Finally made it to Graceland recently. Memphis, Tennessee. Birthplace of Rock n' roll, cradle of the blues, and home of my brother Richard, who preaches at Trinity Baptist. The Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studios, Beale Street, damn good barbeque at Marlowe's, warm southern hospitality, Gus's Fried Chicken... and perhaps most famously known for Graceland, the home (and final resting place) of Elvis Presley, purchased in 1957 for $100,000. The tour winds through the various rooms of the downstairs of the house (the upstairs, Elvis' private quarters, are roped off). If you care at all about Elvis, there's an odd mix of emotion... but mostly I felt a warmth, easily imagining the Presley family having many good times there, and almost feeling at moments like I was eavesdropping. The tour concludes in the Meditation Gardens, where the Presleys are buried. I got All Shook Up and couldn't speak. (See the "Graceland" group in the Photo Gallery for pics... click on thumbnail to enlarge photos and read captions)
