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Bob Axsom

Well Known Member
When I logged on to the internet just now there was an AP story about a $250,000,000 makeover of the whole area around Elvis' home in Memphis, Tennessee into a big tourist complex. It is a big gamble I'm sure and it may work out great but one thing for sure it will never be the same. If you have any interest in a more close to the source tour this year would be a good time to go. We visited the home last year after landing at the small airport north of town by the river but West Memphis across the river in Arkansas may have better facilities. The current presentation of the home is very tastfully done. We also drove down south past the casinos of Tunica to Clarksdale, Mississipi and had an enjoyable catfish dinner in Morgan Freemen's Ground Zero Blues Club as a personal bonus.

Bob Axsom
 
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I visited on the 5th anniversary of his death back in 81 or 82, not sure which. Naively, my friends and I thought that it would be a great place to meet females. :eek: Well there were a lot of women there ranging from the mid twenties to their eighties and as 19 year olds we didn't have much of a chance of hooking up with these crying and mourning ladies.

What I remember the most was the fun that we had just down the street on the opposite side of the Blvd from Graceland. There was an empty lot with a wooden fence as a front with a ticket booth much like at a county fair. This was being marketed as the Eternal Flame an they wanted around $8 or $10 each to go in and take everything in. The fence along the front also made turn at the front corners of the lot and went back about 20 feet or so giving the impression from the street that the entire lot was fenced. Being young and broke we chose to walk around the side and look inside. What we saw was simply hilarious. There was a partition keeping people from the ticket booth from seeing back into the lot. Behind this partition there was a pipe about 6 feet tall sticking out of the ground with a flame burning at the top that was a couple of inches tall. Next to this there was a cardboard cutout of Elvis singing in one of his stage outfits with the giant collars. Then of course there was the viewing area which consisted of several rows of folding chairs. Maybe 40 or 50 chairs total with nobody in a single one. It's crazy but this is what I remember most about the visit along with liquer stores and places to buy keepsakes. We had a great time laughing at how they were all set up to rip people off. Again, youth!

Since then I've seen Graceland on the computer that I'm typing on now via Google Earth and remember being amazed at the growth. There is camping, static airplane displays, and heaven only knows what else. I agree with Bob, it is one of those things to see. I'm not making fun of visiting, just remembering another time. To see the level of sadness and tears five full years after his death by complete strangers was impressive. It made us feel pretty small.
 
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:confused: STRANGE! I live in Shelby County and have not heard this one. But I also did not know my cousin had been shot at a Krystal Resturant in Memphis for a week. If this is true, it will make the area look better. This is not the best spot in town.
 
BOB I APOLOGIZE

Bob! I apologize, it was just on the nightly news. They want to spend $250 million to update the house and build a new hotel with a convention center. :eek:
 
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I had to go back and add three zeros

I should have said it was a $250,000,000 makeover and I fixed the original post. I was not one of the fanatics but I do like to tour famous homes, etc. In January of 1956 I went to Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis to see a big country music concert featuring greats like Hank Snow and Web Pierce. Well, great to me and thousands of people there that night. At the end they had this new kid that was getting a lot of press come on, Elvis Presley. I was pretty set in my ways even then and after his second or third song I left because I didn't feel that was country music. I did learn to appreciate his talent later and I regret my arrogance that night. I never got to hear the once famous "Elvis has left the building" announcement. Anyway, this probably will be fine after the changes are made but it will be different and you can never go back and see it the way it was.

P.S. We are leaving for Greece and Turkey in a few hours - expect to tour some famous buildings there.

Bob Axsom
 
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