Anna Across America - Dallas, Texas

Anna makes her way to Dallas, Texas, the ninth largest city in the United States.  Dallas is well known as a center for the oil industry - a distinction that made Dallas even more famous through the TV series by the same name.  The Dallas metropolitan area, known as the Metroplex, contains cities large and small including Fort Worth, Arlington...and Plano, the home of Dr Pepper.

Dallas is known for its barbecue (usually the beef variety) and Tex-Mex cuisine.  The frozen margarita machine was invented in Dallas to satisfy the taste buds when something a little stronger than Dr Pepper is required.

Texans love their professional sports and Dallas and its environs satisfy fans of every stripe.  To wit, the area boasts the Mavericks of the NBA, baseball's Texas Rangers, hockey's Stars...and one of the most recognized names in all of sport, the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.   The venues for these teams are among the best in their respective sports -- American Airlines Arena for basketball, the Ball Park at Arlington for baseball, and AT&T Field (nee Cowboys Stadium) for football.

Lest we forget, Dr Pepper Arena, a multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue, is located in nearby Frisco.   And the most original soft drink ever has placed its trademark name on the home of the Frisco Roughriders, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Texas Rangers.  Dr Pepper Ballpark has won numerous awards for its design and fan appeal.

One of the most recognizable landmarks in Dallas is Reunion Tower, now attached to the Hyatt Regency.   Built in 1978, the 561-foot tower features an observation deck and a Wolfgang Puck-inspired fine dining establishment.

You can lead a horse to water...but Texas longhorn steers will stampede at the sight of a Dr Pepper.

A very unique bronze sculpture of 70 Texas longhorn cattle herded by three trail riders can be enjoyed in downtown Dallas' Pioneer Plaza.   The $9 million sculpture, completed in 1992, commemorates the 19th century cattle drives along the Shawnee Trail.  The larger-than-life bronze bovines dramatically come down a hill and through a flowing stream under the watchful eyes of the horse-riding ranchers.   The sculpture in the park is the second most visited tourist attraction in the city.

Gilley's, the famous honky tonk founded by country music star Mickey Gilley in 1971 near Houston, relocated to Dallas in 2003.   The 91,000 square foot club features a large main show room for concerts, restuarant and private function space.   The original mechanical bull, El Toro, featured in the movie Urban Cowboy tests the skills of would-be bull riders.

Anna Across America - Baltimore

Any discussion of Baltimore could appropriately begin with the singing of our National Anthem.   For it was a poem penned here 200 years ago by lawyer Francis Scott Key in the wake of the Battle of Baltimore that recounted the joyous sight of a Star Spangled Banner waving proudly after a battle that saved a young nation.  Founded in 1729 and named after Lord Baltimore (Cecilius Calvert), the city and its seaport location has contributed both strategic and economic importance for the country throughout the centuries.  Today, Baltimore's historical significance is celebrated in a variety of attractions in and around the Inner Harbor.

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Just as Anna Trundle is the biggest Dr Pepper fan in Starkville, Mississippi, the biggest fan of Dr Pepper in Baltimore is Justin Tucker, a placekicker with the NFL Ravens.  This season, Tucker kicked six field goals in a Monday night football game including a game-winning 61-yard field goal.   Like most native Texans, Tucker loves the taste of Dr Pepper.   As part of Dr Pepper's "one of a kind campaign",  Tucker literally "sings" the praises of the most original soft drink ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3tiMrkqaEE

One of Baltimore's more endearing symbols is that of the Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower.   Built in 1911, it was the tallest building in the city for a decade at 289 feet.  It was constructed for "Captain" Isaac Emerson, who invented Bromo-Seltzer (acetaminophen, sodium bicarbonate and citric acid).   Today, this historic building houses space for visual and literary artists.

The USS Constellation, launched as a warship in 1854, served in the Civil War and both World Wars.  Today, it is docked in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and is a National Historic Landmark.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is credited with beginning the trend toward "retro ballparks" in the 1990s.   It was built on the site of the former Camden Station rail yards.  More than 55 million spectators have passed through its gates and bear witness that this is one of the most beloved venues of the National Pastime.

 The Anna/Dr Pepper Can takes a stroll down Eutaw Street between the ball park and the B&O Warehouse, which looms over right field.   The warehouse was incorporated into the design of the ballpark and today houses restaurants, stores and offices.   The warehouse has been hit on the fly only once -- a Ken Griffey, Jr. shot
in the Home Run Derby of the 1993 All-Star Game.

