Graceland, Memphis

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"...And it was in this room, Elvis entertained friends around the piano in the morning before he tragically passed away later that very day at the age of 42." The headphones used for the self-guided tour of Graceland are telling the story of the workout building behind the mansion. I look at the piano and brown leather furniture, imagining people singing and having fun, and I suddenly feel an unexpected pang of grief; I know this narrative is coming to and end just as the tour is. I walk down a few stairs into a large room which used to be a squash court. Many of Elvis's rhinestone-studded white jumpsuits are stored here in glass cases; the far wall is hung from floor to ceiling with gold and platinum records. The headphone narrative continues, but this time it's Lisa Marie, Elvis's daughter, speaking, "I remember as a little girl watching my father on stage and he would take my breath away every single performance--I thought he was the most wonderful man in the world! When I was told of his death, all I could think was 'What is the world going to do without Elvis Presley? ...Without my dad?!'" This proves too much for me and I rip the headphones off as tears well in my eyes. A woman recalling her feelings as a little 9-year girl when she lost her father is apparently my emotional breaking point and I have to leave this room now and go outside for some air.
And it's a beautiful, sunny day here in Graceland! I step out of the squash court into the bright daylight of the "Meditation Garden"--an area of greenery, rosebushes in full bloom, a few park benches, and a circular fountain which is surrounded by the graves of the Presley family. Elvis is buried here as are his parents and grandmother. There's also a memorial stone for his twin brother, Jesse, who died during childbirth. People are filing slowly around the fountain, pretending to be patient while waiting for their chance to get some closeup photos of the King's final resting place. "The King..." "The Memphis Flash..." "Elvis Aaron Presley..." Whatever you call him, he was really a helluva guy.
I remember exactly where I was when I learned of the death of Elvis. I was 6-years old on a train coming home from Kirkland Lake with my grandma. As news spread throughout the carriages, women broke down in tears. Men tried to tune into stations on pocket transistor radios for details but received mostly static in the desolate area of wilderness. I watched tears stream down my grandmother's cheeks as she sobbed quietly. Everyone on the train was sad. I knew vaguely who Elvis was, knew he was important, but played with a set of plastic toy spacemen so I wouldn't have to consider the sorrow around me.
You're not allowed to take video of anything on Graceland property but I decided in advance that I was going to break that rule because it's just plain stupid. But I also decided that I wouldn't sneak any video inside the house itself out of respect for the man who lived there. ...Even though I get the feeling he probably wouldn't have cared very much.
Touring the mansion, we visited the living room, dining room, guest bedrooms, the kitchen, the downstairs rec-room, the games room, and the "jungle room". The bright yellow rec-room with three TVs embedded in the wall was my favourite--it looks surprisingly modern, in a gaudy sort of way.
Back in the "Meditation Garden," I overhear a group of older women all agree in disappointed tones that they "always imagined Graceland would be much bigger". The tall white pillars at the front of the building do make it look deceptively large but the truth is I find it reassuring, considering his wealth, that Elvis kept his home life relatively humble. His outdoor swimming pool is about half the size of the ones most regular folk own today.
I really like this entire estate; it's tranquil, comfortable, and I don't want to leave but a tour of Sun Studios awaits and it's already getting late in the afternoon.
As I wait for the shuttle to take me back out through the gates, one thought keeps running through my mind: "Wow, I can't believe I was actually in The King's house!" Grandma would have really liked that, I think. I wish she could have been here. ...But somehow I feel she might have been with me.

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Graceland is a mix and match of five ways to learn about Elvis with gift shops and eating places. The best way is taking 1) the Mansion Tour. Here you'll see how Elvis lived and his career. Included with the Mansion is a building displaying his jumpsuits, gold records, and movies. Awards are displayed in the racquetball court.

Other stops, include 2) a museum of his cars, 2) a walk through his two jets, 3) his time in Hollywood, and an exhibit of his unique costumes. In addition, stop in the 4) Elvis Lives: exhibit of other movies and events that capitalize on Elvis' fans, i.e., the flying Elvis'; and 5) '68 Special, Elvis' return to the public eye.

