thursday was primarily more driving. We decided to make our last stop in Memphis, TN, before continuing on to Huntsville on Friday. Rachel and Anna have decided that they want to spend a little more time in Huntsville with Gail & Harold. We still need to stop in to pick up our niece, Mary Grace, as she has another trip with friends planned for next week. Plus, we miss our children terribly and it'll give us an opportunity to stay the night before continuing on to Georgia. The children will join us at home in a couple of weeks.

We arrived around 5 pm at the Memphis-Graceland RV Park and Camp Ground. This camp ground is located directly behind the Heartbreak Hotel and immediately next to Graceland. It's very convenient to Graceland...you can walk to the entrance. The sites are a bit small but overall the camp ground is nicely maintained and we were able to easily fit our 40' motorhome into one of their pull-through sites.

Since Graceland was already closed, we decided to head to Beale Street to have dinner at the Blues City Cafe. The ribs were awesome but I have to admit...they weren't nearly as tasty as the ones that I had in Sheridan, WY. But, there was one thing that Jeff and I were both happy to see again...sweet tea. We were both in withdrawal after being out west for almost two weeks. You won't find sweet tea anywhere in the areas that we visited. And, any southerner will tell you...it's not the same to add sugar to cooled unsweetened tea. I need to work on Jeff's method of eating Bar-B-Que ribs. He used a fork to pull the meat off and then ate the meat with his fork. I told him that no self-respecting southerner eats ribs like that. :-)

After dinner, we walked down Beale Street, listened to some jazz bands, and browsed in a couple of shops. I noticed a lot of people walking around drinking beer along the street area. I'm guessing a popular item is the "Big Ass Beer." I wouldn't have been able to put a dent in a beer that size. Beale Street reminded me of New Orleans a little but without the nudie bars. There were people there with young children. While I didn't consider the area unsafe by any means, it was certainly a party atmosphere and not really a place I would want to bring my children. I could see it being a fun place to be for adults on New Years Eve.

After leaving, we stopped briefly along the Memphis Riverfront front area bordering the Mississippi River. We saw a beautiful sunset prior to heading back to the camper.

And, what would a visit be to Memphis without touring Graceland? We took a tour of Graceland on Friday morning. It was pleasant and worth doing at least once. It is a shame that Elvis died so early. Beyond the glitter and the flash, he seemed to be a down-to-earth person that I would've enjoyed knowing. And, we share love for some of the same foods. He liked peanut butter and banana sandwiches too....one of my favorites. And, while you have to consider that for the time period that his house was very extravagant; in today's time period, the house really didn't seem that grand. I imagine it was something to behold back in his time of popularity though.