Homeward bound (I wish I was . . . )

Yes, I know that's Simon and Garfunkel, but that is the leading sentiment today. . . and in fact we will be headed home, right after hitting Target #3, Graceland.  It's 29 May 2011.

I admit I've always enjoyed Elvis' music, but I never had any great desire to visit Graceland.  It struck me as excessively commercial.  That said, having come I enjoyed visiting his home.  For the tour of the home you are given a headset before boarding a bus to the house across the street from the staging area.  As you walk around the house, there are small signs telling you which numbers to push to get the discussion and any special topics related to that area.  A nice, simple system which worked well.

This would have been a really nice place to live.  The grounds are comfortable.  There are places to relax outside.  The interior is very well maintained.

It's not to my taste in all areas, but then it wasn't my place, and I'm not in the rock star business.  Even at that, the rooms I thought were overdone were, as I remember that period, pretty contemporary.  I recall seeing pictures of decorations in magazines or TV shows back then that reflected some of the looks of these rooms.  With one or two exceptions it looks like he found examples contemporary rooms he liked, and had the best in the business come in and give him a room like that.  Everything was well done - nothing cheap.   

He did seem to like mirrors, a lot, by any era's standards.  The shot above of his living room is only the start.  Here's a staircase with more,

and a formal dining room (with fewer mirrors than elsewhere).  There was some furniture in this room that both Ann and I liked. 

The kitchen is pretty good.  Ann liked it the minute she saw it.  The discussion from the headsets said this was basically the center of activity in the house which sounds like most folks' homes. 

These next two are the jungle room featuring green carpeted floors and ceilings.  Apparently this was one of Lisa's favorite rooms.

Next is a TV room featuring three TVs and mirrors all around and in the ceiling.  The recording said he heard the President watched three TVs at once, and decided he wanted to do the same.

The last room we toured in the main house was the pool room.  Ann noted that's a paisley fabric on the walls, draw together with pleats to a button in the ceiling directly over the pool table, from which the table lamp is hung.   

The grounds are a nice, with room for a stable, some open grass land, and a pool attached to the house.  He had a business office out back, and there is now a trophy room with all his gold records and a summary of various stages of his life.

As we walked through the Gold Record area, Ann overheard a small child asking her mother "What are those?" to which her mom replied "Those are records, honey.  That is how they recorded music."  Okay, now that we all feel very ancient, we'll move along.

From the house tour we are bussed back to the main reception area where you have your choice of small museums.  The first we toured was the car museum

This featured a Cadillac Convertible,















two Rolls Royces (the black one not shown)














 and an eclectic variety of other vehicles.

Then there was the airplane museum.

Although there were some pretty extravagant fixtures in these aircraft, the business end was pretty conventional.  The gold sink and gold plated seat belts were perhaps the most extravagant features on either. 

There was also a Fashion Museum, and a few lesser exhibits. 

You have to accept the premise this place is all about celebrating the life and career of a guy who made a lot of music.  A lot of very good music.  He was, like most of us, a lot of other things as well.  In addition to musician and singer, he was part actor, part business man, part carny pitchman, part family man, and part private man, among others.  Although he may have started out in very humble and simple conditions, he led a very complicated life, and did it pretty well for a long time in the glare of his willingly chosen public spotlight.  

I heard someone describe Elvis, after their visit, as a kid with way too much money and no sense about how to spend it.  Not sure I agree with that.  He was a kid no longer than the rest of us, and had clear tastes whether you like them or not.  There are critics that seize on the drugs that eventually did him in, or his broken marriage and use those negative elements to summarize the whole life.  This is the kind of assessment that sometimes passes as enlightened analysis -- one event or outcome held up as representing a whole person.  I find that simplistic and lazy.  There is more there.

I'm no great Elvis historian, not even a particularly avid fan, but I'm not aware of anything other than personal drug use that was ever even remotely illegal, and nothing else that was dangerous to those around him.  It's sad what became of him at the end.  From the looks of his estate, through, he did pretty well by his family, giving both Priscilla and Lisa an above average chance to carry on (which they've each done well).  As legacies go, that's head and shoulders above the music and all the rest.

For not even being particularly interested in going, we've sure got a lot of thoughts.  Only sure way to clear the mind is to go burn some avgas.  So back to the airport and off on our final two legs.

We have a bit of tail wind and a smooth ride.  About half way back to Frederick MD is a place called Stanton, KY (I50).  This is a little 3000 ft strip set among lush green, tree covered rolling hills.  The main attraction is the cheapest gas on the trip at $4.30.  There is no one there when we arrive -- just a self-serve pump, a small building with an open door and working plumbing, and a small business located on the field.

We're not at Stanton very long, but it seemed the kind of place one might want to visit.  Nothing extraordinary stuck out.  On this Memorial Day weekend, there are what sound like drag races going on somewhere nearby, and the occasional fire cracker.  Mostly it's just peaceful and beautiful. 

We take on 72.5 gal, inspect the indoor plumbing and begin the back taxi to rwy 24.  As we taxi Ann notices a father and daughter just off the ramp under the trees.  They must have heard us landing and drove down to see.  Dad is on a knee pointing and talking, and his daughter is waving.

We get her rolling and circle back to the north of the field.  Ann smacks me, but I can't help but waggle the wings.  It's a small encounter, but for all the scenery and famous places, its frequently small encounters with people that are most memorable.  We'll probably never get back to Stanton, but I wouldn't hesitate to see who and what was behind those trees if in the area again.

A little over two hours later, that's Frederick off the nose. 

You can always tell when the great adventure is over.  Landmark has decided to welcome us home with a splash of reality.  Good thing we got a big gulp back at Stanton.

All that's left is to put her back in the hangar.  Well, that and cleaning the bugs off the leading edges and wind screen, vacuuming, hauling out the trash . . . 

Oh, and did I mention paperwork.  Let's see: 18 legs, 37.2 hours by the Hobbs meter, 34.5 hours by the tach, 423.63 gal, 4180.6 nautical miles (4808 statute miles), engine maintenance and an oil change.  The new Duo is a success.  All the wine and wedding gifts delivered.  A few snacks and apples and a lot of laundry to bring home. 

Ann drives us back to Waynesboro.  It's late, but we stop at Applebees for an appetizer and a drink.  What have we been up to?  Not much.