Sunday, el Bandido and I celebrated our fifth anniversary a few days early by participating in the "Elvis Rock 'n' Roll Ride for Life". The ride, benefitting diabetes research, started at the gates of Graceland, traveled down into northern Mississippi and back. We had a police and helicopter escort the entire way (people going the other way kept pulling over and stopping...must have thought it was some sort of weird motorcycle funeral procession), so we got to breeze through all the intersections over the 80-mile ride. Group rides are an equal portion of pleasure and annoyance, but the after-party, at Graceland Harley Davidson, was fun. Hooters girls served up BBQ plates, roller derby girls (the Prisskilla Presleys) served up beer, and there was a goofy retro funk band playing. Those who donated at a higher level got to queue up at the front door to the mansion and get the ultimate photo opp, while the rest of us got a still-unique opportunity to queue up along the graffiti-covered rock wall along the street. Also quite cool was turning 40K just as we departed the famous music-note gates of Graceland. The weather was sunny and the day was fun...drinking beer and watching the girls hula-hoop.
Next year, I'd like to do the Saturday ride, which goes to the various music landmarks (Sun Studio, Stax, Smithsonian Rock 'n' Soul Musuem and Gibson Guitar Factory) and ends with a turn on the track at Memphis Motorsports Park, followed by the Super Chevy Show.
(Side note: The previous night I enjoyed some additional redneck fun at the 59-year-old Riverside Speedway dirt track across the river in West Memphis...life is good!
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How can I top that on the 24th, our "real" anniversary?