Memphis TN

FRI June 4

Back to the city I was born in for the first time since 1979 or 1980, can’t remember exactly.

FRI Marla and I started with breakfast at IHOP followed by the tour of Graceland. It is on my list of recommended things to do in Memphis because Elvis Presley was such a great performer and I also feel a great American because when his number was called for the draft he put his career on hold and went into the Army. He didn’t go hide in Canada or change his name and claim a religious objection, he went.

After the tour we ate lunch at Corkey’s BBQ on Poplar St, I remembered the Pig & Whistle BBQ in Memphis but Google did find the P & W I was looking for.

Oh, side story, walked into Corkey’s wearing an In & Out t-shirt and the hostess said where in California are you from, she recognized In & Out. Similar thing happened in McKinney TX when we were out for lunch with Gus & Di, In & Out t-shirt and as we were leaving the folks at a table stopped me and asked if I worked for In & Out because they had heard that I & O was looking for a location in the area to open for business; love t-shirts that start conversations.

Back to Memphis, after lunch I wanted to do a drive-by of 229 N. McNeil St, old family home from the 1940’s when Mom& I lived with her Mother, Grandmother and assorted Aunts. House is now designated historic and looks fairly well preserved but you could tell the neighborhood was 80+ years old, but I saw it.

From McNeil St we looked at our map and headed for Elwood Cemetery to go see some relatives. On the way over and driving down Cleveland St I saw a church and when almost passed it made a hard right turn. Sacred Heart Church and across Jefferson what was once Sacred Heart School where I went to the 1st and 2nd grades in 1948 – 49. The neighborhood has changed, church signs are now in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

After a couple of pictures, onward to Elwood, check in with the office on location information and then Marla and I spent 20-minutes schlepping around where we were told to go, covering the area at least 3 times and not finding any markers; went back to the office to confirm the area, yes, but this time she asked if I wanted a superintendant to meet us and I said yes. The superintendant took a look at the copy of the registration she gave us and took us to a different part of the cemetery where the markers I was looking for were easily located; one of these years I’ll really get to work on my genealogy project instead of picking at it for an hour a year.

SAT June 5

Today was Mud Island River Park, Mud Island was really just mud 30-years ago when I was last here but they have developed it to a Mississippi river Museum and a 5-block water-flowing model of the lower part of the Mississippi River, Ohio River merge to Gulf of Mexico disappearance, lots of walking but educational and enjoyable. Love the Mississippi, cargo moves by ship and barges; air and trucks get a lot of attention but in order of tonnage it is ship/barge, rail road, truck and then air.

After Mud Island we went to lunch on Beale St and enjoyed VERY LOUD blues music and the different places tried to get you to come in and more pork BBQ. Beale St, a fun happening place for drinks and music.

Then back to the Mississippi River to a place where I saw they had some paddle-wheel boats, I’m always a tourist.

Also had to go back to Sacred Heart Church for mass. Small group, only 17 people, but the church was in very good condition.

Forgot to mention that we are at the Memphis-Graceland RV Park & Campground just off Love Me Tender Blvd on Heartbreak Lane.