History with a side of Memphis Food Porn

After Graceland, we checked into The Peabody.  Stay tuned for a more detailed post about The Peabody. All I'm going to say for now is that everyone told me that I would be disappointed but that could not be farther from the truth.

After consulting with people in the know (doorman, cab driver), we went to the Blues City Cafe for lunch.  Our mouths were watering all day for some good BBQ.   It did not disappoint.

Sausage and cheese plate, seafood gumbo and ribs

With our craving sufficiently satisfied, we walked over to the National Civil Rights Museum.   The museum incorporates the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was shot.  With every museum we visit, Butch and I continue to be surprised at how little history we know.

After a quick stop at the Gibson factory, we spent the rest of the afternoon people and duck watching in the lobby of The Peabody Hotel.  I highly recommend The Peabody Signature Jack Daniel's Peach Sour.

Graceland - Everything we hoped for

We arrived in Memphis early this morning and went directly to Graceland.

My disappointment at the lack of a Waffle House along our route from the airport disappeared as soon as we turned onto Elvis Presley Boulevard.  Alas, happiness is fleeting and my disappointment returned as soon as they charged us $10 just to park the car.  I was immediately worried about Graceland being just some horrible tourist trap.

In the end, Graceland turned out to be everything we hoped for - mirrors everywhere, abundant shag carpet in the mansion, an entire building dedicated to his costumes and awards, the pink cadillac and his grave.  The crowd of people consisted of that perfect ratio of tattoos to walkers.  The staff was not too pushy about us buying the souvenir photo.  Each person is given a tablet and headphones to use for the mansion tour.  Pro tip: Bring your own headphones for the tour.

And the gift shops... What can I say about the gift shops?  While there were the expected decorative shot glasses, t-shirts, magnets, mugs and koozies featuring every image of Elvis you could possibly imagine, there was so much more.  If you could put a picture of Elvis on it then they had it.  Butch suggested we buy a statue to put on the shelf in the bathroom with the Queen and the Pope but I opted for the salt and pepper shakers.  They are sure to add that touch of je ne sais quoi to our next dinner party.

Some pictures from the mansion

Music and Food

Butch and I are off to Memphis and Nashville to sample the music and the food.

As usual, we have a packed itinerary but the hands-down no-contest most important item is a visit to Graceland.  There will be no visits to a baseball stadium on this trip but I can think of nothing more American than Elvis Presley.  I will be disappointed if the gift shop is not home to the greatest collection of kitsch money can buy.

Stay tuned as we eat, dance and drink ourselves across the great state of Tennessee...