Who in their right mind could be passing through Memphis and not visit Graceland? Not us!
Despite not being big Elvis fans, we did not want to miss the opportunity to visit Elvis’s home.
We enjoyed the tour (awesome ipad interface) and got a stack of pics. When you see all of the awards and see the old clips, it really does reinforce how awesome Elvis was. It does also demonstrate that in this
luxurious home that was the pinnacle of style and extravagance for its time, would now be considered quite a standard house in size and layout (although many of the design choices are questionable for any decade).
luxurious home that was the pinnacle of style and extravagance for its time, would now be considered quite a standard house in size and layout (although many of the design choices are questionable for any decade).
When we had first driven into Memphis, we noticed a massive glass pyramid. It had the Bass Pro Shop logo on it, but we could also see what appeared to be a viewing deck near the apex. So following our date with Elvis, we drove in and checked out the pyramid.
It was not only the home to a gigantic Bass Pro store, it was also a motel and featured the largest freestanding elevator East of the Mississippi. There were two live alligators and dozens of fish that call this
place home. It was so lovely, but also kinda weird with all the taxidermied animals and guns. There were lots of guns.
place home. It was so lovely, but also kinda weird with all the taxidermied animals and guns. There were lots of guns.
Following our adventure up the pyramid, we hit a steakhouse near our motel. It has apparently won a stack of awards for its smoked meats. The bar for smoked meats (especially brisket) had been set pretty high thus far, but this place was the bomb! I also tried grits. I had seen grits on menus all over the south but never really knew what they were. I asked our awesome waiter, Brandon, what they were like and he struggled to define or describe them. In the end, they kinda don’t have any taste, but their texture is a bit
like mashed potato with tough bits in it. Can’t say it is something I will eat again, but stoked to be able to say I have eaten it. The meat was superb and definitely shows why there are so many big trophies on display.
like mashed potato with tough bits in it. Can’t say it is something I will eat again, but stoked to be able to say I have eaten it. The meat was superb and definitely shows why there are so many big trophies on display.
Brandon was really awesome. He was eager to talk to us because of where we were from and he told us about his adventures out of (and ultimately back into) Memphis. He left Memphis with $14 and hitchhiked around the US, ending up in LA for a while. He is writing a book about his adventure, so we will keep watching this space for its release later in 2016.
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