For those of us devoted to the study of pop culture, or for those who are just devout Michael Jackson fans, visiting the Neverland Ranch is something akin to a political junkie getting to walk unaccompanied through the White House.
Certainly, the Neverland I visited on Wednesday is a shell of what it was when Jackson used it as a refuge from the world and a place where he could have — what he felt — was a normal life.
At barely dawn of another day post-“King of Pop,” dozens of satellite trucks are stacked up like a technical armada along the windy road that leads to the Neverland gates. The amusement park is gone and the petting zoo is no more.
But despite not being able to shake from memory the alleged wrongdoing that took place at the ranch, you do get a sense of calm when walking the grounds. The property is more vast than it appears in photos, and does not look like the overmanicured estate of an eccentric.
Neverland fits right in to the greater Los Olivos, Calif., backdrop. But that’s not to say the place is entirely normal.
Just when you've convinced yourself that this is just a visit to a bucolic ranch, you see a weathered bronze statue of a child where you least expect it. Then you see another, and another. Like ants at a picnic, by the time you notice one it's too late; your meal is about to be ruined.
Given Jackson’s penchant for bedazzling any piece of clothing possible, you might expect the interior of the main house to look more ornate — a rustic version of Versailles. Not so. But for a rogue bathroom fixture, the house is quite storybook. But then it starts to feel a little too fictitious. There is escape, and then there is escaping; the distinction is subtle, but the end result of the latter, in the case of Jackson, sent him so far from reality, a return trip back to the real world wasn't possible. Add Neverland to the list of enablers.
There's been a lot of talk this week about turning Neverland into another Graceland. I've said I don't think it's a good idea, and I maintain it isn't. However, I do consider myself lucky to have had the chance to visit. While turning the ranch into a shrine still doesn't feel right, I would hope that there's a way that the land is never lost, that it can be visited by those who want to see and sense its uniqueness. After all, Neverland is now a part of history.
Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter: @ courtneyatmsnbc.