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It's a given perhaps to think Graceland when in Memphis. Well, it's worth the hype to step inside Elvis' and Priscilla's lovely estate. Great impressions of this grand place have and will last, much more so then the superceleb couple ever did. Exploring inside Graceland is like stepping back and roaming back in time- the 70s to be precise. Antenna TV, velvet sofa, vintage 50s metal furniture and all are featured inside. there is not just the basic living, kitchenm, dining room and bedrooms -but also a music room, trophy room and jungle room (swingin'!).

Try to come during non-peak season, unless you are a big fan. You'll want to come in August for Elvis Week!! Expect longer waits on the summer weekends.

Excuse the darkness of some pics. The best ones are in the travelogue!!!

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I'm a little ashamed to say I did not visit the Civil Rights Museum or Sun Studios, but spent a good half day at Graceland during my 18 hour tenure in Memphis. Well, after spending $64 for two PLUS $8 to park, I wasn't about to hurry my way through it, was I? It was pretty steep, especially when our daily budget for food/accommodation/gas was $50. But Graceland is a pilgrimage of sorts of any rock and roll fan and the opulence of Elvis' later years is voyeuristic intrigue unto itself. Besides, my wife's mother is a HUGE Elvis fan and we couldn't rightly show her trip pictures without some of her favorite singer's house. To be honest, it is a huge exhibit and you could spend an entire day there much like Disney World if you were a big fan. What makes it particularly appealing is you can take as many photos as you like. I even think you were allowed to use a flash.

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Visiting Memphis without going to Graceland is just plain wrong. They love their Elvis Presley in Memphis. I wish I could tell you a good day or time of year to visit, but it's busy all the time. Yes, it's touristy, but I still think it's worth a day. The things I took away from the visits were how much Elvis gave to the underpriveleged and how much he truly loved his family, particulary his parents. Elvis made many mistakes in his life but you get the sense of a man who tried.

I particularly liked the car museum and the tour of his planes. Plus all those zany costumes he wore over the years. When I become a bajillionaire I'm going to dress exactly the same way.

I heard a lot of people mumble about how the actual house was so much smaller and less impressive than they imagined the Kind of Rock & Roll living in. And yes, it's about the size of the house I currently live in. But it says a lot about how spoiled we've become as a society when that isn't impressive enough. Elvis lived life on a grand scale and his home and accomplishments are evidence of that.

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For many, this is the only reason they need to make a trip to Memphis. Elvis has an allure that transcends the 30+ years since his death.

Graceland is only accessible by tour bus - tickets are available across the street, as are several Elvis museums, exhibits, and gift shops. The tickets run from $27 for the mansion tour only, up to $68 for the VIP Tour (check out the website to see what all that entails). For myself, I enjoyed the Platinum tour, since I found the tour of the airplanes Lisa Marie and Hound Dog fascinating.

From the moment you are driven through the famous music scroll gates, you are transported to the world of Elvis. I will note here that I AM a fan - my mother was a fan and I was raised on his music. But I believe that you would enjoy this tour even if you were NOT a fan. Just because you have heard so much about Elvis and Graceland, seeing the Jungle Room in person will affect you. You get to tour much of the mansion and grounds, eventually ending in the Meditation Garden where Elvis was laid to rest with his parents, aunt, and a centotaph for his still-born twin. It is very moving, and there are always flowers and presents left for him there (teddy bears, Hawaiian leis).

Avoid the parking lot at Graceland like the plague. If you can't find free parking on the street, you can find a nearby commercial lot that charges much less than the $8 fee at the Graceland lot. All the Graceland prices have gone up since the Presley family sold the property, but parking is the biggest ripoff.

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We were surprised by how much we enjoyed our tour of Elvis's home and the grounds.
We purchased a tour that included almost everything there is to see there. They have it very well organized. We were there in late October so it was not crowded. Paid parking is available and once you purchase your ticket a shuttle bus takes you across the street to the mansion. When you are on the shuttle bus you are given headphones to use when touring the mansion.
There you are welcomed and given a short introduction to the home. Turn on your headphones and take your time enjoying a tour down memory lane. We enjoyed seeing the pictures of so many people that were part of our younger lives, pictures of people no longer living - the music that was played during each stop in different parts of the house really enhanced the story and brought back terriffic memories. The headphones are also used when visiting the buildings behind the house. This tour took a half a day. We were there during the 30th anniversary of Elvis's death so there were lots of flowers at the graves. The graves can be viewed early in the morning without a charge. Elvis's grandmother, Vernon's mother, outlived them all and she is also buried here.