Day 10 - Memphis, TN

No driving today!

Breakfast in bed (cereal, tea and juice - healthy!). Then got the free Sun Studios shuttle to Graceland which is about 7 miles south of Memphis. It had to be done. Bought our tickets for a tour of the mansion and ancillary attractions - all very touristy, over complicated with iPad self-guide-tour-thingies, and the various staff dotted around could do with a National Trust style customer service course, but despite these things we spent a few hours touring the King's house and gardens and got a real sense of his lifestyle during his short reign (he died aged 42 - I always thought he was older when he passed away). All in all actually not too cheesy, although we did have a choice of about seven gift shops...

Back to downtown Memphis on the shuttle bus for lunch in the recommended 'world famous' Gus's fried chicken (over ordered as usual...), and then for a complete contrast a few hours were spent in the National Civil Rights Museum - set around the buildings of the old Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was shot. And what a museum - as impressive as any we've ever been to. Real thought put into the exhibits and an overwhelming amount of information to absorb in such a small amount of time. You got a real sense of what a messed up place the USA was in the period leading up to his death and after it - profound, moving, humbling, shocking and embarrassing.

We headed back to the guest house, and after some laundry and another chat with Tom (the owner, who I could happily talk to all day) we headed out to Beale Street again and ended up in the Blues City Cafe for another dose of the Memphis 3 and a variety of Elvis, Johnny Cash and blues standards - "Suspicious Minds" done for the second time for us. Liquid dinner with just a slice of pecan pie to soak up the local beers as we were still full from lunch.

Love Memphis - real heart and soul, and history...