After Elvis Left The Building . . .

. . . in Las Vegas, presumably, it appears he ended up at a bar and restaurant in Grafton, Illinois. It's a nice little river town with some marine services and attractions for people driving on the Great River Road along the Mississippi. You quickly notice that most of the buildings below the bluff are built on pillars. The river sometimes floods big time.

We were looking for a lunch place with something Ellie would eat. (Classic chicken nuggets and fries were fine.) You walk up stairs from the parking lot and are greeted by the host.  He neither expects or accepts tips.           

Rancho Pinot

Dinner last night at a wonderful and different restaurant, Rancho Pinot, recommended by our local friends. Owner-chef Chrysa Robertson has spent twenty five years serving cuisine at a high standard in a comfortable yet quirky atmosphere. The themes are western-rodeo-cowboy and girl with surprising touches here and there. (It's worth wandering around for a look if you go.) Above, refrigerator magnets on a back counter. Below, just part of Robertson's wacky and wonderful curio cabinet. Last, part of a poster which the old rocker in me recognized as the source for the cover of The Byrds' 1968 album, Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. I pointed this out to the staff, who didn't know about it.      

At The Gypsy Caravan: Elvis Times Two

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The Gypsy Caravan is by far the largest flea market in the area. It's just one day a year, held on Memorial Day for the benefit of the St. Louis Symphony. The thing is just huge, covering a few parking lots and a whole garage at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Great place to shoot.

They got some weird stuff for sale up there.  These are similar but not identical plastic and foam busts of Elvis Presley. I suppose you buy the form and paint it to suit your own vision. The one on the left looks like it has Marfan Syndrome, more like Pharaoh Akhenaten than the King of Rock and Roll. The other makes me think that Elvis hit the bottle and pill jar too hard (he did, didn't he?) and then had a stroke. Note the sunken right cheek and loss of muscle tone around the left side of the mouth. (Well, if he really had a stroke these should be on the same side of the face. Leave room for poetic license.)

STL DPB will feature more wacky merchandise from the Gypsy Caravan over the next few days.