Although snow lays on the outfield grass in Camden Yards, the calendar cannot deny that in less than three weeks, Spring Training opens for the O's in Sarasota, Florida.

George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born here February 6, 1895.  The location is only blocks away from Oriole Park at Camden Yards and houses a museum honoring one of baseball's all-time greats.

Anna Across America - Charlotte, North Carolina

Anna and her namesake Dr Pepper can make their first appearance in the Carolinas.   Fast growing Charlotte, named after the wife of King George III of England, was incorporated in 1768.  Charlotte is a major financial center dating back to the early 1800s when a 12-year old boy found a 17-pound stone which turned out to be gold, creating the nation's first Gold Rush.  Today the gold is counted in the banking empires of Bank of America and Wachovia-turned-Wells Fargo, both of which maintain a major presence making the city the second largest financial center in the U.S. behind New York City.  Numerous movies have been filmed in the Charlotte area including Speedway, a movie starring Elvis Presley and Nancy Sinatra, The Color Purple, Talladega Nights, Shallow Hal, and The Hunger Games.   Charlotte's most famous native is without question the Rev. Billy Graham who still maintains his evangelism headquarters here as well as a library, which is open to the public.

Since 2010, the NASCAR Hall of Fame has honored stock car racing's best drivers.  Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty were among the inaugural induction class in 2010.  As a youngster, 2012 inductee Darrell Waltrip would help his father on a Dr Pepper route loading and unloading soft drink cases. The Charlotte area is a major center for the sport  with more than 75 percent of the  drivers and employees based here.

Bank of America Stadium is the home of the NFL Carolina Panthers and the site of -- drumroll please -- the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship  game in 2013 as well as other events.   In the early 1990s, the stadium was funded on the strength of a little known concept called Personal Seat Licenses, which ultimately lured the NFL to the Carolinas and spawned numerous PSL funding for stadiums in its wake.   The stadium is often referred to as "The Bank" or  "The Vault".

Anna Across America - Lexington, Kentucky

Anna Trundle can truly call the Lexington, Kentucky area her "Old Kentucky Home" having lived in a neighboring community until the beginning of the 21st century.  Founded in 1775, Lexington is a city well known throughout the country and the world for its connection to thoroughbred horse racing.  The University of Kentucky, founded in 1865, is also located here.  We are happy that one of the UK faculty members, Dr. Thomas Troland, astronomer and now photographer of the "stars", has contributed several of the photos in this dispatch along with Anna's father David.

The Anna Across America tribute blog can't claim to be the first to promote the great taste of Dr Pepper in places across the country.   In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dr Pepper introduced its "Be A Pepper" advertising campaign with actor/dancer David Naughton in locations across the United States.   A compilation of a number of these spots are below.   Let's all "Be A Pepper" and join together in singing along...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssmjk0mAxxY

Known as the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington is where the world's top thoroughbred race horses are bred and trained.  Pristine horse farms in the rolling hills of Bluegrass provide the perfect playgrounds for these beloved creatures.   The most notable of these farms include Calumet Farm, which has produced the most winners of the Triple Crown (2) and Kentucky Derby (8); and Claiborne Farm, home of 2013 Derby winner Orb, and the final resting place of perhaps the sport's greatest racer Secretariat, who stood stud here and sired 600 foals before passing away at age 19 in 1989.

Keeneland Race Course is regarded as one of the country's top race tracks.  Since 1936, some of the country's best thoroughbred horses have raced here during spring preps for the Kentucky Derby and fall preps for the Breeders Cup.  Priding itself on tradition, Keeneland has changed very little over the years and is designated a National Historic Landmark.  Most of the racing scenes from the 2003 movie Seabiscuit were shot at Keeneland.

Just off interstate 75 in Lexington is the Kentucky Horse Park, a 1,032 acre park "dedicated to man's relationship with the horse".  A working horse farm and educational theme park, the Kentucky Horse Park is also a retirement home for some of the world's greatest competition horses.  John Henry, Bold Forbes, Cigar and Da Hoss have all called the farm home during retirement.

Rupp Arena is the home of the University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball team, a perennial SEC champion and national power.   The 23,500 seat edifice is one of the most intimidating places for opposing teams in college basketball.   Rupp Arena is also well known for its "home cooking" served up famously by the black-and-white striped Rupperees.

Anna Across America - Hollywood

Hooray for Hollywood...and Dr Pepper scholar Anna Trundle!

