IEAFCS Trip April 12, 2012

The second day began with a tour of Elvis Presley's estate in Memphis. There was lots to see there including his mansion, cars, airplanes, and special exhibits. Some of us may want to go back!

Graceland was very interesting, and one of the best things was a building in the back where you could see Elvis performing via video. It was tempting to just stay there!

That's Joy Morris in the foreground of the photo, and even though it was a weekday in April, there was a large crowd as the shuttles ran continuously.

One of the items in the fountain area where Elvis and his parents are buried was an exhibit of his ladder of success during the 50's, 60's, and 70's. And were you aware that he had a twin brother that died at birth?

Elvis purchased Graceland when he was 22 years old for $100,000--a pretty good price for 1957. His gold and platinum records and many awards were showcased, of course, as well as his great charity to many people and organizations.

Lunch that day was at Cracker Barrel in Batesville, MS, and then an afternoon bus ride to Natchez. Landsdowne Plantation is still owned and lived in by members of the family who have had it for years. This is not the case with many of the Natchez Antebellum homes. That's Ruby and Rick Lingle and Carol Schlitt at the entry of Landsdowne. Our group enjoyed a delicious dinner there and then traveled into Natchez to the Little Theater for a play called Southern Exposure.

This was the last week of the Natchez Spring Pilgrimage, and the play provided some insight into how local citizens deal with the swarm of tourists that tour the mansions during the 5-week period.