Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Graceland

Whether or not you are an avid Elvis fan, a visit to Graceland is well worth it.  We were expecting something a little tacky or hokey but we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and left with insights in to Elvis’ life that we had never known.

The first thing we did was tour the ‘mansion’ which is located on nearly 14 acres of land.  The American Colonial style home was originally built in 1939 and can be seen from Elvis Presley Blvd although when Elvis bought the property in 1957 for $100,000 it was located outside the Memphis urban area.  

Everyone is given headsets and the commentary provides lots of information as you tour the home at your own pace. The house consists of 23 rooms (including 8 bedrooms and bathrooms which are not open to the public).  The moment you enter the house you are swept back to the 70’s - shag carpet, mirrors and all!  Graceland has been described as “gaudy, garish, phony and tasteless” as well as “looking like a brothel”!  It certainly has a distinct decorating style that would not necessarily appeal to everyone.  But we felt it reflected Elvis’ personality and zest for life.  

There is no doubt that Elvis had a huge impact on the music scene.  The Trophy Room is filled with his gold records, awards, movie posters as well as Priscilla’s wedding dress and the tuxedo Elvis wore at the wedding. He sold over 2 billion records worldwide and although he didn’t write any of his songs, he insisted on producing them the way he wanted to.  His television appearances and movie career helped propel him to stardom although on one TV show he was only featured from the waist up because his “gyrations” were considered to be too ‘suggestive’!

We were interested to learn that Elvis gave generously to charities, both big and small.  The cancelled checks are on display.  According to his daughter, he never said “no” to anyone who asked him for help and he contributed very generously to the USS Arizona monument at Pearl Harbor.

Our ticket included a visit to Elvis’ car museum, a tour of the Convair 880, named after his daughter, Lisa Marie, as well as the Lockheed Jetstar that Elvis used.  Both planes were decorated in typical “Elvis” colors ... blue (Blue Suede Shoes!), gold, green.....

We commented that the Graceland experience was not as polished as a Disney experience but it was authentic and very interesting.  Unfortunately, plans are in place to develop the area surrounding Graceland to include a luxury hotel, convention center, etc.  Our advice is to go now ... before the tourist trap is completed!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank You