ELVIS' GRACELAND: Donald Trump Was Here This Week--Now We Are!

President Donald Trump was in Memphis earlier this week, so he visited Graceland.  He signed a replica of a guitar Elvis used, which shows a special sticker that links back to Hawaii and a kendo dojo.  We arrived at the Graceland Guest House yesterday, and will stay two nights.  But first, how we got here and our a special tour that normal tourists don't get.

Denver is the main and fastest growing hub of United Airlines.  

The United Club, though, did not serve much of a breakfast to my liking.  On the flight. I've never seen this before on any flight, but, soon after our flight left the gate, the flight attendants began to serive champagned in the first class section.  Try drinking champagne while taking off!!!  Then later.

Got to Memphis, and were picked up by our Graceland hotel shuttle.  There was a reception for cruise passengers staying there, followed by a special tour of Elvis' personnel stuff..

We all wore special gloves so we could touch these pieces.  This gold pendant with the word ELVIS was the centerpiece of an aloha necklace, given to him by the Kui Cancer Fund for his historical Aloha from Hawaii satellite world concert seen by 1.3 billion.

I've of course posted on Elvis many times.  Here is an earlier one:

Tonight it was TCM.  Started with Elvis, That's the Way It Is.  Rotten Tomatoes gave it 91/92.  He made this triumphant return to the concert stage in almost a decade.  After a few minutes, it hit me.  My wife and I were there.  This was then the International Hotel in Las Vegas.  I remember slipping a $20 bill on check-in and we were taken to one of those long tables right next to the stage in the middle.  I recall that white suit, his kissing women, walking around the audience, Sammy Davis Jr. in the audience, backed up by the Imperials and Sweet Inspirations.  This was August of 1970.  Watch this documentary, you might see me.

There are various versions of this concert.  This was the new version, released in 2001 and made a debut on Turner Classic Movies, now TCM.

Why was President Trump in Memphis?  Mainly to tout the fine work of the Memphis Safe Task Force. Trump brought with him Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.  Last year, 2024 FBI data indicated that Memphis was the most dangefous city in the USA.  So a Trump team was sent to this city, and crime dropped by 70%, or something like that.  Many doubt that Trump had much to do with what happened.  The city mayor Paul Young did not even show up for the roundtable.

Why are we in Memphis?  A two-night stopover to begin our Mississippi River cruise down to New Orleans.

But today, the rest of Graceland.

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GOODBYE DENVER

We did nothing in Denver.  We now leave for Memphis.  So here are are some facts on leaving The Mile High State:

• There are 200 peaks visible from Denver, including 32 that soar beyond 13.000 feet.  The mountain panorama is 140 miles long
• Denver is exactly 5280 feet above sea level at a step on the State Capitol Building.

• 
  Golf balls go 10% further on all 90 golf courses.
• Alcoholic drinks pack more of a wallop than at sea level.
• Water boils at 94C or 202F.
• Within a mile radius, downtown Denver has three major sports stadiums, the second-largest performing arts center, three colleges, assorted museums, a mint that produces 10 billion coins/year, a river offering whitewater rafting, a downtown theme.water park/aquarium and hundreds of chef-driven restaurants.
• 
  Enjoys 300 days of sunshine per year, more than San Diego or Miami. Honolulu averages around 270  days annually.
• Is dryer than Phoenix.
• Had a zero population in th current Denver metro area until 1858.
• Has more than 200 parks within the city and its own bison herd.
• The Denver Performing Arts Complex has nine theaters.

• 
  Has six professional sports team:  NFL Denver Broncos, NBA Denver Nuggets, NHL Colorado Avalanche, MLB Colorado Rockies, Colorado Rapids Men's Soccer and Denver Summit Women's Soccer.  Hawaii has none.
• Has become a model sustainable city.
• The Denver metro has 150 breweries.  Colorado is too cold or hot for grape vineyards, right?  Wrong.  There are 150 wineries in the state.  Mind you, I don't recognize one label, but so what,

Here are some things you probably did not know about Denver:

• Is not located in the Rocky Mountains.  Denver is at least 12 miles away, and is one of America's flattest cities.
• Some of the most notorious dinosaurs were first discovered near here.
• It is home to the first cheeseburger, trademarked by Luis Ballast in 1935 at Humpty Dumpty Barrel Drive-In.

• 
  Known to still be in the Wild West.  Visit Buckhorn Exchange, which holds liquor license #1 in the state.  You can have Rocky Mountain Oysters (the land kind) here.
• You thought that Denver had 6 professional teams?
• First, their sixth team, the Denver Summit women's soccer team only just played it's first game yesterday.
• But they have two more teams, the Mammoth lacrosse team, plus the Spartans indoor football team.
• Denver has 7 professional sport teams.  Or is it 8?

