WE ARE ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, FROM MEMPHIS TO NEW ORLEANS

Bus took us to board the American Cruise Line Melody. their newest on the Mississippi.  Watch this 11 min 23 sec video to get a full tour of the boat.  In general:

• While ships are designed for open, deep-sea navigation, boats are for smaller inland, river or coastal waters.

• 
  Remember U-boat during the world war, for the German Unterseeboot?  Stands for undersea boat.  So yes, a submarine is a boat.
• A very large yacht is still a boat.
• The Melody was actually launched in 2021, measures 269 feet long and 56 feet wide, and is a boat.  

• 
  Holds up to 180 passengers and has four decks. 
• Known for large staterooms, with standard rooms of 250 square feet.  The fourth floor has suites, and our room 418 has 405 square feet.  You can read the details here.
• It is about 400 miles from Memphis to New Orleans.  Maybe a 6-hour drive.  Our itinerary shows 13 days, or 12 nights, to complete.

Frankly, I am surprised, if not shocked, about the Melody.

• I expected an old paddlewheel like I remembered seeing in the film Showboat.
• That movie occurred on the Mississippi River.  The song, Old Man River, was about this river.

• 
  The Melody has no paddlewheels.
• What luxury.
• On entering the room, a bottle of Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch, red wine and champagne in the refrigerator.
• The cuisine has been fabulous.  No buffets.  We get personal service for everything.
• Large TV screen.
• Excellent bathroom.
• Comfortable King Size bed.

Got on board in time for lunch, which featured ribs, with a beer and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, plus dessert.

At the public bar you can also pick up free snacks and drinks.

Having a drink on our veranda.

Before dinner was a cocktail hour with appetizers.  Plus entertainment.

The first night for dinner we joined a table of eight.  First, sunset.

Our table.

Started with two wines and soup.

After dinner, went to see a rock band playing songs of our era, and danced a bit.  

Very exhausted.  Twas a fine day on the Melody.

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MEMPHIS IS AMAZING

I'm the guy who feared coming to Graceland because I had read that:

• Memphis was the most dangerous city in the USA.
• However, according to Google AI:

Based on data from late 2025 and early 2026, Memphis has experienced a significant, historic reduction in crime, though it still faces challenges regarding its reputation and overall safety levels compared to other U.S. cities.

• But more than that, I had also forgotten about the history of Memphis, and how influential this city was to the future of the USA and World.

Our bus ride from Graceland to our American Cruise Lines ship was a guided tour through the city of Memphis.  

• Tour guide Bob convinced me that Memphis is an amazing city.
• Sure, they haven't totally controlled crime, but they have done something wonderful about their homeless problem, and if you can recall some history, this was where Martin Luther King was assassinated, changing the nature of civil rights in the country.
• Heard of St. Jude?  Here is an intro from Wikipedia:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research hospital headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, it is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation which focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemiaand other cancers.^[1] In the 2021 fiscal year, St. Jude received $2 billion in donations.^[2] Daily operating costs average $1.7 million, but patients are not charged for care.^[3] St. Jude's covers some, but not all cancer-related costs.^[4] St. Jude treats patients up to age 21, and for some conditions, up to age 25.^[5]

• 
  This all began when Danny Thomas was struggling to succeed as a comedian, and emptied his wallet of his last $7 into an offering box, praying for intercession to St Jude Thaddeus for helping he and family, promising that if assisted, he would build him a shrine.
• What St. Jude, the hospital complex, has accomplished, is a series of miracles.
• They will be doubling their capability as a secular research and health institution, not affiliated with any religious organization.

Well, the above was unexpected, but I also learned that the following companies started in Memphis:  FedEx, AutoZone, International Paper, First Horizon Bank, Service Master and Holiday Inn.

And all that without even mentioning entertainment,  According to Google AI:

Memphis, renowned as the "Home of the Blues & Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll," has produced iconic entertainment figures including Elvis Presley, Justin Timberlake, Cybill Shepherd, and Yo Gotti. The city is a major hub for blues, soul, and rap, heavily influencing global music culture and producing renowned artists and musicians.

• Over 20% of the earliest inductees into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame are from withing a 100-mile radius of Memphis.
• 
  Rock pioneers like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash recorded their early his at Sun Studio in Memphis.  Many of you saw that impromptu jam session involving these four as the Million Dollar Quartet, a seminal moment in rock history.  Occurred at Sun Studio on 4December 1956.  However, the first recording was not released until 1981.  The Broadway show came in 2010, plus there was a TV series.

• 
  Memphis is the birthplace of Morgan Freeman, Kathy Bates, Cybil Shepherd, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lucy Hale, Shannen Doherty, Chris Parnell and, of course, Danny Thomas.

So with that intro, our final two meals at Graceland.  Dinner of Southern Fried Chicken and a Wedge Salas with Blue Cheese dressing. and breakfast.

We left The Guest House at Graceland and began our tour by driving down Elvis Presley Boulevard.

First stop was at Sun Records.  This is a photo of what is across the street, followed by the tourist attraction.

