There’s not much of a description to this video, except we know it’s primarily Elvis Presley visiting Meteor Crater off Route 66 in Arizona in June 1967. All of the footage appears to be home movies.
You’ll also see glimpses the American Indian souvenir shops — including Chief Yellowhorse‘s — at the New Mexico-Arizona state line, and Presley goofing around with his pals during a roadside smoking break.
https://youtu.be/O59wWtTGysc
Apparently this is the source of the footage.
Presley made regular road trips in that area during the 1960s, either to shoot movies in California or play gigs in Las Vegas. He’d hook up with Route 66 in Oklahoma City after leaving from Memphis.
Presley stayed at the Trade Winds Motel in Clinton, Okla., at least four times, and it still has his favorite Room 215, known as the Elvis Room.
Presley also ate at the Porter House Diner in Weatherford, Okla., and signed the guest book there. The long-closed diner — with its guestbook — now resides at the Heartland of America Heritage Museum in Weatherford.
(A modern-day view of Meteor Crater by Julius Whittington via Flickr)
Figured it was Joe Esposito hitting the Elvis ATM for some more money. Esposito had a deal with Colonel Parker and Priscilla Presley that he would be the only person in the group who could take film and pictures of Elvis. Esposito kept them all after Presley died in 1977, according to other members of the Memphis Mafia. Presley started flying in the late 60’s, early 70’s which ended his road trips between Memphis, Vegas, Palm Springs and Hollywood. And, Esposito, like an old age pension, plans on releasing what he has over the next few years.
Very cool! The scene with the roadside “kung fu fighting” was shot about 5 miles west of Montoya, NM, on the shoulder of WB I-40 (at about map coordinates 35.072278,-104.153931).
I immediately recognized the distinctive mining tailings near the top of the background mesa, and “drove” google streetview back and forth until the foreground hill matched up, as well as other features. IN June 1967 my family would have been driving this stretch in out 66 Country Squire. Maybe we passed Elvis’ bus!
Wonderful movie(s)! Especially fun to see the then-new Pontiac wagon and Cadillac Eldorado. Nineteen sixty-seven was the first year for the FWD Eldo with its distinctive ‘personal luxury’ styling. Huge engine bay made 472 c.i. V-8 look tiny.