Our West Coast tour takes us to Hollywood, a name synonymous with the movie industry and home of the world's most famous sign. The district just north of downtown Los Angeles has been home to major movie studios since 1910 . . . and the Hollywood name itself wields significant cultural influence in America and around the world.

A major tourist destination, Tinseltown beckons more than 10 million visitors a year.  Many come to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and its 2500 plus "stars" along its 1.3 mile route.   Along the Walk of Fame stands the TLC Chinese Theatre (formerly the famed Mann's Chinese Theatre) and the nearly 200 concrete-encased handprints, footprints, and autographs of film stars.  In real life, the stars still gather together in Hollywood as well.  The 86th Academy Awards will originate from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2014.

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Dr Pepper has enjoyed high profile cameo appearances in several major motion pictures - by product placement and happenstance.

In 2002, the blockbuster movie Spiderman featured Peter Parker reaching for a can of Dr Pepper in a most unusual way.   Let's take a look . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-gPfJLLl8g

And then there is that memorable scene in the 1977 action comedy Smokey and the Bandit when Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) orders a Diablo Sandwich and a Dr Pepper.  * The following contains coarse language - Viewer Discretion Is Advised *

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R_yICBdLK8

That famous order spawned various Southwestern style sandwich recipes (all accompanied by a Dr Pepper of course), an East Coast party band named Diablo Sandwich, and even a ringtone featuring the famous quote.  Ah, the influence of Hollywood and Dr Pepper!

Anna Across America - The Carter Presidential Center (Atlanta)

 Our blog, honoring famous Americans such as presidents, kings,  and Dr Pepper scholar Anna Trundle, returns to Atlanta for a personal visit to the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, which houses more than 27 million pages of documents, 500,000 photos, 40,000 objects and at least a bushel of peanuts from the former peanut farmer, governor of Georgia and the 39th president of the United States.

Anna's sister Martha joins the cavalcade of family members in the Dr Pepperazzi with this contribution from the Carter Center.  Welcome, Martha!

The library features a full-scale replica of the Oval Office containing furniture from his presidency.

Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 in recognition for his work "to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development" throughout the world.  As we learned in a December posting, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway while the other Nobel Prizes are tendered in Stockholm, Sweden.

Anna Across America - Going To Graceland (Part III)

Boarding Elvis' personal jet, the Lisa Marie, is an experience not to be missed when visiting Graceland.   Anna takes us aboard the Lisa Marie to close out a wonderful tour of Graceland, accompanied by her very own Dr Pepper can.

In 1975, Elvis purchased a Convair 880 jet that had just been taken out of service by Delta Airlines;  he spent another $350,000 to have it refurbished by the design team of Air Force One.  Elvis named the plane the Lisa Marie after his daughter, but he also called the jet "Hound Dog One" and  his "Flying Graceland."

Elvis used the plane to fly in style to his concert locations.  However, one of the more interesting stories associated with the plane involved Elvis and some friends making a late-night food run halfway across the country.

As the story is recounted, Elvis was entertaining some lawmen from Denver in the Jungle Room at Graceland one night and told them of a sandwich called the Fool's Gold Loaf that he had eaten in Denver after a tour date.  The Fool's Gold Loaf sandwich consisted of a single warmed, hollowed out loaf of bread filled with one jar of Skippy creamy peanut butter, one jar of Smucker's grape jelly and a pound of bacon.   The price of the sandwich at that time was a whopping $49.95.   Elvis began craving the taste of the sandwich so he instructed the pilots of the Lisa Marie to get the plane ready to fly to Denver.  The plane landed at Denver's Stapleton Airport and was taken to a private hangar.   There 22 Fool's Gold Sandwiches awaited Elvis and his entourage.  They spent three hours eating the sandwiches in Denver and then flew back to Memphis.

On the Lisa Marie, the bar was always stocked with one of Elvis' favorite soft drinks, Dr Pepper.  According to the American Beverage Association, Dr Pepper was one of Elvis' favorite drinks in addition to Pepsi and Gatorade.

Elvis had his jet customized down to 28 seats and he added plush sleeping quarters and audio-visual systems that were years before their time.

Elvis speaks . . .

"More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me"

"Don't criticize what you don't understand, son.  You never walked in that man's shoes"

"All I ever wanted was to help people, love them, lift them up, spread some joy..."

"I'll stay in Memphis"

"Until we meet again, may God bless you.  Adios"

Elvis sings . . .