So now, you ask yourself, should you move to Denver?  You should consider these points first:

• Can your lungs tolerate a mile high altitude?  And it only gets higher, much higher.  You can drive up to the summit of Mount Blue Sky at 14,266 feet.  This is the highest paved road in North America.  Mount Elbert goes up to 14,440 feet.  The tallest mountain in the USA is Denali in Alaska, 20,310 feet.

• 
  If you drink beer, be aware that there are breweries galore here.
• Even locals must use Chapstick.
• You will need to tint your windows protect your skin.
• Marijuana is legal.  This is also good for many.
• Watch out for Rocky Mountain oysters.
• Watch out for forest fires.
• Here is a 21-minute video warning you about living in Denver.

 *Denver, the Last Dinosaur* was an animated show about a green Corythosaurus-like creature who loved rock 'n roll and skateboarding after hatching from a prehistoric egg.

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LAS VEGAS TO DENVER

 Took photos of our taxi ride to the airport.  Allegiant Stadium.

Casinos.

Excalibur.

The MGM Lion.

Harry Reid International Airport.  He was president of Senate from 2008 to 2015.

The United Club in Las Vegas is okay.  Free drinks and decent food.  Boarded our United flight to Denver. Meal and drinks, starting with some Glenfarcas scotch.

Ever have a dark chocolate sea salt QUINOA?

Departing Las Vegas, I continued to be amazed at how much dry open space there is in these parts of the USA.  But finally, an hour and a half later, the Rocky Mountains.

Denver.

The plane hanging in Concourse C at Denver International Airport (DIA) is a Gates Learjet 35A (tail number N10BD), formerly owned by cable television pioneer and philanthropist Bill Daniels. It was the first private aircraft to land at DIA when it opened in 1995, symbolizing his impact on Colorado aviation.

Got our bags and became totally confused.  We were staying at the Westin airport hotel, and when I called

them, I asked if they had a shuttle service.  They said no, but were only five minutes away, and we could catch a train.  In my mind, five minutes by car was about a mile.  After all, this train was not the small tram-type, but a real train.  So got a taxi, whose driver said we could just walk there, but if used his taxi, would cost $30 because he had to leave the airport and come back in.  Well, I was exhausted, so we stayed in the cab.  As you can see, the 5 minutes were an easy walk, for the Westin (that black building) is adjacent to the check-in terminal.  Don't make my mistake if you stop in Denver and stay at the Westin Airport.  There is also a downtown Westin, which costs $75 by taxi, with tip.

By the way, we did not see any cherry blossoms in Las Vegas.  However, I saw this charming article about Stumpy in DC.

• Along the Tidal Basin between the Thomas Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt memorials are Yoshino cherry trees.  Stumpy is but one.
• In the summer of 2024, plant meterial was collected from Stumpy and cloned.  They also bloomed.

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GOOD MORNING and GOODBYE LAS VEGAS

 Got up early this morning to see the sun rise.  Good morning Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is experiencing a historic heat wave caused by a high-pressure heat dome, with temperatures 20-30 F above normal.  The temperature today could hit 98 F, breaking the all-time high for the month of March, set earlier this week.

We're soon headed for the airport to fly to Denver.  Did not do much yesterday.  Gambled a bit, and probably ended up winning a few bucks.  Otherwise, lunch was at the Golden Nugget, a Mexican restaurant, Cadillac.  I guess that name is in reference to this being the premium version.  

Started with  a pitcher of Margarita, then our meal.  Mine was the tacos.

Next, went for anothert walk through the Fremont Street Experience.  Was met at the street entrance by my Blue Bar Pigeon.

Dinner was also in the Golden Nugget.  Most restaurants were closed.  The expensive steakhouse was available, but went instead to Chick-fil-A.  Chicken sandwich with waffle fries and a Heineken,'

I'll close with a list of performers in town. 

• 69-year old David Copperfield announced his retirement next month from the MGM Grand after a 25-year residency.  Probably influenced by his appearance in the Epstein file.  Still here are Shin Lim and Mat Franco. illusionists.

Upcoming acts through the rest of the month into the summer.:

• Alice Cooper at Planet Hollywood.

• Bruno Mars at Allegiant Stadium.
• Emerson, Lake and Palmer at Mandalay Bay,
• Cheap Trick at The Venetian Resort.

• 
  Jerry Seinfeld at Caesars Palace.
• Tim Allen at MGM Grand.
• Cyndi Lauper at Caesars Palace.

• 
  Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight at Palms.
• The B-52s at The Venetian Resort.
• Priscilla Presley at Westgate.

• 
  Babyface at Palms.
• Blake Shelton at Caesars Palace.
• Goo Goo Dolls at The Venetian Resort
• Paul Anka at Palms.
• BTS at Allegiant Stadium.
• Hilary Duf at The Venetian Resort..
• Ed Sheeran at Allegiant Stadium.
• Weird Al Yankovich at MGM Grand.
• Josh Groban at Caesars Palace.
• I didn't know some of the above were even alive.

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