Now, a series of videos featuring Bob, who was our tour guide.

Next the Lorraine Hotel, where Martin Luther King was assassinated, around which the National Civil Rights Museum was constructed.

The tour then moved on to the Peabody Hotel to watch the 11AM duck walk.  Began in 1940 and continues on, daily at 11AM, followed by a 5PM walk back to the roof, using an elevator.  Bus parked next to Lansky Bros., a clothing store located adjacent to the Peabody, where Elvis bought his original clothes.  The story is that Johnny Cash when he first went there could only afford three black items, which were cheaper, creating the legend that followed.

So the tour continued.

Finally, to the Memphis Pyramid, which has its own history

• Built in 1991 as a 20,142-seat arena, was the home court of the University Memphis men's basketball program, then later also for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.  However, the FedExForum was constructed in 2004, and both teams moved there, leaving the Pyramid with nothing but a few concerts and sports programs for almost 11 years.

• 
  A Bass Pro Shops megastore came in 2015
• Added were an immersive outdoor-themed experience of a cypress swamp, alligator/fish pools, observation deck, bowling alley, archery/shooting range, hotel and restaurants.
• Very large alligators, lake sturgeons, gars and catfish.

So Memphis is quite the city I did not expect.  The tour guide also indicated that Memphs is mentioned most in song lyrics.  So to confirm with Google AI:

Yes, 

Memphis, Tennessee, is widely recognized as one of the most-mentioned city names in music lyrics, cited in over 1,000 to over 1,172 songs across various genres, often ranking as the top city mentioned in music databases.

The song Memphis, Tennessee is one of my favorites.

• Sometimes only called Memphis, written by Chuck Berry, who released it in 1959.
• The Beatles recorded five versions, first in 1962.
• Lonnie Mack's guitar instrumental came out in 1963.
• Johnny Rivers had a big hit in 1964.
• Elvis recorded this song in 1965.

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GRACELAND

Took two shuttles from our Graceland hotel to the Graceland Mansion, where Elvis lived with his family.

• Here is a long video of the tour i found on You Tube, and a shorter one.
• My version will be a few spotty photos and a short video,

• 
  Here is Wikipedia's description.
• Graceland Farms was originally owned by Stephen Toof, founder of the oldest commercial printing firm in Memphis, and named the site after his daughter, Grace.
• She inherited the property from her father in 1894.
• She passed away, and niece Ruth Moore inherited the property.
• Moore built the  10,266 square foot mansion in 1939.

• 
  Elvis in 1956 purchased a Memphis $40,000 home for his family in 1956.   Here with his parents. Caught fire  in 2017.
• When his fame increased, he gave his parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley (the two restaurants at Graceland are called Vernon and Gladys), $100,000 to find a farmouse-like property with a lot of buffer space so as not to irritate his neighbors.  They paid $102,500 in 1957 for this Graceland.
• His mother passed away in 1958 at the age of 46.  His father got re-married in 1960 and they moved into Graceland.
• 
  Elvis married Priscilla Presley in 1967, and they moved into the estate.  Lisa Marie was born in 1968.
• Elvis divorced Priscilla in 1972, so Priscila and Lisa moved to California.  Lisa returned every Christmas period.

• Elvis died in 1977 at the age of 42 in his bathroom at Graceland.  Fourteen drugs were found in Elvis's system.  He is buried adjacment to the mansion, with other members of his family.
• Elvis's aunt occupied Graceland until she died in 1993, when Lisa Marie inherited the mansion and grounds at the age of 25.
• Huge legal problems followed.  
• It's amazing that all that is there at Graceland is still ongoing, in view of those problems.
• 
  The Mansion at Graceland is now 17,552 square feet with 23 rooms.
• Lisa Marie passed away in 2023 at the age of 54.
• Priscilla Presley is now 80 years old and still performs.  I know this because when we were in Las Vegas, her tour schedule had her coming to the Westgate on May 2.  According to Google AI:

Priscilla Presley continues to perform, primarily through her live, intimate "In Her Words" stage shows, where she shares personal stories about her life with Elvis Presley. She has scheduled performances in 2026, including a show at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, the same venue where Elvis performed.

• Lisa Marie Presley's estate retain's 100% sole personal ownership of Graceland Mansion.

About the tour.  Took two hours.  Somewhat tedious for me.  There were lines slowing things down, and I don't like to stand around at my age.  However, worthwhile stop.

See that tree to the right.  Again below.

Graceland Mansion from front door.

Back view.

General photos of inside.

Family burial grounds.

Elvis.

There were also various museums.  This one featured 50 of his vehicles.

Went to lunch at Vernons.

Catfish and corn.

Oh, yes, an exhibition area for Colonel Parker, who was not a colonel, was born and grew up in Belgium.  Good looking guy when younger.

One of my favorite Elvis songs is Suspicious Minds.  I will someday be courageous enough to karaoke sing it in pubic.  In the meantime, here is Donald Trump performing this on The Ed Sullivan Show.

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