Buckle up the seats and take the prozac, we have reached the pinnacle of the trip.
Its the Petals birthday and she wishes thank you to all those who text, facebooked and emailed best wishes.
Following the last post we overshot the runway to turn at the lane into the Heartbreak Hotel and had to drive past Gracelands twice. Lucky for Petal that the Luvshack is equipped with an ultra modern toilet which can be used on the move.
We see rather large black old mate security man who after seeing the Grisswlds arriving in the Luvshack starts to direct us to the camping ground but takes a different attitude when it is explained that it is Petals anniversary of her birth, give or take a day due to the earths rotation and she is in fact here on a VIP booking to the Heartbreak. We get a curtsey a sorry and please park anywhere at the Heartbreak that you wish with the Luvshack. We then enter the foyer and the lady checks our reservation and then starts to ply her with gifts, two champagne glasses in a blue suede shoe box, vip passes to Gracelands, dinner for two to the Hard Rock, tickets for the shuttle to Beale Street, tickets for tours of The Sun Studio and various other museums through Gracelands and Memphis, a members card to the Elvis Club which entitled her to 10% on all her purchases,(which she made good of}, an Elvis DVD and a tour DVD and two keys to the penthouse. She was godammed tickled pink.
We transferred some essential items from the Luvshack to the suite, like bourbon and cheap beer and coke to the fridge and decided we would start the night by taking the shuttle to Beale Street and get in the mood of Memphis. By the way when you turn on the TV it automatically goes to the middle of a number of channels which all have non stop Elvis movies on, when you walk down the corridor there is Elvis playing, the elevator music is ELVIS, whilst you have breakfast ELVIS IS PLAYING, whilst you wait for the shuttle BLOODY ELVIS IS COMING OUT OF THE FAKE ROCKS. Lib wondered why, when I never have done before, did I take the paper to the loo, Ah quiet time.
So on the shuttle and Beale Street is something to be seen to believed, It is shut of with two Police cars either end. We have a wander up and down and decide that we will go into BB Kings and have a drink and get into the sense of the place, How good is it, Couple of drinks even for a place like this was only $8 and live rhythm and blues like you have never heard before. Over the road to the Blue City Cafe which was recommended for ribs. The Seafood Gumbo was good but the ribs were disappointing, Didn't tell old mate the chef though. Lib said my ribs were better.
During this a number of little and big black afro-american {PC} were doing gymnastics in the middle of the street and passing the bucket for tips.
After a while back on th shuttle, which was playing Elvis, back to the motel, with Elvis coming out of the rocks, into the reception with Elvis movies, elevator-Elvis, corridor=Elvis, room-Elvis and into the john, Ahhh Tomorrow its game on.
Up early and breakfast and up to the place to exchange our vip voucher for our vip tickets. No standing in line with the commoners, straight past tickets, audio thingamy bobs on the noggin and straight into the VIP buses with a couple of other VIP couples. Prince Albert of Monacco was here yesterday and I think I may have been sitting in the same seat on the 28 seater that he was.
\Straight across the road through the music note gates and ushered into Gracelands for the tour, Push the button on the audio thingamy bob at each room and section, {I thought they would have had someone to push the button for us}
Anyway, Gracelands; both Lib and I thought it would have been much larger than what it was, it was impressive anyway, and very very unique, including its out buildings.
At the end there was the meditation garden with the graves of Elvis and Mum and Dad. Lib put up a good figh but the ten security guys got the better of her when one of her fingernails broke and she lost grip on the headstone. Still paying to have the scratch marks buffed out. Anyway after being evicted we decided we would then go on the Sun Studio tour and this was great. Still being operated as Sun Studio it has been the home of the birth of rhythm and blues and is still used by the rich and famous. Mellamcamp finished a recording there last week. Orbisons son did the tour last week.
We then got the shuttle and did the Blues Museum returned t the Heartbreak, with Elvis had an hours break and decided to return to Beale to have dinner at the Hard Rock and listen to more music.
Got talking to the local gendarmes and being Friday night and the start to Elvis week the street was barricaded off at 9.30pm and security then monitored and checked all those present and entering with scan wands, Cover charge was applied at each establishment but for 17 dollars you could buy a wristband which got you iiinro each place. We decided by this time that we should return so caught the shuttle home very fulfilled.
More tomorrow
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