DAY 120, 121- Memphis…

Memphis has been called the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock’n’Roll.  But I knew of two places there that I wanted to visit; one of course, was Graceland and the other was Lorraine Motel.  Past that I really had no plans and I would play it by ear.

DAY 120- Lorraine Motel, Belz AND Popeye’s…

Photo- Lorraine Motel

Lorraine Motel-
Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot was first on my list.  I went to the Lorraine Motel only to find it blocked off and renovations being done.  The whole place was on lock down.  I guess they found black mold and needed to take care of it before it did some real damage.  Unfortunately, all I could do was take pictures from the outside of the Motel.  There’s a Civil Rights Museum that is attached to it but it also was not open.  I guess during this time of year it is only open during the weekends.  But I got a picture and walked as close as I could to the railing area where Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot.  There were several others there taking pictures.  I talked with a black lady from that had come all the way from North Carolina only to discover it was closed.  She was very disappointed and also complained that they had been here for two days and there wasn’t anything to do.  I’m not sure what she was looking to do but I had a whole list of possibilities and knew I couldn’t see it all.  I guess it just all dependent upon your point of view.

Photo- The balcony where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot.

Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art-

Photo- Inside the front hallway of the Belz Museum.

I had found this museum on-line the night before and it got very good reviews.  Since I couldn’t do much with the Lorraine Motel/Civil Rights Museum and Graceland was closed for the day, I figured it would be a good place to spend some time.  It was a bit of a maze to find this gem of a museum in the heart of downtown Memphis but well worth the effort.  The Belz Museum contains a great deal of artifacts and art from the Quing Chinese Dynasty.  It was amazing just to look at all of the level of intricate jade sculptural art alone.  This museum also features Jewish, Judaic, and natural history specimens from several time periods.  I had only put 90 minutes into the parking meter and before I knew it I went out to put more change in the meter.  It was until I was leaving the museum that I found out I could have gotten validated parking at the nearby hotel parking ramp.  Live and learn!

Lunch at Ernest and Hazel’s-

Photo- Inside Ernest and Hazel's.

I had driven by this place while I was trying to find the Lorraine Motel earlier and I decided I would swing by possibly for a late lunch.  After the Belz Museum, I went by.  I had seen this place in part of a movie called Elizabethtown.  This corner restaurant had been several places in the past; at one point it had even been a brothel.  But probably the most famous part of its history occurred in the 1950’s when it was Ernest and Hazel’s restaurant.  Hazel was the well-known mistress of a blues musician and this place had served as a meeting place for quite a few of blues greats in the area.  There’s currently quite a bit of records and photo memorabilia up on the walls of this place which I have to say is a bit of a dive.  But the seafood chowder was pretty good and I talked with Dave who’s a chef for the establishment.  It was interesting talking with him and learning about the Memphis area.  Meanwhile, we talked the “possessed” juke box up front would pop on with music every now and then.  Dave said it was supposed to auto-play every half hour but it played a couple times where it was only 5 minutes and then 10 minutes the next time.  He go over, turn the volume down, and then it would play again just as loud the next time it started to play.  He said that it was possessed and that the whole place was probably full of ghosts.  It looked like it definitely needed a remodel and like the place was falling apart.

My Popeye’s Experience-

I had never been to a Popeye’s before and yes, I knew it was a southern fast food chain but I figured that it was time to give it a try.  I went through the drive through figuring I would take it back to the hotel for a night in and catch a movie on TV.  I drove up and proceeded to attempt to order a “Holiday Platter”.  I couldn’t understand what the girl was saying here accent was a heavy southern drawl and she talked fast.  I said pardon a couple of times.  Then, figured she was asking if I wanted it hot or mild.  I said hot.  Then I think that she asked if I wanted light or dark meat for the chicken I had ordered.  I told her white.  So the next thing I know is there’s a guy talking to me over the intercom asking me in much clearing English what side I wanted and what beverage too.  I got to a window and was getting a terribly awful glaring look from a large black girl.  Ooopps!  I said hot and white.  I think she was just a bit pissed off with me.  Meanwhile, the guy who had talked to me arrived at the window.  He was a black clean cut man and he apologized looking at the black girl like she should know better.  Oh my!  I think I may have started an inter-racial incident and here I was just a Yankee trying to order dinner through drive through.