We bring down the curtain on the Anna Across America/Going To Graceland series with Elvis Presley's closing song from the television special Aloha from Hawaii which aired in 40 countries in the early 1970s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY-eoDCw0JA

Anna Across America - Going To Graceland (Part II)

"The Mississippi Delta was shining
Like a national guitar
I am following the river
Down the highway
Through the cradle of the Civil War
I'm going to Graceland, Graceland
In Memphis, Tennessee
I'm going to Graceland"
                   - Paul Simon "Graceland"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvliMzAFWHM

Just like Paul Simon, but a couple of generations removed, Anna Trundle is an unabashed Elvis fan.   Her most recent journey to Graceland was not her first.  This time Anna is taking the rest of us along with her on a photographic tour of the iconic homeplace of The King.    Come along as we salute Anna, Dr Pepper, and Elvis at Graceland.

Standing before a national historic landmark, so proclaimed by the National Park Service in 2006.

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"It's rare when an artist's talent can touch an entire generation of people.  It's even rarer when that same influence affects several generations.  Elvis made an imprint on the world of pop music unequaled by any other single performer" - Dick Clark

Entering Graceland's foyer . . 

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"Graceland is suited for a king and it is his castle.  And people really should see it, as he loved it."  Priscilla Presley

"When (Elvis) started he couldn't even spell Tennessee.  Now he owns it." - Bob Hope

The Graceland kitchen where the famous Peanut Butter and 'Nanner Sandwich was one of Elvis' favorites.  His long time cook, Mary Jenkins Langston, said she cooked meals in king size portions and he also preferred chicken-fried steak, meatloaf, hamburger steak, and family-size bowls of banana pudding.  Once when Elvis was hospitalized and on a restricted diet, Ms. Langston smuggled in bags of hot dogs and sauerkraut.

Elvis' cook and confidante talks fondly of her friend in this BBC interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBVGMjbLZb4

The formal dining room at Graceland.   According to Anna's cousin Russ, who was a former Graceland tour guide, the china that Elvis and Priscilla selected for Graceland was the Noritake pattern Buckingham.

The game room where Elvis and his buddies, known as the Memphis Mafia, hung out in at Graceland.

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"These United States of America has had 44 Presidents, but only one King."   Radio host George Klein, one of Elvis' best friends.

In the downstairs TV room, Elvis relaxed while watching three TVs at once.

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"I wanted to say to Elvis Presley and the country that this is a real decent, fine boy." -  Ed Sullivan, during Elvis' third appearance on his TV show

"Two thousand years from now they'll still be hearing about Elvis Presley." - Wolfman Jack

Elvis played this piano with family and friends the night of his death.

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"The highlight of my career?  That's easy, Elvis recording one of my songs"  - Bob Dylan

"Before Elvis, there was nothing"  - Former Beatle John Lennon.

"It was Elvis that got me interested in music.  I've been an Elvis fan since I was a kid" - Sir Elton John

"None of us could have made it without Elvis" - Buddy Holly

"He was as big as the whole country itself, as big as the whole dream.  Nothing will ever take the place of that guy" - Bruce Springsteen

At left, Anna has an Elvis and Me moment at Graceland.  Over the years, Elvis has had hundreds of songs written about him or referencing him.  Below is a sample from a variety of genres.  Enjoy!

"Me and Elvis"  - Human Radio  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm93-rsIzmY

"From Graceland to the Promised Land" - Merle Haggard
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avySBuLYxH4

"Bring Out the Elvis in Me" - Faith Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edsCYnVaE0g

"We Remember The King" - Johnny Cash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqhFwZd1Q6k

"Elvis and Andy" - Confederate Railroad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpRY1PORlWI

"Singing with Angels" - Suzi Quatro with the Jordanaires
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn9nE9VNOHE

 

More songs about Elvis from the music world...

 

"Cry Like Memphis" - Tamara Walker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WVn_EBxxZQ

 

"Elvis Presley Blues" - Jimmy Buffett

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LotyJxpXqM

 

"Calling Elvis" - Dire Straits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSKNt3wt6Pc

 

"Porch Swing in Tupelo" - Elton John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgkx4koosUg

Live Concert Version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cta7wxMJOcQ

 

"Elvis is Everywhere" - Mojo Nixon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_hkIN38qnY

 

"Elvis Presley Boulevard" - Billy Joel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5bH-qg7QFY

 

"Black Velvet" - Alannah Myles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkXNEmtf9tk

 

"Looking for Elvis" - Patti Scialfa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fk-YVicVQo

 

"Hey Elvis" - Bryan Adams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNN5uTDYNWQ

 

"He Was The King" - Neil Young

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJSV7Ft9xII

 

