Road Trip - Arkansas

I've been trying to take pictures of the "Welcome To" state signs on our way here. I wasn't paying attention when we left Memphis and had to fumble to get my camera out while I was driving. I did manage to snap this picture though.

Road Trip - Memphis

No trip to Memphis is complete without some BBQ. We stopped for lunch at The Rendezvous. The entrance is in an alley, and as we walked in we were greeted by an older gentleman who kindly informed us that it doesn't open until 4pm. After I finished muttering some expletives and throwing my arms up in the air in defeat, he continued on to tell us that but if you want ribs they are open. Apparently open doesn't mean quite the same thing in Memphis as it does everywhere else, but basically they open earlier in the day but your only menu choices are a half-rack or full-rack. I went with the full-rack.

After lunch, we swung by Beale Street, which is lined with alternating neighborhood blues bars and national chains. Mike stopped by W.C. Handy's house, who is considered to be the father of the Blues. When we arrived had we found a sign posted on the door that read "Out to Lunch". The last stop in Memphis was Sun Recording Studios, where Elvis first recorded.

Road Trip - Graceland

Graceland, Memphis, the land of all things Elvis. Except on Tuesdays, December through February, when Graceland is closed. We were still able to walk up to the mansion, but couldn't go inside. Elvis and his family are all buried on the property, including a stillborn twin brother. Imagine if his brother had lived. It boggles the mind. After walking around the property a bit, we looked through a handful of the 16 separate gift shops they have in the complex. Some items of interest: Velvet Elvis Paintings, the hip-shaking Elvis clock, and the Viva Las Vegas poker set featuring photos of Elvis on the Kings of the deck.