ELVIS & INVERNESS ARE ALL SHOOK UP

I expected palm trees and coconuts in Florida; bugs and humidity are a given, too; and I can always count on “the Sunshine State” delivering on her promise.  But Elvis?   

The rock’n’roll hall of famer just kept popping up in the most unexpected of places. 

I was six when Elvis Presley made his first of three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.

Our first sighting was in Crystal River, a small town on Florida’s west coast known in these parts as the “Home of the Manatee;” and apparently home to Elvis Presley, too.  
 
Yep; while Elvis looked a bit out of place among the local artifacts chronicling the history of this Citrus County community inside Crystal River’s Coastal Heritage Museum, he’d put on his usual charm for Jimmy and me and all the other visitors in for the Manatee Festival.    

This is old, Old Florida; as charming as it gets.

The old City Hall, circa 1939, reminded me of the house I grew up in further south in Miami.  Our family of six lived in a two-bedroom, one-bath Floridian home back in the sixties; we had no air, no heat, no dishwasher and no privacy.  The washing machine was just outside the back door in the utility shed; the dryer was three clothes lines running between two poles at the edge of the back yard. I shared a room with my two sisters up until I was a junior in high  school.  By then our room felt as cramped as the original jail cell displayed inside the old Crystal River City Hall.

Would you agree, this jailhouse rocks!

No doubt about it, Elvis and I shared the same humble beginnings. 
   
Apparently we share a love of travel, too, because Jimmy and I ran into Elvis again, months later, when we stopped in Inverness with friends Joan and Jerry during a day of sightseeing.    

Elvis looked as surprised to see me as I him. He was certainly all over the map, at least when it came to central Florida, although I guess you could say the same for Jimmy and me.  

Elvis just kept sing, “I’m All Shook Up,” after running into me a second time.

With some sleuthing at the Historic Citrus County Courthouse in Inverness I did discover what was behind these random Elvis sightings.  

Now this is more what I expected - palm trees!

Elvis was just following his dream, again.  You know, reliving the good ole days back in 1961 when he spent six weeks in the small towns of Inverness, Inglis and Yankeetown filming the movie, Follow That Dream.  

Inverness' golden boy came dressed for the occasion.

Elvis and his Hollywood entourage attracted quite a bit of attention when fame rolled into the small, sleepy town of Inverness to shoot the courtroom scenes for the musical in, you guessed it, the historic Citrus Country Courthouse. 

Here's where we got to the truth of the matter regarding all those Elvis sightings.

According to my sleuthing via the now courthouse turned Historical Museum,

Jerry is a natural sleuth from way back; he was a great help.

it was so hot in the courtroom during filming that Elvis had to change his shirt twenty times in a single day.  Air conditioning had yet to make life for Floridians or tourists bearable in August in 1961. 
 
Those scenes from the movie (most of the movie extras were locals lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time) as well as old photographs were instrumental in the restoration of this now National Landmark, circa 1992.  Originally built in 1912 to replace a former wooden structure, the building became an eclectic mix of Neo-Classical, Italian Renaissance, Prairie School and Mission styles as the years and remodels chipped away at the integrity of the original structure.

This is the Florida I remember growing up. This is the Old Citrus Country Courthouse, circa 1955.

The years have also chipped away at the fiscal solubility of this small town wrapped around this historic courthouse; which is where Elvis comes back into the picture.  Call it reruns.  

The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum is uniquely situation on a square at 45 degree angles.

In these hard-pressed economic times, the residents of Inverness have decided to follow their dream, too, hoping to collect royalties from the syndication of Elvis mania.  I’m sure Elvis would croon his approval.  “That’s alright.”  
 
Justifiably, the residents of Inverness, especially the movie extras now baby boomers, have a lot to share when it comes to Elvis in these parts; that usually means a festival.  I love festivals!

I’m almost sorry we missed Inverness’ third Annual Elvis Festival the last weekend in April, 2013; we did have the King all to ourselves though when we went through in September.  Maybe next year we can catch the Elvis look-alike contest (human and pet), listen to Elvis impersonators singing the blues, gospel and rock'n'roll, take the Elvis Bus Tour and compete in the Stumpknocker’s Elvis Blue Suede Shoes 5k Run/Walk.  There's something for everyone, according to their website.
 
We left the charming, Old Florida town of Inverness, impressed with their hospitality and historical ingenuity.  Our exit certainly required our favorite Elvis impersonation.

"Thank you.  Thank you, very much.”