I'm goin' to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee
The drive to Memphis from St. Louis was uneventful, thank goodness, and I picked up my youngest daughter Ally, who flew in to join me for 3 days. Right off the bat we went to Central BBQ to sample some Memphis ribs. I'll be sampling different BBQ styles as I make my way around the country. The meal was delicious! I may have enjoyed the St. Louis ribs a bit more but not complaining one bit about how tasty everything was.
We then went to Graceland. It was insanely hot and humid so we got there early and soaked in some AC while watching a short film about Elvis. Then we got to tour Graceland. Now, when I first bought the tickets I was like, "Over $40 each to see just the mansion on a self-guided tour!" Damn, no wonder his estate is worth so much! And that's the cheapest ticket. But, I'll admit, even if it was self-guided with an iPad and headphones, we got to see SO much and I'll grudgingly say it was worth it. Tour prices go up to about $200! Love you Elvis but no thanks.
Anyway, back to the The King. Prepare yourself for piles of pictures...
Here is my daughter Ally and I on the shuttle taking us up to Graceland.
The gates of Graceland!
Ally's hair has pretty much matched the flowering crepe myrtle flowering all over Tennessee and Louisiana!
Graceland is on almost 14 acres of land right in Memphis. He bought it when he was only 22 years old for $100,000.
When you walk in you see the living room to the right, which is probably the most understated room in the house.
You walk through the dining room to get to the kitchen, which is like walking back in time. I so remember the harvest gold and avocado greens of my childhood! And then......
THE JUNGLE ROOM!!!
It has green shag carpeting EVERYWHERE...including the ceiling. He said it reminded him of Hawaii. 😮
Gotta say, it was pretty freakin' awesome to see this in person...down in the Jungle Room.
Apparently this was Lisa Marie's favorite place to hang out!
After that you head downstairs to "Yellow TV Room"! Wow! Just Wow!
The pool room is spectacular, with fabric on every wall and the ceiling.
It's truly a time warp and amazing that the preserved so much of EVERYTHING! You get to check out Vernon's office, the trophy room with check stubs, deeds, photos, wedding attire, etc. etc. The tour ends when you walk through the meditation garden where he rests alongside his mother and father.
After we left Graceland, we decided to head to Beale Street to check things out. It was late afternoon and it's pretty much the off season down here because it is SO DAMNED HOT! It was very cool to walk around this area. There was live music playing everywhere from blues to jazz to R&B. Loved it!
There was an assortment of painted guitars along the main drag. This is my daughter Ally. Hi Ally!
The Big Ass/Butt thing is becoming my trip theme.
Our final stop was to do a little shopping and sit at the Soda Fountain at A. Schwab. Again, it's like going back in time. We soaked in some cool air and went on our merry way.
I can see why people flock to Memphis and I wouldn't be surprised if I visit again. I'll just wait until it's not 98º out.
This is wonderful Nancy!!!!! So glad you are enjoying this time and I am enjoying your posts!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful experience. Your daughter looks great! Glad you took so many pictures. some of the rooms I've seen from 60 minutes or other shows that Pricilla would be on and shared. But I bet the meditation garden brought it all together. I bet it was a time warp, you and I remember those colors, and how they've been able to keep it from fading.....that's what the ticket are paying for or maybe for his daughter's ex husbands(hahaha). Beale St. must have been a hoot. Talk about going back in time. WOW!
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