We're going to Graceland-- Memphis, Tennessee.

...and yes we sang the song driving in on 78.

Driving into Memphis is unceremonious. I've done it twice now. When you come in from Arkansas you get to cross the Mississippi. Like most big cities the river has been tailor fit--levees, parks, pollution, buildings on each side.

Check out Mississippi in Natchez vs this recording in Memphis. The recorder is literally 6 inches from the water and all you can hear is the train passing over head, cars and logan stomping around. Mississippi Memphis

Driving in from Mississippi, you get the distinct feeling that Memphis is... well, nothing special. Not the home of early rock-n-roll (Sun Records i.e. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, etc.) not the home home of Stax records (Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Booker T & the MG's, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Isaac Hayes, etc.) and definitely not the kind of place you'd expect lots of tourists to end up in.

We stayed at the home of a Southwestern graduate, Jaclyn Suffel, and her roommmate, Sara Nelson. This is the second time I've stayed at their home and the first time that they've been present while I stayed there. They went completely out of their way to host us and be tour guides for us. Frankly, we were so used to roughin' it, we didn't know how to react at first. Jaclyn would tell you that she let us stay at her house because I went to Southwestern and we have mutual friends and thats what the SU commmunity does for each other. There is some degree of truth to this but it really doesn't give her or Sara credit for how accommodating and nice they really were. Thank you guys.