If you’re just checking in, I just came back from a week long road trip with some friends. To recap, we were in the Outer Banks, North Carolina for the majority of the trip, made stops in Asheville, NC, Nashville + Memphis, TN.
Our original plan involved us staying in North Carolina the whole time, but because of circumstances and opportunity, we took advantage of having a rental car and decided to drive through Tennessee making Memphis our final stop. My friend expressed how visiting Graceland has been a dream of hers, and we made it happen. It was something I never planned on doing in my life, but I’m happy we did. It was a fascinating experience, and one of my favorite stops on the trip!
We signed up for the premium package if I remember correctly. That included the mansion tour, tours of his private planes, and access to the galleries and museums on premises.
It was interesting thinking that I was about to go on a tour through Elvis Presley’s home. How wild of a concept is that? It was comprised of a self guided iPad tour with John Stamos’ voice guiding us through the property. We all looked so silly with our iPads and headphones, but eventually you found yourself accustomed to the setting and deeply focused on everything John Stamos was sharing with you.
When we pulled up to the home initially, I overheard a woman saying how she expected Elvis’ home to be much larger than it was. Considering the time period, I’d say it was an appropriate size. Since he was explained to be a simple guy having sharing his home with his parents and eventually settling down to become a family man, he didn’t really need much else than his family.
Even though he was made out to be a simple, family guy, his home was pretty stylish and pimped out super 70’s. I don’t want to say it’s dated, but it kind of is – in a cool way though! At least specific areas of the house. I loved it. The style is right up my alley, and I felt quite inspired by Elvis’ choice in home decor.
If I recall correctly, his pool room consisted of fabric lined walls and ceiling. Another room in the house was jungle themed. Both of these I’m making mental note of for my future home because they’re just so wild, tacky, and everything I need in my surroundings. They were gorgeous. 😍 His jungle room had a little waterfall! Elvis, you did things right.
We toured through a couple of other little buildings featuring trophies, outfits, and memorabilia. After seeing a large amount of Elvis’ outfits on display, it hit me how ridiculous some of them are, but at the same time they looked so natural on him. On him – 🙌, off him – 😟. How does that even happen?
Either way, the rhinestone work is just amazing.
Finally, the last section of the tour was where Elvis and his parents were buried. It became surreal at that point where I was, who’s home I was walking through, and the legacy left behind.
After the tour, I discussed with my friend how wild it was to pay to see a famous figure’s home. Since he was before my time, it never occurred to me how enormously famous Elvis was, and I can understand why so many people flock to pay their respect. It made us question who else this can happen to. Elvis had that house since he was 22 – he raised a family in there, experienced all levels of stardom while living there, and experienced his final moments in that house. What other modern star has a level of fame similar to Elvis while settling in a home and building a space during a good chunk of time that can eventually be toured years after their passing?
I don’t think this phenomenon will happen to another star, and will for sure end with Elvis. Graceland is a unique attraction that accentuates our weird fascination with pop culture in the U.S. That fascination makes me appreciate this country even more because it’s such an innocent trait in a country that’s so tainted.
Thank you Graceland for giving me a chance to walk through and experience a time period that was deeply cherished in our musical history and escape reality for the short time we were there – with John Stamos.
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