Sunday, June 12, 2016

Graceland!   Today was the day we visited Graceland!  I had kind of forgotten how much I loved Elvis, but going through Graceland brought it all flooding back.  We were glad we came today because it wasn't crowded.  The line to get on the bus to go to the house wasn't too long.  Each person gets headphones and an IPad with the tour narration and pictures on it.  It comes on  automatically  when you cross the threshold.  I loved it.  Besides the house, you go through the office area, in a separate building in back.  There was a room next to the office where he and his entourage used it as a shooting range.  There was a glass case with the bullets that were taken out of the back wall and woodwork.  I just can't wrap my mind around this because the room wasn't any bigger that maybe 15x20.  How can you use a 20foot long space for a shooting range?  I just don't get it.

Then you go through the Trophy room where all his awards, gold records, charity work (he donated a lot of money to charity), movie memorabilia, Priscilla's wedding dress, his tux, etc. are.  After that it's off to the racquetball court.  This had a large sitting area and a piano that he played the day he died.  There are three pianos at Graceland and 14 tvs.  The area that was the court now contains the clothes he wore to perform in, the jumpsuits and capes.  A video plays footage from his tv specials and live performances.  Just seeing how he lived and all he achieved was pretty overwhelming.  Then you walk around his gravesite in the Meditation Garden.  It wasn't as big as I thought it was from the pictures.  We opted to do the mansion and grounds tour only.  Oh, there are even horses here still.

To do the tour that includes his airplanes and cars is a lot more cash.  I loved Elvis but I wasn't going to pay $80 or more for the VIP tour.  And you walk right past the planes to get to the ticket area.  They're on the other side of a wooden fence but they tower above it.  But I'm happy now because I got to see it.😊😊😊

After the tour, we drove through downtown and hot to see some of Beale Street, the home of the blues.  Two blocks of it, where all the clubs are, is pedestrian only.

We spent two nights in Memphis just to rest up a little.  Tomorrow, it's off to Little Rock.