British Couple Visit Bass Pro Shop for the FIRST TIME...

British Couple Visit Bass Pro Shop for the FIRST TIME...We Were NOT Ready!🇺🇸 video by James & Siana.

Summary:

We finally visited a Bass Pro Shops for the very first time as a British couple… and honestly, nothing could’ve prepared us for how wild this place is. This store felt more like a theme park than a shop (in the best way possible!!)

After exploring Bass Pro, we jumped back in the RV and drove through Pigeon Forge on our way toward Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains. Pigeon Forge completely surprised us… neon signs, roller coasters and family attractions everywhere you look. It’s one of those places you have to see to believe.

The drive into Gatlinburg and toward the Smokies was stunning, and we can’t wait to show you what we got up to next.

Graceland Unveils ‘All-American’ 4th of July Event

Above, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one doesn't currently have any plans to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, a trek to Graceland just may be what the doctor ordered.

Graceland announced an "All-American Weekend" to celebrate on July 4 weekend.

According to Parade:

In honor of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Graceland is hosting an “All-American Weekend” from July 3 to July 5, where fans will be able to see Elvis’ iconic Memphis estate like never before as it getes lit up in red, white and blue.

According to the official Graceland website, this year’s fourth of July celebration will include  include two “electrifying” concerts, including a performance from The Dreamboats, who are slated to “bring their electrifying, high-energy celebration of 1950s and ’60s rock ‘n’ roll to the Graceland Soundstage for a night that will have you on your feet from the first note.”

To read more, go here. 

Video: Tips For Cross-Country Road Trips

Above, the motorhome at Graceland RV Park & Campground in Memphis. Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

Since I bought my RV, I have made three cross-country road trips in it. I consider a cross-country trip to be one that includes multiple states. It doesn't have to be coast-to-coast, in my opinion. 

The first was from L.A. to Metropolis, Illinois with side trips to Memphis, Tennessee and Springfield, Illinois. The second was the Great American Eclipse trip to Idaho to see a total eclipse. Then, last year, a friend and I traveled to Cody, Wyoming and, from there, to the Black Hills of South Dakota with stops in-between.  

RV Travel posted an article with video on five beginner tips for planning a cross-country road trip.

It begins with:

Have you ever wanted to do a cross-country road trip in your RV but don’t know how to start planning? The team from the Long Long Honeymoon is here to help.

In the video below, they share five tips for beginners planning a cross-country trip. For the record, the tips will work even if you are planning a cross-country trip in a car, as opposed to an RV.

To see the video and read more, go here. 

Trump At Graceland

President Donald Trump was in Memphis, Tennessee yesterday to attend a forum on the crime safe task force accomplishments. Following this, he made a surprise visit to Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion.

He signed a guitar in the Jungle Room (known during Presley's time as the den). 

He is the second sitting U.S. President to visit Graceland.

According to Google:

As of March 2026, only two sitting U.S. presidents have toured Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion: George W. Bush (in 2006 with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi) and Donald Trump (on March 23, 2026). Other presidents, such as Jimmy Carter, have visited the estate after leaving office.

Here's a video on Trump's visit:

Where To Eat When You're Visiting Elvis Presley's Graceland

Above, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I visited Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in 2016, the Elvis Presley's Memphis Museum complex was still under construction.

I stayed at the Graceland RV Park & Campground across the street from the mansion and I cooked my own meals at my RV. 

But those who now visit Graceland can find several restaurants in the vicinity to dine at.

MSN has posted a slideshow of eateries.

They begin it with:

You can't call yourself a true Elvis Presley fan unless you've been to Graceland. This 120-acre institution in Memphis was once Presley's private home and is now a major tourist attraction. Presley bought the mansion in 1957 when he was just 22 years old and it was his home base until his death in 1977. Today, visitors can tour the mansion, see Presley's former jets, and view exhibits and artifacts at Elvis Presley's Memphis museum and entertainment complex. There are also plenty of restaurants on and off the grounds where you can fuel up before or after all that exploring.

If you want to feast like the King of Rock and Roll did, you'll find several dining venues on the Graceland grounds. You can grab some of Presley's favorite Southern comfort foods like grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches and meatloaf along with Memphis-style barbecue, sweet treats, and coffee. The Guest House at Graceland also has inviting spots where you can grab cocktails and tasty bites. Head off the estate and you'll find more enticing eateries within walking distance. If you're planning a pilgrimage to Presley's former home, this is where and what to eat when you're visiting Graceland.

To see the slideshow, go here. 

48th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's Death

Above, Elvis Presley's Grave at Graceland in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was a rainy August day in Hawthorne, California and I was watching the James Cagney movie, One, Two, Three when a news bulletin interrupted the movie.

Elvis Presley had died.

