Graceland Home of the King

Most of us, of a certain age, know that Graceland Home of the King, was the home of Elvis Presley in Memphis TN. I am republishing this post to memorialize Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley. I was so saddened to hear of her passing! And when I learned that she would be laid to rest at Graceland, I wanted you all to be able to picture her home for eternity.

I have to admit that I was not a big fan of Elvis and his music. It wasn’t until recently that I could even tolerate country music. I always felt that Elvis’ songs sounded very Country. I was a fan of his movies because I could appreciate just how talented he was. So visiting Graceland was something that I definitely wanted to do.

Our first trip to Memphis and Graceland was in 2006 and I was completely enthralled with the impressive array of “toys” that The King had amassed. We enjoyed every inch of this “must see” attraction.

It was so much fun to get a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of a celebrity who’s fame was beyond measure. Graceland is so much more than just a home. There are vast exhibits of his cars, boats, handguns, costumes, gold and platinum records and airplanes. And as if all of that was not enough, there is a fabulous 50s diner where you can fill you belly full of yummy burgers and thick creamy milkshakes.

One of the coolest things to take note of was that on August 27, 1965, during their 2nd tour of the United States, the Beatles visited Elvis at home in Bel Air CA. It was there that the Fab Four met Elvis for the 1st and only time as a group. They all talked, joked, listened to records and enjoyed an impromptu jam session with Elvis. They also played pool together on the billiards table pictured above!

And the jam packed gift shop had me wanting a ton of souvenirs. Steve bought a T-shirt that he still wears. And I chose an Elvis (the pelvis – as my Dad used to call him) clock. The clock was soooooo awesome. It was an Elvis cut out in his trademark white jumpsuit, playing the guitar. The unique thing about it was that his hips moved constantly just like they did when he performed. Unfortunately we couldn’t find an appropriate spot on Ladybug to hang the clock so we left it for the lovely family who bought our house in Florida.

We also bought the cutest little stuffed hound dog with a little leather helmet that has the letters TCB – Taking Care of Business – on it. We named him Elvis and his sits on the dashboard of Ladybug at all times.

But the part of Graceland Home of the King that had stuck with me all these years was the family cemetery. Devoted fans come from the four corners of the earth to pay their respects to Elvis and his departed family. Because that had struck such an emotional cord with me, I was really looking forward to a return visit.

But sadly that visit was not to be. Due to Covid the attraction was closed while we were in Memphis in late October. Since I don’t think a visit to Memphis would truly be complete without visiting Graceland Home of the King, I am sharing our pictures and experience from 2006. I know that, thankfully, my photography has improved immensely since way back then. So please forgive some of the less than ideal shots. But I do think you will get a feel for how much fun we had. So much fun, in fact, that we remember it fondly and in detail so many years later.