Memphis, TN

I didn't really know what to expect at Graceland, other than a lot of commercialism, I suppose.  But the 14 gift shops totally exceeded my expectations.  The mansion itself was surprisingly modest.  If not for the portico in front, it could have passed for a somewhat extravagant 50's ranch-style house.  The number of gold (or were they platinum?) record awards was amazing.  I think it was over 100.  But perhaps the most impressive, or perhaps I should say extravagant, exhibit was the "Lisa Marie" which was Elvis' private four-engine jet.  It was a Convair 880 -- a late 50's vintage competitor to the Boeing 707.  It had a living room, dining room, bedroom, and 2 bathrooms, but the high point was the 24-carat gold seatbelt buckles.

Anyway, we did our pilgrimage immediately after arriving at the Memphis KOA (which was located 10 miles away in Marion, Arkansas) by taking a succession of three different vans to get to Graceland.  Upon arrival, we saw that there was an RV park across the street.  Live and learn.  The next morning, after a leisurely camp breakfast, we drove into Memphis to the Civil Rights Museum.

I had forgotten that Martin Luther King had been assassinated on the balcony of a motel in Memphis.  It turned out to be the Lorraine Motel, which is now part of the museum.  The exhibits brought back many memories of the names of various southern towns: Selma, Montgomery, Little Rock, as well as people:  Ralph Abernathy, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Orville Faubus, Bull Conner, and many others.

It's tempting to dismiss the history of segregation in America as some sort of aberration arising from the aftermath of the Civil War, but I'm afraid that's wishful thinking.  In fact, the US has no monopoly on racial discrimination.  There are examples all around the world.  I think it's all about a predisposition to think in terms of "us vs. them".  Anyone who looks, talks, or acts differently from "us" is one of "them", and "us" people who all look, talk, and act alike must oppose "them".  Why this is so, I really couldn't say.  Just one of those difficult things about human nature that we need to recognize and try to control.

But here's a possible explanation:  it's an evolution accelerator.   "Us vs. Them" encourages people to have lots of wars.  So instead of having to wait for natural events to kill off the weaker, less clever people, we do it ourselves, thereby greatly accelerating the survival of the fittest.  Just tossing out a random thought here.

After a sobering hour or two at the museum, we rushed back to the Peabody Hotel in the nick of  time for Cherie to catch a glimpse of the last duck waddling out of the lobby and into the elevator. Afterwards, we walked up to Beale street and had some ribs and music at BB King's Blues Cafe.   Next stop, Albuquerque.