Graceland! Wow! We arrived at the Graceland RV Park and Campground with so much excitement! Even though they didn't have our reservation, they had a site for us. Browsing around the office/store, I kept seeing "TCB" on the souvenirs. "What does that mean?" The clerk said, "Taking Care of Business...with a flash." Oh my, I remember ZZ Top's song of Taking Care of Business, but I must have missed that!
It was hard not to dance our way to Graceland as they played Elvis music leading up to the ticket stand. We wiggled in our seats as we watched the Elvis early day films when he made his big debut on TV, shaking his leg and making all the girls squeal.
Entering Graceland that was purchased for $102,000 by Elvis, you immediately imagine him sitting on the beautiful sofa playing his guitar. We were told his family often gathered around the grand piano to sing hymns.
His parent's room was downstairs. He brought his parents and his grandmother to live with him. Elvis and his family had very little before he made it big and he shared his wealth with his family, taking care of them even after he was gone. His mom died at an early age in her 40's. His Dad, Vernon passed away just two years after Elvis and his grandmother died the following year.
Aww, the kitchen brought back childhood memories for Doug and me. That harvest gold refrigerator, dark oak cabinets, and the small TV sitting up on the counter were just like back in the day. We could just imagine the staff cooking up some southern fried chicken and making Elvis' peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
My favorite room was the forest room complete with a waterfall and fur-covered furniture. Green shag carpet lined the floors, ceilings, and even the walls on the stairs leading up to it for good 'sound'. My guess would be this is where he entertained indoors! .... a whole lot of shaking going on. He also had a TV room, complete with 3 TVs on the wall, a large bright yellow bar, pool room to play pool, and a beautiful dining room set with his and Priscilla's china. We were told the food flowed 24 hours a day since Graceland had many visitors at all hours.
The backyard was a retreat for horse back riding, football, golf cart riding, and so much more. It was clear to see Graceland was a safe, fun, resort for Elvis to come home to after a tour!
We viewed Elvis' final resting place along with other family members, who most also died at a young age. Doug noted how driven Elvis had been all of his life. We were told that his dad had asked him if he wanted to be an electrician or a plumber. Elvis replied, "singer". HIs dad said he had never seen a singer make it and Elvis said 'he would'.
Across the street, they had museums that housed many of Elvis' cool cars, motorcyles, boats, and other toys. His 2 planes were parked beside it. The Lisa Marie was a stunning commercial jet that had been purchased from Delta and remodeled to include a lavish living area, conference room, bedroom/dressing room, and even 2 gold lined sinks in the baths. It was definitely "Graceland' in the sky. We were told LIsa Marie's 9th birthday party was held in the sky with a large birthday cake on the conference table.
We had an absolute blast! We left Graceland feeling like we had a real connection with the Presley family. If you get a chance to go, do it! Even better, if you can attend during the Christmas season, they will have it decorated and I believe it will be magical!
The journey continues in our Airstream, Gracie, named after one of my very special speech students I worked with during my last year in the schools. Now, down the road with my 'hunk of burning love", lol!!!