Day 7 - Memphis to Vicksburg

We wandered around downtown Memphis for a bit today before heading to see The King. The city seems to know its bread and butter these days is tourism. They keep the major pedestrian mall very clean, and staff a number of intersections with local city guides who can answer questions from out-of-towners.

After a couple hours at the Mud Island River Park, we had lunch on Beale St. and then headed for Graceland.





Graceland is entirely over the top. Every bit of it. But then again, so was Elvis. His estate maintains the property very well, and we enjoyed our time there, but photos of and references to the latter day Fat Elvis were conspicuously absent from most displays.

We did not see the ghost of Elvis, but did see his grave in the backyard of Graceland, filled with flowers from fans. I just don't get the obsession with Elvis that consumes many people.



The drive from Memphis to Vicksburg, Mississippi was extremely long, unbearably flat, and filled with bugs. Since the final hour of the drive was in the dark through corn fields, the bugs were in full force. We turned the radio down, and the sound of the bugs crunching and pounding against the car windshield was noticeably loud.

Once we arrived in Vicksburg, we went to a gas station to clean the windshield, and I snapped a couple photos of the carnage. Disgusting!




We drove into Helena, Arkansas momentarily, just to say we went to that state. Helena's commercial street was another boarded up ghost town, with many residents hanging outside their dilapidated homes, sitting amidst random furniture and tires on couches that were permanently outside of their homes. Seriously a world away from life as I know it. It makes me fortunate to have the life I have.

I also noticed that people in Mississippi seem to enjoy driving on these desolate country roads in the dusk without their lights on.