Graceland
Well, it’s tough not to think of pop on the 36th anniversary of the passing of Elvis Presley this Aug. 16. It was quite a thrill for him when we were able to visit Graceland a few years ago and check out his living quarters and the surrounding area of Memphis where he ate and shopped. It was an unforgettable trip for sure.
Pop would be happy to learn that mom had a great time with us in Maine this month. We traveled to Oakland, Me., to pick up Katie and watch her star-studded performance in Li’l Abner as Mammy Yokum. Prior to getting there, we made an overnight stop in Brunswick, Me., and had a fantastic seafood dinner.
It was also in Brunswick where I found the Sugar Man – Rodriguez! I found his first CD in a local music store called ‘Bull Moose Records’. If you have never heard of the story of Rodriguez, “Searching for Sugar Man,” do yourself a favor and rent/purchase the DVD of his story. One of my favorite songs by Rodriguez is ‘Crucify Your Mind’ — as poetic as Bob Dylan but Rodriguez has the better voice.
“Searching for Sugar Man,” which won an Academy Award for best documentary, told the story of an obscure Detroit folk-rock singer whose two albums from the early 1970s had somehow made him into a beloved cult hero in South Africa. Two obsessive fans there started searching for the singer, thought to be dead, and not only found him in Detroit but then brought him to South Africa for a series of major concerts in the late 1990s. It was all filmed and eventually turned into a 2012 movie.
The reason I bring Rodriguez’ story up is because pop was always one to listen to songs that were off the hit list. Sure, he’d listen to the top 10 chartbusters too, but those rarely-played tracks were also big to him. I guess that’s why I’m so influenced by music of all forms and not just one genre.
Acadia visit
Anyway, after our stay in Brunswick, we left for Oakland and saw Katie. It was a great show and here’s a sampling of her performance: “Katie in Li’l Abner“. We are all so proud of her.
We then visited Bar Harbor to give mom a tour of one of our favorite cities along the East Coast. We had good food, fun and, of course, did some sightseeing. Even though we lived the life of gypsies for four nights — staying in four hotels along the way — we had a ball.
Erica and Kate
The two highlights of the trip were having dinner at Jordan’s Pond in Acadia and then traveling to the top of Cadillac Mountain. At Jordan’s Pond, mom and dad Smith joined us for a great night of food, wine and laughs. Mom also ordered her lobstah! dinner (a pound and a quarter to be exact).
I think the tour guide took a special interest in the girls. He seemed to enjoy giving them neat tips each stop. He told us when to take pictures and provided a great photo opportunity atop Cadillac Mountain where the girls jumped in the air and appeared to be suspended for a few seconds when you shot it just right with the camera.
During the bus tour, we were able to visit Jordan’s Pond once again and mom got the official Acadia Park stamp in her book. It’ll be one of many national park stamps she’ll get in that thing, for sure.
It was certainly a memorable week!
Family Focus 