DAY 121- Graceland to Little Rock…

Photo- See! I was actually there!

Graceland is the famous home of Elvis Presley, the King, and is one of the most visited sites in the US.  I was visiting it during the slow season.  I could just walk up to the window and purchase a ticket but this is not always the case.   Shortly after Graceland opened at 10am, I pulled my car into the parking lot across the street.  I paid the $10 parking lot fee and then went to a booth to pay another $28 for a tour of the Mansion.  There’s a VIP tour that’s more and takes you through the mansion and all of the museums from cars to planes to extra museums but I figured that the mansion was enough for me.  We were given audio tour devices as almost 25 of us walked onto the bus that took us across the street to the mansion. 

Photo- Elvis' Livingroom.

The bus left us off right at the front door.  As you went into Graceland, they directed you to input a number in the audio device and the tour of the house began.  It was the height of luxury when Elvis lived in it and was very like stepping into the mid-1960’s home.  It was rather fun because they had all of the Christmas decorations up; most of which were original from Elvis’ time at Graceland.  We went around the first floor in a carpeted roped off area and listened and looked as directed by the audio device.  We went down the stairs, through a “jungle” room and out to the back carport.  Then, it was off through some of the other buildings on the property.  There was an office building, a trophy hall, and a racquetball building.  All around the buildings you could see horse pastures where horses were grazing on grass.  I could imagine that it would have been a relaxing environment for someone of Elvis’ caliber.  I was really amazed at all of the gold records he had in the Hall of Gold.  It just made you realize how much of a talent he was.  Then, you went out to the back area where there’s a garden like area where Elvis’ grave is.  He is laid to rest next to the graves of his mom and dad.  There are flowers and other items near his grave and that of his parents.  This is the most visited grave site of anywhere in the US.

Photo- The room with 3 TV's in Elvis' House.

After the mansion tour, you got back on a bus to cross the street where you are directed to a place where you can look at your souvenir photos that were taken before you got loaded on the bus.  I skipped this all together but I still was directed into a gift shop.  I had a ticket for an additional museum visit which was at the north end of a row of gift shops.  Every little museum or area that you could visit on Elvis led you through a gift shop right afterwards.  There was definitely some marketing going on here.  But I will say this was an amazing experience in all because it was all about Elvis.  After Graceland, I found myself driving on my way to Little Rock, Arkansas.

DAY 112- Civil Rights and a Confederate Capital…

Early the next morning I went to downtown Montgomery to the Rosa Parks Museum that is run by Troy University.  Rosa Park has been referred to as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.  It was a wonderful experience visiting the museum.  I started in a room the showed a film of Montgomery now and then it showed how the city was prior to the arrest of Rosa Parks.  There were local citizens of the community that spoke on film of their memories of how it was with the Jim Crowe Laws in effect.  The film showed photos of signs of white only and black only.  Next, the doors opened up into a room where there was a old bus in the middle of it.  It was like a step into the past.  Through the windows of the bus played out the scene of Rosa Parks’ arrest.  Rosa was firm but passive during the whole event.  She maintained her dignity too.  It was fascinating to watch.

Photo- Just inside of the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, AL.

Next, a set of church doors opened and I learned about what happened within the community after that.  It was very interesting to learn about the influence that Rosa Parks had on Martin Luther King too.  It was also amazing the level of planning and community involvement that it took to keep the boycott going.  There was a great deal of organizing that went into the carpooling that managed to get people to their jobs over the 13 month boycott.

Photo- The home Martin Luther King lived in Montgomery, AL
which is now a museum and was closed for the day.

Next, I found I had to laugh a bit and found it rather ironic that I ended up following a Montgomery City Bus on the way to Martin Luther King Jr’s house.  The home had been turned into a museum but had been bombed when the Kings lived there.  Well, the MLK House was closed.  Darn it!  So I just ended up driving by and taking a photo.

Photo- The front of the Alabama State Capital.

Then, I parked my car a few blocks away in front of the Alabama State Capital which happened to be the same Capital that was used by the Confederates as a base for government.  I really found it interesting that all of this history was within a few blocks.  I put money in the parking meter and then walked up the front steps of the Capital.  Meanwhile, a group of elegantly clad high school kids were coming down.  It looked like a choir with the boys in suits and the girls in long blue taffeta skirts.  I felt a bit under dressed and wondered if something special was going on in the Capital.

