End of New Orleans, Graceland, and a long drive home

We've been back from the trip for a couple of days now. The last morning was spent in the French Quarter, after which Eldest and I began the long drive home.

Right here is the complete set of New Orleans service pictures, featuring lots of kids that you don't know.

That morning, I mocked the few students kids who, while in the historic, colorful French Quarter, wanted to eat at McDonalds. That night, on the historic, colorful Beale Street in Memphis, Eldest and I ate at the Hard Rock Cafe.

It was killing me to eat at the corporate rock and roll megachain on the a street filled with real live blues, but alas, not so many places are welcoming to the pre-21 set, let alone the pre-15. There was a live band, and though they were influenced more by the 80s second wave than by B.B. King or early Elvis, Eldest liked them a lot, and they reminded me of a time when The Fixx and Wang Chung dominated my bedroom turntable.

On Beale Steet, we saw this guy, who blew my mind:



The highlight of the trip back was stopping at Graceland, which was much more fun that I had imagined. I've always been more a "mock fat Elvis" than "appreciate cool Elvis" kind of guy, focusing on the bloated excesses of his Las Vegas years than on the whole helped-create-rock-and-roll early years. But Graceland, while, okay, a huge touristy shrine, also gives you a feel of where he came from and what he did. And, then, what he became.

While we were there, no kidding, a car crashed into the Graceland sign.

So now I'm all Elvisy, and there are two Elvis biographies on the counter and a collection of albums and DVDs waiting to be picked up at the library.







This is Eldest and me in Elvis's mirrored ceiling.

It's nice to be back. Daughter, Youngest, and I built a cool fort out of big boxes in the basement, complete with drawbridge. It worked out well that they then wanted to sleep down there the same night we had crazy storms and tornado warnings. Eldest has been attending daily rehearsals for a play he is in, and we've lately we've mixed getting things done with enjoying the lazy days of summer.