4 June 1992: Memphis, Tennessee to Knoxville, Tennessee

After spending the night in our suites in Memphis, Tennessee, we had breakfast at Shoney's Restaurant next door, and then we walked down the street to wait in line for entrance to Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. If I recall correctly, there was a shuttle bus that drove us from the visitor center across the street to the house itself.

My grandmother and mother at Graceland

My grandmother and mother at Graceland

Graceland is an impressive shrine to one man's fame and excess, and not to be missed for any fan of Elvis Presley or anyone interested in the history of rock and roll music. There were some touristy aspects to it, of course, but the peek inside the lifestyle of an influential singer more than outweighed that.

The tour included the first floor and basement of the twenty-three room house; the Meditation Gardens where Elvis and several of his relatives were buried (my mother got teary eyed there); a museum that displayed his clothing, awards, gold records, guitars, etc.; a separate building housing his automobile collection (the man was fond of pink Cadillacs!); and his two private jets on display nearby. We took the entire tour, which lasted two hours or so, and enjoyed every minute.

Elvis' grave

Graceland's living room

Graceland's dining room

Part of Graceland's multimedia room

Some of Elvis' jumpsuits

Portrait of Elvis

One of Elvis' pink Cadillacs

My mother and grandmother next to another of Elvis' pink Cadillacs

My mother and grandmother next to one of Elvis' private jets

On our way out of town, we drove past the famous Sun Studio, where greats like Elvis, B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and U2 have recorded over the years. Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats' "Rocket 88", regarded by some as the first rock and roll single, was recorded there in 1951 with Ike Turner on keyboards.

Then we were headed east on Interstate 40 again. I remember driving through Nashville on the 391 mile (629 km) trek to Knoxville, Tennessee.

I wish we would have stopped in Nashville for some sightseeing. There's some fascinating musical history there, too. However, it was about a six and a half hour hour drive across the state of Tennessee, and we didn't leave Memphis until around noon, so there simply wasn't time for Nashville.

Upon arrival in Knoxville, we were ready to check into the Motel 6. I don't recall where we ate dinner. Since we were tired, I'm sure we ate someplace close to the motel.

My maternal 2nd-great-grandfather Elihu Millikan Crawford M.D. was born near Knoxville in 1834, so this was another opportunity to conduct genealogical research.

Elihu Milligan Crawford M.D.

Dr. Crawford's mother's maiden name was Mynatt, so that evening we decided to cold-call some Mynatts in the local phone book. Amazingly, on our second try we reached a man who had researched the Mynatt family genealogy. He was able to provide much valuable information about the Mynatt line. What incredible luck.

Total Travel Distance: 391 miles (629 km)