My mom was working out in the yard (she was an Elvis fan) and I went out and immediately told her the news.

It was one of those news events where people can remember where and what they were doing when hearing the news. That is still true with this story, even though we're two years shy of the fiftieth anniversary.

Here's a video from NBC News with David Brinkley reporting:

Congratulations On The New Home!

Congratulations goes to my cousin Maria and her husband Fred for buying their new (to them) home in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Patience pays off!

They will be living under 10 minutes away from their daughters and their families. 

Now the fun begins (moving their belongings and unpacking). 

Here's the front of the house:

50 American Tourist Traps

Above, oddly, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion is on the tourist trap list. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Traveling the U.S. is a popular pastime for many Americans. Visiting tourist attractions are part of allure.

However, some can be considered "tourist traps" that will make visitors feel like they've been ripped off. At least in the opinions travel bloggers and travel industry professionals.

AOL has posted a list of what are considered to be tourist traps.

They begin it with:

For better or worse, tourist traps are part of the American landscape. Countless overhyped, colorful, quirky, and sometimes downright mystifying spots draw sightseers nationwide — at least, when a pandemic isn't making travel too dangerous and complicated for such silliness.

Whether an attraction qualifies as a tourist trap is often in the eye of the beholder, and some are still beloved by locals. Travel blogger David James of The GypsyNesters has his own test: whether visitors leave feeling a little swindled. "But we love tourist traps," says his wife and fellow blogger, Veronica James. "David cannot pass them by. Boomers are really into this stuff because, when we were kids, that's where we went. We would pack up our station wagon and go to these places."

Some are iconic locales now overrun or overrated. Others lure road trippers out of the way of their intended destinations. They might be cheesy, inauthentic, overpriced, crowded, boring, ugly, or just plain not worth the time. We talked to travel bloggers and industry professionals and read online reviews to identify tourist traps in every state.

To see what they are, go here. 

Woman Pleads Guilty In Graceland Scam

Above, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On the heals of the passing of Lisa Marie Presley, a Missouri woman tried to defraud the Presley Family and take possession of Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.

Fortunately, the scheme was foiled and now the woman has plead guilty to a count of mail fraud.

From Billboard:

A Missouri woman has pleaded guilty to mail fraud for her role in an alleged scam to steal the Elvis Presley family’s ownership interest in the famed Graceland mansion.

Lisa Jeanine Findley, who has gone by various aliases including Lisa Holden and Lisa Howell, initially pleaded not guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft last year. But during a hearing before a Memphis federal judge on Tuesday (Feb. 25), Findley agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud. According to court documents, the other charge — a count of aggravated identity theft — will be dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Findley was arrested in August on the charges, with prosecutors alleging she posed as three different people affiliated with a fake company named Naussany Investments & Private Lending to claim that Presley’s daughter, the late Lisa Marie Presley, had utilized the music legend’s Memphis, Tenn., home as collateral for a $3.8 million loan she had failed to repay. Findley also allegedly falsified loan documents and forged the signatures of both Lisa Marie and a notary public in order to file a false deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office, as well as a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles.

To read more, go here. 

Judge Stops Graceland Foreclosure Sale

Above, Graceland from Elvis Presley Blvd. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A Memphis judge has halted a foreclosure sale of Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion that was scheduled for today.

AP News reported:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland is fraudulent as he halted a foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction.

Later Wednesday, a statement from someone who appeared to be a representative of the company said it would drop its claim, which the Presley estate has argued is based on fake documents. Online court records did not immediately show any legal filings suggesting the claim had been dropped.

Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed auction that had been scheduled for Thursday in Memphis, where the king of rock ‘n’ roll’s former home is located. Jenkins’ injunction essentially keeps in place a previous restraining order issued at the request of Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough. 

To read more, go here. 

Elvis Presley’s Graceland Gears Up for Summer

Above, Graceland's famous Jungle Room. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been eight years since I last visited Elvis Presley's Graceland. It was a year before the big Elvis Presley's Memphis complex across the street opened. It was still under construction during my visit.

I stayed at the Graceland RV Park & Campground located across the street and behind the former Heartbreak Hotel. It was very handy as it was an easy short walk to the mansion.

Above, The Beast at the Graceland RV Park & Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Graceland is gearing up for the summer vacation season with new tours, events, concerts and exhibits.

Yahoo! Finance posted:

MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 16, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elvis Presley’s Graceland is preparing for a summer filled with a variety of events, concerts, and numerous other reasons why this is the summer to visit the home of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Memphis.

Graceland’s daily tours give fans and music lovers the opportunity to experience how Elvis lived and spent his time. This summer, visitors can enjoy an all-new tour experience, updated exhibits, as well as get a last chance look at one of our fan favorite exhibitions.

