Tennessee, Part 1....

Way back in March, we took a family trip to Tennessee. "Why Tennessee," you may ask? Well, Marc and I have a goal of visiting all 50 states and all Canadian provinces by the end of our lifetimes. I had been in Tennessee. Marc had not. We wanted a location that we could drive to with at least somewhat ease. And, we wanted to go south as to avoid any potential major March blizzard. Also, at this point in March, I knew I'd be at a good point to travel in my pregnancy -- if I remember correctly, I was around 24 weeks at this point....NOT at all uncomfortable yet (though we made many more restroom stops for me than we did for our 3 year-old). So, on the first day, we drove all day to arrive in Memphis. After a good night's sleep, we went to Graceland. I MUST say that neither of us are Elvis fans. However, a number of trusted individuals told us to visit if we were in Memphis as it is quite interesting. And, before I post any pics, I will say that these individuals were correct -- both Marc and I did find it interesting. Because we knew Luke would not care about much of it (until he spotted Elvis' airplanes), we actually bought more than just the "cheapest" package of a tour JUST so that Luke would be able to see the airplanes.

It's interesting because in Elvis' mansion, it's all been left decorated from the 70s....

They have his MANY music awards for all to see....

And, Elvis himself, his mother and father, twin brother (who died at birth), and his grandmother are all buried on the property.

And....a VERY BORED (but reasonably behaved) Luke....what a trooper! AND, I'm personally VERY grateful we did hassle with the stroller. It saved A LOT of extra whining and complaining.

Fortunately, at age 3, little things fascinate. Luke, as a case in point, was very fascinated by the fountains beside the tombstones.

And finally, after MUCH anticipation, Luke got to see Elvis' airplanes....the true HIGHLIGHT for him (though he doesn't have a clue about whose airplanes they were)....

The funny thing is that Luke was SO excited to see those airplanes that day. But, now that we're home and over a month out from this vacation, he never mentions them. Luke only likes to talk about the "Tennessee Hotels." Because Luke did well (and we were getting hungry), we all stopped for expensive ice cream at Graceland.

After a cool, air-conditioned rest at the hotel (it was hot in Tennessee that week), we asked an employee at the hotel for a good "Memphis BBQ" establishment to eat...we did NOT want a chain. She recommended a place not too far from the hotel called "Germantown Commissary." YES....a "shack" type place....

I failed to take any pics of our food, but it was quite tasty. AND, we would most definitely recommend the establishment to anybody visiting Memphis. After eating that evening, we actually took a 20-mile drive (roughly) into the state of Mississippi. Neither of us had been there....we wanted another state to check off of our list :) And, for Luke....

Yep, he slept through the whole drive. Graceland must've worn him out. But, when he's older and understands a bit more, we can honestly tell him that he has indeed been in the state of Mississippi. Stay tuned for more adventures!