We simply could not bypass visiting Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. What we had saved in Tyler reciprocal admissions would pay the cost to see this iconic tourist sight, which is a Roadside America attraction).
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| We had to park by the graffiti wall of Graceland, in order to walk freely up to the Presley graves between 7:30 and 8:30 (KSS) |
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| We brought a Sharpie marker to add our names to the wall (adding "Philly" as our "home locale") |
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| The lower gates to Graceland, where a guard told us to remain on the driveway and go directly to the Meditation Garden |
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| We could photograph the mansion (1939, purchased by 22-year old Elvis in 1957) (KSS) |
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| The Meditation Garden (1960s, by Bernard Grenadier) was originally for quiet reflection for Elvis |
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| Grave markers for Lisa Marie Presley and her son, Benjamin Storm Keough |
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| Grave markers for (from the left) Minnie Mae Presley (paternal grandmother of Elvis), Elvis, Vernon Presley (father of Elvis), Gladys Presley (mother of Elvis) |
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| Elvis was originally buried with his mother in the family mausoleum in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Memphis; however, due to an attempt by grave robbers, Elvis and his mother were moved to Graceland where they are under 24-hour surveillance |
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| There is also the statuary of the original Presley family plot and the first grave marker for Gladys that has a Star of David to acknowledge her Jewish heritage |
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| The small memorial marker is for Jesse Garon Presley, the twin of Elvis, who was stillborn at birth and is buried in an unmarked grave in Priceville Memorial Gardens (Tupelo, MS) |
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| Having time before our 9:15 advance timed ticket for the house tour, we checked out the airplanes of Elvis: 1958 Convair 880 (purchased in 1975) ... |
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| ... and the 1960 Lockheed JetStar |
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| Tamiko and Kent at the Graceland sign at the parking lot ($10 fee) across the street from Graceland |
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| The iPad/audio tour featured John Stamos telling us about the mansion; here is the living room with the music room beyond the open doorway (KSS) |
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| Bedroom of Gladys and Vernon |
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| An inside look at the stained glass above the front door |
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| Main Stairway (Elvis would not have had paintings of himself when he lived here) |
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| Dining room with the table set with Elvis & Priscilla's wedding china (KSS) |
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| Kitchen (yes, Elvis had a television set in every room!) |
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| Mirrored stairs down to the basement |
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| Wet bar/soda fountain (KSS) |
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| TV room with three television sets because Elvis heard that President Lyndon Johnson had three (KSS) |
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| Pool room (by Bill Eubanks) with fabric ceiling and walls |
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| Back to the first floor with the Jungle Room/Den, which was once a porch, has a waterfall wall on the left |
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| Behind the swingset is the carport |
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| A peek into the office of Vernon Presley, now showing a display of paintings of Elvis |
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| The pasture (Graceland adopts rescue horses to maintain the presence of horses) and a view of the racquetball building |
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| The trophy building has been converted into a msueum of Elvis artifacts, including this Columbia bicycle that they are pretty sure his father purchased at Tupelo Hardware when Elvis was 11-years old, and was found in the Graceland smokehouse where Elvis said his first bicycle was kept |
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| Zenith Space Commander 400 television remote control from Elvis's bedroom |
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| Elvis's black leather wallet |
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| RCA television given to Elvis by RCA when he reached sales of 50 million records for 1956-1960 (KSS) |
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| During the 1970s, the living room was decorated (by Bill Eubanks) in red plush; furniture that was no longer used was kept |
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| Elvis's upstairs office desk that included a radio, television, and eight-track tape player, was a gift from RCA |
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| At one time Elvis thought he might be in law enforcement, and amassed a collection of police badges and guns |
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| Swimming pool (KSS) |
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| Inside the racquetball building with weight-training equipment and arcade games up the stairs from the lounge and wet bar |
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| Racquetball court and Elvis's racquet (KSS) |
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| Dozens of cars were displayed in the Presley Motors Automobile Museum, including the 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Covertible Coupe that Elvis had painted purple |
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| 1974-1975 Rupp Centaur Trike |
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| 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special (KSS) |
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| 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Limousine (KSS) |
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| Interactive Golf Cart Ride with videos as if you were driving around the Graceland mansion grounds |
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| Elvis's boats included this 1960s Red and White 16-foot Wizard named for his mother |
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| Private Presley: Elvis in the Army Exhibit displayed his offical army fatiques |
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| Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum had a replica of the 1960s Willy Jeep used in the movie, Blue Hawaii |
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| Oh, my goodness! Elvis: Dressed to Rock had over 60 jumpsuits to show Elvis’s on-stage style from 1969-1977 |
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| Two walls of a double row of jumpsuits, designed by Bill Belew (KSS) |
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| Plus a three-level wall (KSS) |
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| Cape and jumpsuit with the Napoleonic collar and cuffs, and kick pleats in the pants, all unique to Elvis Presley (KSS) |
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| After already seeing his gold records (33 rpm singles) of 1956-1959, we arrived at the towering wall of 110 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums and singles |
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| The Presidential Medal of Freedom was posthumously awarded by President Trump |
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| Look! You can purchase the Elvis Aloha jumpsuit, cape and belt for only $4,025 |
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| We had southern cuisine at the Vernon's Smokehouse cafeteria, with fried catfish, fried okra, macaroni and cheese,and cornbread |
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| Leaving Memphis, this shiny pyramid, the Memphis Pyramid, formerly Pyramid Arena (1989-1991, by Mark C Hartz, to be home court for the NBA Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis Tigers basketball team) is now a Bass Pro Shop with amenities that have gained it the nickname of "Redneck Disneyland" with its live-fire pistol and archery ranges, sideshow shooting gallery for kids, 4-D duck hunting simulator, indoor boat marina, and a bowling alley with ball returns shaped like aquatic carnivores (making this a Roadside America attraction) |
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