To read more, go here. 

Tennessee National Guard Deploying To Southern Border

Things are about to get interesting.

I spotted the following post at X (formerly Twitter):

 

Gun Owners of America Announces First Convention

There's an old saying, "The More, The Merrier!" 

That could apply to the Second Amendment group, Gun Owners of America, who has announced the group's "premier" convention this summer in Knoxville, Tennessee.

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette: 

The pro-Second Amendment group Gun Owners of America announced Thursday their first-ever summit to be held in August in Knoxville, Tennessee, saying it aims to draw tens of thousands of attendees with the goal of being the "premiere event" for firearms enthusiasts.

The event, titled the Gun Owners Advocacy and Leadership Summit, will be held just months before the pivotal 2024 presidential election, which GOA's senior vice president, Erich Pratt, says is going to be "the most critical in history for Second Amendment rights," according to a press release.

"With that in mind, our goal is to make this the premiere event bringing together Second Amendment enthusiasts and advocates as we prepare for the political fight of our lives this November. I can’t wait to reveal more details as we lock in speakers and other guests of honor," Pratt added.

The Gun Owners Advocacy and Leadership Summit comes as the nation's most powerful gun lobby group, the National Rifle Association, is in legal jeopardy over the New York attorney general's claims that its top executives engaged in mass corruption. According to internal audits, revenue for the NRA is down more than 40% since 2016 as legal costs are amounting to tens of millions per year, the New York Times reported.

The two-day GOA event is slated to begin Friday, Aug. 16, and will feature talks from "leaders in the gun rights movement, educational panels, meet and greet sessions, and musical performances from major artists."

It appears this event might be worth going to.

To read more, go here. 

Elvis Renaissance Helps Graceland Make Up Its Debt Payments

Above, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Elvis Presley's Graceland complex has had a shortfall in visitors during the pandemic years and missed a few debt payments.

The revamp of the complex also put Graceland in the red. But things have turned around and the operators have caught up and made all debt payments.

From Yahoo! Finance:

(Bloomberg) -- Elvis Presley’s fans are breathing life back into Graceland, the singer’s 120-acre Memphis estate that’s been preserved in his honor. The uptick in attendance has allowed its operators to make up some missed debt payments.

Borrowers now have enough funds to make a full payment of July interest after an earlier shortfall, according to a regulatory filing by the trustee on Friday. The bonds were issued to help fund an overhaul of the complex, which its owner says is the second-most-visited private home in the US, after the White House.

The Graceland complex got a revamp a few years ago, adding a hotel and new museum complex featuring the singer’s jumpsuits and private jets. But like other attractions, Graceland suffered a plunge in visitors as the pandemic halted tourism, leaving a shortfall in funds needed to make bond payments. Things seemed to turn around as attendance rose to 133,627 in the third quarter of 2022, up from 68,961 in the last part of 2021, according to bond documents. Hotel occupancy and room rates climbed during the period as well. But numbers from the third quarter of this year dipped a bit, with 130,497 visitors.

I last visited Graceland in November 2016, before the complex across the street opened.

To read more, go here. 

Family Visit

My cousin Maria and her husband Fred are on the way to Tennessee to visit their daughters and grandkids. They stayed at the Albuquerque KOA last night.

Before reaching the KOA, they stopped at the Jamestown, New Mexico Flying J and we had a meal at Denny's there. To them, it was lunch. To me, it was dinner.

I introduced them to Russell Azbill at Denny's. He was there dining when we arrived.

We had a nice reunion and caught up with family and other things. While we were there, we saw a few lightning flashes to the south and we got a few sprinkles. 

Of course, we had our usual photo taken. We do this whenever they stop by.

Contrary to what the photo shows, nothing was growing out of Fred's head. 

Missing Tennessee Woman Found Safe

The missing Tennessee woman case that had an eerie resemblance to the Gabrielle Petito case ended on a happier note.

From Fox 5 San Diego:

REDDING, Calif. (WKRN) – Police in Redding, California say they have found a Tennessee woman reported missing while she was on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend.

According to the Redding Police Department, police in Eureka, California contacted Nikki Alcaraz and confirmed she was safe.

Alcaraz was reportedly spotted in Eureka on Monday, nearly a month after she departed for a cross-country trip with her boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, and a dog to visit family in Orange County, California.

Early Tuesday morning, police responded to the area and determined Alcaraz and Stratton were “together and had been at the location.” Later in the day, someone reported seeing the vehicle Alcaraz and Stratton were believed to be traveling in. Officers found the vehicle and found both inside.

Alcaraz reportedly told Eureka Police she did not need any assistance, according to a release from the department. Stratton was taken into custody for his outstanding warrant from Tennessee for failure to appear on a theft-related offense.

