SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY AND GRACELAND

By Trey Rusk

Since retirement, my wife and I take advantage of being able to travel. In the last 2 years she has had multiple surgeries on both rotator cuffs and should not drive, so I handle the task. We like to gamble and occasionally visit Biloxi, Mississippi. A casino host will send us room, food and free play offers to visit. We stay at Beau Rivage. It is a 4 Star resort located on the beach. We enjoyed ourselves and even made a little money on a two-night stay.

Similar to other casino cities Biloxi looses its luster when you drive away from casino row. On this particular trip we drove because we wanted to visit Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. We headed North and as we traveled its apparent that Mississippi is a very poor state.

We stopped for lunch at a Cracker Barrel in Jackson, which is also the Capital of Mississippi. As we approached the door I read that a boiled water notice was in effect for the entire city. We went inside and found hand cleaner in the restroom because you couldn’t use the sink to wash your hands. It turns out that the city sewer system had backed up into the water supply. The host wanted to seat us but I decided to move on without eating. Her demeanor changed from quaint Southern charm to being an old bitch. My question to her was, “How do they cook the food?” She said, “They boil the water.” So I said, “You mean they are boiling feces filled water? She didn’t know what feces meant. We left.

We traveled North about twenty miles and found a hamburger chain in a different water system. All the employees were black and we were treated with good service and smiles. They even made sure that we knew where we were and where we were going. My wife drives a new Pearl White Cadillac with all the Bells & Whistles and it stood out in the area.

As you travel up the interstate there are lots of fruit and vegetable stands on the roadside. Lots of bib-overall wearing men and kids playing in the dirt.

400 miles later we arrived at the Gold Strike Hotel and Casino near Tupelo, Mississippi which was just 20 miles South of Graceland. We valet parked and the Bell Captain took our luggage. It turned out that because we had arrived after 6pm they had given our river view room away. Our new room faced the road. It was small but I was tired and was glad to have made it to the hotel. This was on Valentines Day and the place was packed. The casino was filled to capacity and the smoke was terrible. I guess the Fire Marshal was out of town because this place was certainly in violation. We went to the room and made a meal of beef jerky, cheese and crackers. The beds were comfortable but the fan motor rattled all night. I took a pill and slept fairly well. The hotel, which is owned by MGM had seen better days. In the morning we sent for the Bell-man. He was an old black man, at least 80 and he struggled with our things. I knew he was doing what he had to do and tipped him accordingly. We had a good breakfast without the grits and headed out.

I was apprehensive about visiting Graceland. I’m an Elvis fan but let’s face it, Elvis is dead. We arrived and found a huge parking area. Once parked, we headed for the ticket counter and by the time the add ons were bought such as touring his airplanes the tour cost $250 including parking. You know how you have to fake smile when your wife is happy, but your are really grimacing? That was I.

We visited the gift store until our shuttle arrived. We were treated well by the staff. The shuttle was boarded and the next stop was Graceland. Everyone was given an ipad with headphones and as you toured the ipad showed you where you were. John Stamos was the voice. We watched a movie about Elvis and his family as we entered the estate garage. The more I saw, the more I enjoyed the tour. It turns out that Elvis was a really nice guy. He loved his parents and took care of most of the Presley family. Even after he died. The main house was incredible and adorened with all the 70’s colors and furniture. Each room had a history and John Stamos did an excellent job of describing it in detail. It turns out that Elvis was a law enforcement fanatic and had a collection of several hundred badges. He had several guns on display that I would have loved to own. He even had a firing range. Elvis loved horses and the estate still raises horses at Graceland. The Graceland Mansion tour ends at the graves of Elvis, his parents and an aunt that continued to live there for several years after his death.

You might think that that would be the end. It turns out that Elvis had an entertainment tour with all of his accomplishments on display. There was also a section dedicated to Elvis in the Army. He really enjoyed serving his country and spoke highly of the experience. It turns out that Colonel Parker, Elvis’s manager rerouted his career to make 31 movies. It was a mistake. By the time Elvis started recording again music was changing with groups like the Beatles. That is not to say that Elvis didn’t sell. In fact, after leaving his movie career he put on 1100 sold out concerts before he died in 1979. The tour took over 4 hours to complete. That didn’t include the gift shopping.

Let me sum up Graceland this way. It is good entertainment. It tells a success story about a boy from Tupelo, Mississippi who did good and died too soon. I recommend adding it to your bucket list.

That’s the way I see it.