We made two stops today: Memphis, Tennessee and Walnut Grove, Arkansas
The Captain has always wanted to go see Elvis' house, so I figured we'd put that on the map! Elvis is a legend . . . often regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century . . . referred to as "The King of Rock and Roll." He made his singing debut with a hit single in 1956: Heartbreak Hotel which went straight to #1. His first TV appearance was on a show called "The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show" in January of that same year. His first movie, Love Me Tender, came out in 1958. His rise to stardom was swift!!
In 1957 Elvis gave his parents a $100,000 budget and asked them to find a house for the family in the Memphis area . . . he bought Graceland for $102, 500. It really wasn't anything fancy, but the property surrounding it was beautiful. His mother didn't live much longer, and eventually he sent his father and step-mother packing. Priscilla, his wife, and Lisa Marie, their only daughter would occupy the house with him for a few year. He actually died there in 1977. We toured the grounds . . . and the inside of the house. It was pretty cool to see!
Our next stop was a complete surprise for The Captain. As you know by now, he's a huge . . . and I mean HUGE Beatles fan! I found this little town on a website called "Roadside America" . . . it's chock full of cool things to see across this country of ours!
Walnut Ridge: tiny, nondescript town in northeast Arkansas . . . about an hour and a half from Memphis. If it hadn't been for one fateful night in 1964, few people would even know it exists.
On September 18, 1964, the Beatles were flying on American Flyers Airlines from Dallas to New York for their last U.S. concert appearance that year. The company was owned by a man named Reed Pigman who also owned a ranch in Alton, Missouri . . . not far from Walnut Ridge . . . where the group would stay for a weekend retreat. They chose to land in Walnut Ridge, late in the night, because it was small and out of the way . . . thinking nobody would be the wiser. It just so happened that 3 teenage boys were out that night too, and they were excitedly curious about the unexpected landing, so they raced to the airport to see who could be coming in at such an hour! Much to their surprise it was the Beatles!!
In 2011, the town built a "monument" to honor the Beatles. We, of course, took photos, and The Captain was a bit thrilled to be standing in the same place the "boys" stood back in 1964 . . . a visit that put a small town on the map . . . into history.
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