To read more, go here. 

Missing Woman Case Has Eerie Similarities To Petito Case

Above, Nikki Alcaraz and Tyler Stratton. 

A missing persons case involving a Tennessee woman traveling cross-country with her boyfriend has eerie similarities to the Gabby Petito case of two years ago.

WJHL News reported:

CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Cheatham County family is desperately trying to find their loved one after she disappeared while traveling across the country with her boyfriend, who is currently wanted out of Middle Tennessee.

It’s been nearly three weeks since Toni Alcaraz last spoke with her 33-year-old sister, Nikki Alcaraz, also known as Nikki Cunningham.

“I talk to her almost every day, so I am scared something happened to them,” said Toni.

Nikki had set out in her black Jeep with her boyfriend, Tyler Stratton, and a dog to visit family in Orange County, California.

“It’s a trip she’s done hundreds of times,” Toni explained. “Our uncle is still in Southern California, and she goes to see him often.”

During their cross-country trip, the couple had a run-in with law enforcement in Torrance County, New Mexico.

Nikki is 5’6″ with brown eyes and black/brown hair. She also has many tattoos.

The Jeep is a 2013 black Jeep Wrangler with tag BGL3539. The vehicle also has a “Mama Tried” sticker on it and camo seats.  

Anyone with information is asked to call Moriarty, New Mexico police at 505-832-6060 or 505-834-2705.

To read more, go here and here. 

Summer Travel: Memphis Or Nashville?

Above, Memphis's Beale Street. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To start things off, I state for the record that I have never been to Nashville, Tennessee. I plan on visiting the city someday.

I have been to Memphis, Tennessee twice. I have enjoyed it each time I have been there. The most recent time was in 2016. I stayed at the Graceland RV Park across the street from Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion.

Travel Off Path has an article stating that travelers should choose Memphis over Nashville for summer travel this year. I cannot say if they are right or wrong, it is up to the reader to decide.

They begin with:

If you’ve been to Nashville lately, you’ve probably noticed how packed it is.

There’s a current trend of bachelorettes and their bridal parties flocking to Nashville for one last wild weekend before heading to the altar — and they’re not the only ones overcrowding Nashville.

Music lovers and travelers searching for that Southern charm aren’t going to find it in Nashville anymore.

The true soul of Tennessee is in Memphis – The Home of the Blues.

 To read more, go here.

Gun Control Activists Storm Tennessee State Capitol

Above, gun control activists storm Tennessee Capitol.

Left-wing anti-gunners stormed the Tennessee legislature today. It took a British media outlet to tell the truth.

The Daily Mail posted:

Gun control activists were seen storming Tennessee's State Capitol Thursday amid rising fears of a left-wing uprising at a rumored protest in Washington, DC.

Footage of the ongoing insurrection, posted to social media just before 2pm, shows progressive protesters attempting to enter the Nashville legislation building, and being batted away by several members of the city's sheriff's department.

Such dramatics were not exclusive to Nashville, however - as feelings of unrest continue to boil over after a recent mass shooting at a city school involving a transgender gunman who once attended the institution.

Bo Snerdley said it best at Twitter:

When liberals storm a legislative house - like in Tennessee today - the MSM doesn't talk about the end of Democracy.  Will the FBI track down every single one of these insurrectionists -and put them in jail?  Will Biden call them terrorists?

To read more, go here.

National Geographic: How To Visit Graceland

Above, Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Planning a visit to Memphis, Tennessee? 

If so, there are a few places that are "must-sees" in the city. They include Graceland, Sun Studio, the Lorraine Motel and Beale Street.

If Elvis Presley's Graceland is on the top of one's "bucket list" (I have been there twice, once in 2001 and once in 2016), National Geographic has a guide on how to visit Graceland.

They begin with:

Elvis’s beloved, outré mansion is the second-most visited private home in the US, beaten only by the White House. Here are some tips on making the most of a visit to the former residence of the King.

Pay your respects for free

Time it well and you can visit Graceland’s grounds without spending a dime. Every morning (aside from Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, when the site is closed), from 7.30am to 8.30am, fans can pass through the gates free of charge for an hour of quiet contemplation at Elvis’s graveside.

Plan around peak season

The party kicks off from 5-8 January for Elvis’s birthday celebrations, where crowds flock for a cake-cutting ceremony sometimes hosted by his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley. There are events all across Memphis, too, but plan ahead as hotels book up lightning fast. The bustle returns for the week surrounding 16 August, the anniversary of Elvis’s death, when celebrations go all out, with tribute artists in bejewelled jumpsuits and a moving candlelight vigil.

When I went there in 2016, I stayed at the Graceland RV Park that is across the street from Graceland, which I found nice and handy.

Above, my campsite at Graceland RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.