"The King is Gone" - Ronnie McDowell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l8aQYbMtWA

 

"Elvis Has Left The Building" - Jerry Reed (with Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Bobby Bare)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMugsGooHQo

 

And if that's not enough you can find more here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_or_referencing_Elvis_Presley

 

 



Anna Across America - Going To Graceland (Part I)

Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley and in some respect his fans, is one of the most visited homes in the U.S., trailing only the White House and the Biltmore.   A musical mecca, Graceland is both smaller than expected and larger than life . . . maybe because its primary tenant rocked his generation and generations to come.   Nobody loved their home more than Elvis.   And it's fitting that Graceland is his final resting place.

Set back from Elvis Presley Boulevard on 14 acres, Graceland was built in 1940 and purchased by Elvis in 1957 for $125,000.   Shortly after his death in 1977, the gates of Graceland were thrown open to his loyal fans for tours and it recently was voted as the most iconic attraction in the country -- besting the White House, Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, and Grand Canyon for the honor.

During the next few days, Anna and her well-traveled Dr Pepper can will take us on a tour of the King's castle as we celebrate Elvis' birthday.

Graceland hosted its fans on Wednesday for a birthday celebration fit for The King. ''

http://www.elvis.com/news/detail.aspx?id=7352

Graceland was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and the site was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 2006.

Anna takes us inside this cultural landmark in the coming days.

On the expansive grounds of Graceland, Elvis found solace with horses that he bought for family and friends.  Elvis' personal mount was named Rising Sun.  Sometimes, Elvis would ride his horse down to the front gates of Graceland and talk to fans from the saddle.

Anna Across America - Tupelo, Mississippi (The Birthplace of a King)

On this date in 1935, Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.   Anna herself brings Elvis' humble beginnings to life in this photo contribution from Tupelo, about an hour from Mississippi State University.   Talk about taking one for the team, Anna not only provides this dispatch from northeast Mississippi, but she also took time from her holiday break to pay homage to the King of Rock and Roll in a pilgrimage to Graceland, one of America's most famous homes.   Anna's tour of Graceland will be featured the remainder of the week.

Birthday celebrations are planned today at the birthplace and at Graceland with festivities and birthday cake free to Elvis fans.  The official Graceland celebration will be streamed online at www.elvis.com at 10:15 a.m. (Eastern Time), 9:15 a.m. (Elvis time).

 Where a musical legend was born.

Posted with Blogsy

A two-room shotgun style house was built by Elvis' father and is where the future

king of rock and roll was born.   The house will be a focal point of events around

Elvis' birthday celebration.

Posted with Blogsy

Elvis lived in Tupelo until he was 12 years old and it was here that he learned to play

the guitar.  He wanted a rifle from the hardware store but his mother persuaded him

to get a guitar.  Above is a statue of young Elvis guitar in one hand and the Anna

Can in the other.

According to the American Beverage Assocation, Dr Pepper was one of Elvis' favorite

soft drinks along with Pepsi and Gatorade.  You will see proof positive of The King's

thirst quenching preference of the most original soft drink ever in a future posting.

Stay Tuned!

Posted with Blogsy

A northeast Mississippi cottonfield defines much of Elvis' southern heritage and

musical inspiration.  His mother Gladys picked cotton before Elvis was born and

when he was a small boy to make ends meet.  Elvis derived a lot of personal and

musical inspiration from his mother.

Posted with Blogsy

Anna Across America - Las Vegas

We welcome you to Las Vegas, Nevada - the Entertainment Capital Of the World!   Tourists from all over the planet come to experience the glitz and glamor of this one-of-a-kind destination filled with palatial casino hotels and resorts . . . and maybe to win a little money on games of chance ranging from Blackjack, Slot  Machines and other modern forms of casting lots.  One can bet on their favorite team to win the Super Bowl and even place a wager on the length of the National Anthem before the big game.  While high and low stakes wagering obviously pays the bills as witnessed by the multibillion dollar gambling dens which garishly rise out of the Nevada desert, Las Vegas is a good bet for enjoying some of the country's finest musical/theatrical performances, shopping, and dining.

Editor's Note:  The Dr Pepperazzi adds another family member to its list of contributors.  Anna's cousin Scott, somewhat of a Vegas aficionado, deserves more than just photo credits.  For it was Scott who received approval to go to Las Vegas from the family matriarch decades ago as long as he didn't stay more than three days, paving the way for future junkets to the Vegas strip and Glitter Gulch for his cousins.

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