Photo- The foyer area just inside the front door of the Alabama State Capital.

The state capital of Alabama is like a mini replica of our nation’s capital.  It’s white with the columns down the front and a dome up top.  It’s placed on a hill that I found out was called “Goat’s Hill” which accounts for the gift shop’s name in the basement.  I took a picture of the outside.  They have a statue in the front that’s Mr. Confederate President himself, Mr. Jefferson Davis.  I’m always fascinated that they like to brag about their confederate history here in the south.  I would’ve been embarrassed to be a part of this but here they almost brag about it; which makes it even more interesting that a few blocks away is a museum dedicated to the mother of civil rights.  The south is such a quandary.

Photos- Of the rotunda of the Alabama State Capital.

I walk into the front door of the capital expecting security like most state capitals with roped off areas, a scanner and a gate that I would walk through; after I empty my pockets of change and keys.  Nope!  There’s a large Christmas tree in a foyer with stairs wrapping up on each side as I walk in.  Off to one side and back, there’s a security guard sitting at a table with an older lady at an information table.  There’s a table and detection gate way back and off to the side.  I say hi and the guard asks to check my purse and then after a bit has me walk through the gate.  It was a very laid back type of thing.  I was really surprised. 

I got a map of the capital from the lady and she asked where I was from.  She was rather proud that someone as far away as Utah wanted to see her state capital.  She asked me to sign the visitor’s book and welcomed me.  From there I just walked around on the main level which was mostly all white walls with elaborate molding.  Down the center hall, they must have had some event going on there were men in military outfits and dressed up people.  I walked around them; getting the eye from some state policeman with a wide brimmed flat hat.  I took out my camera, took pictures, and read signage about the building.   The state policeman is really keeping an eye on me and standing next to another man that other people are shaking his hand and wanting to talk with.  It turns out later that I was actually in the same room as the Alabama governor.  Their security is very laid back; it was mind boggling.

Photo- The first floor area, all very white.

I walked up to the next level where I could see in the dome area which was lovely but smaller than other capitals I have been in.  I was also amazed at how many doors were open and I could see Capital workers and statesman at work at their desks.  It was a very much open door policy.  In fact, there were only a couple of hallway areas that were roped off from visitors.  Otherwise it was a free for all. 

I walked down the back stairs to the gift shop which the information lady had recommended I visit.  There was another lax set of security guards by the back door with a table off to the side and the detection gate.  I walked by them saying hi and walked into the gift shop just across the hall from them.  Wow!  I will say that this was the nicest gift shop I have seen in any of the state capitals.  It was well presented and had a lot of items made in Alabama which I was amazed at the variety; from pottery to Alabama mud stained t-shirts to scented candles handmade tiled angel ornaments to cheese sticks (??) to candies.  I got a couple of postcards and could help but laugh about the Alabama mud stained t-shirts.

Next, I was fueled up and heading out of town heading east through Alabama back country towards Macon, GA.  I was about 30 miles out and it’s raining with dark clouds in the sky when the car radio announces a thunderstorm warning until 2pm and a tornado watch until 3pm.  It was strange because I haven’t had to worry about tornadoes for years since I moved away from Iowa and here I was driving on a back road in Alabama with a tornado watch.  I was almost out of the county that had this watch but it made me keep an eye on those dark clouds a little more closely and be aware of what shelter may be in the area as I drove along.

Photo- A Hillbilly Mall along a back road in Alabama?  Now that wasn't surprising!

It was pouring rain when I got to Macon, GA.  I managed to drive right to the hotel; only to find I had made the reservation for the next night.  Ooopps!  We got that rectified and I got settled in.  Then, I proceeded to try to locate a pizza place in the area but there was none; even though there was no shortage of restaurants nearby.  I finally gave up because driving in the area was near impossible with all the accidents.  They really don’t know how to drive in Macon when it rains.  I found a Sammy’s BBQ place about a block from my hotel and went in.

It was a rustic little BBQ place where a majority of the clientele was local southern middle class whites.  I seemed to fit right in except for having no accent.  I ordered a half slab of ribs with coleslaw and fries.  The ribs came hidden under the fries and a piece of garlic bread.  There were 4 different sauces to choose from on the table; I went with sweet and spicy.  It was good stuff!