When I was around 11-years-old,
my dad came home from a business trip with presents that changed my life—2 Elvis
Presley albums. Now, I don’t remember if I was a fan of his yet, but I do know
I fell in love with him listening to his songs. I spent hours cranking up the
volume on “A Little Less Conversation,” “Suspicious Minds,” “Return to Sender,”
and “Don’t Be Cruel,” all the while pretending to be one of his backup singers.
To this day I can still sing those harmonies should one of his songs stream on
my phone.
So, of course, during my 24-hour
Memphis stay, I had to visit Graceland. In fact, they were gracious in giving
me a free pass to all the exhibits, and it was a surprise how huge the entire
complex is to tour!
My first stop was Elvis’s house,
which you get to via a small bus from the ticket office. It is an iPad tour narrated
by John Stamos! The house is on the smallish side for a celebrity mansion but
was probably considered pretty large for Memphis back in the 1950s and 60s.
I loved the living room…
And the TV room. You’re not allowed
to go upstairs since that area is considered private and still used by his
family.
In an exhibit area, I was
thrilled to learn Elvis loved to read!
The meditation garden was lovely,
with people leaving mementos at his grave.
Other exhibits at Graceland
include one building dedicated to Elvis’s cars, including this cool pink Cadillac!
Another had his stage costumes
and gold records.
I also took a tour of the Guest
House at Graceland. Don’t be fooled by the name—this is a 400+ room hotel with restaurants,
a huge theater, and numerous amenities. You
don’t have to visit Graceland to stay here. In fact, many companies hold
business conventions at the property.
My favorite amenity was the peanut
butter and jelly bar they offer each night between 10 and 11 p.m. Guest can go
make their own PB&J with a wide selection of toppings! Since I love peanut
butter sandwiches, I’d be there every night!
Before leaving, I had a BBQ lunch
at Vernon’s Smokehouse on the property. This was the BBQ Sampler with brisket,
sausage, chicken, ribs, and pulled pork. Yum!
My Graceland visit was amazing! Even
though I’ve marked it off my travel bucket list, I plan to return when I have
more time to explore even further!
Next stop…New Orleans!
Disclaimer: While Graceland
hosted me for this visit, the opinions in this blog post are entirely my own.
They did not pay me to make this post.
