We had tried to book the Graceland RV campground in Memphis several times, beginning months before we were due to arrive. Each time the person answering the phone made some excuse as to why they couldn’t give us a confirmation number but said we were reserved. It was beginning to become a bit of a laughing manner as we were still unsure whether we had a reservation or not as we drove through the gates of the RV park. Turns out that not only was the Admin assistant who we spoke to over the phone, completely disorganized, so was the manager. Derek insisted that we were told we had a reservation even though they couldn’t find it – luckily they had availability and we got a site. The manager then proceeded to come to the RV three times during our 4 day stay to ask us how long we were staying and had we paid.
The campsite was not much more than a parking lot but it was well situated on the Elvis Presley Boulevard next door to the Graceland ticket office and a short walk from Graceland itself. While Derek was setting up the RV, I took Jax for a walk around the park and a dog started following us. He was painfully thin and I noticed that he was a Shar Pei. He had a collar with tags so he must have been lost, but of course I couldn’t catch him to see if I could find the owner. Once I had Jax safely in the RV I tried to call the dog over but he was too scared, so I just left him a pile of dog food and some water. I spoke to the office who told me that he came to the RV park every so often and that the rescue organizations here would not come and try and catch him. I phoned animal control and gave all the details but they also didn’t turn up over the next few days I was there. After that first day, the dog disappeared, but I continued to leave him food everyday, in case he came back in the evening. It was always eaten but I wasn’t sure if it was by him, or some other wild animal in the area. I hope he was found.
The following day I bought myself a ticket to visit Elvis’ Graceland home which is the only way you can visit Graceland. The ticket also provided access to several Elvis museums on the property. Elvis purchased Graceland in 1957 for $102,500 and at the time it was 14 acres and a little over 10,000 sq ft. Today, the mansion occupies over 17,500 sq ft. The home has 23 rooms, including eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and five staircases. I was bussed to the property and then provided with an ipad and headset which provided an audio tour of the property. The one area not accessible was his upstairs suite. This has remained private and left as it was when he was alive. Elvis lived at Graceland with his Parents, Priscilla and his daughter Lisa Marie. Graceland was the only place he could escape the public eye and it was filled with rooms and areas where he could relax. He enjoyed redecorating his mansion which he did on a regular basis. The heavy wood, leather, green plush carpets, velvet window dressings, and mirrored tiles are so reminiscent of the 70’s. The room with the pool table was covered in material from floor to ceiling. Elvis loved to horse ride and his favorite horse was a Palomino. To this day the estate always has a Palomino in the barn. He also had his own racquet ball building. Several videos play as you walk through the house showing happier times with his family where they were swimming in the pool, horse riding and driving around his garden in an open truck, enjoying birthdays and Christmases. The Music Gates Elvis added at the entrance of Graceland still stand guard over his property, with the surrounding stone walls filled with messages from fans.
At the back of the Graceland mansion is a memorial garden which was originally added as a place of contemplation for Elvis. After attempts were made, two weeks after his death, to steal his body from the Forest Hill graveyard in Memphis, it was decided to move him and the bodies of his Mother, Father and Paternal grandmother to the memorial garden in Graceland where they could be guarded. The body of Lisa Marie who passed away in 2023 is also buried in the garden alongside her son Benjamin. A memorial stone was added to remember Elvis’ twin brother Jessie who died at birth.
After visiting Graceland we were bussed back to the ticket office and large exhibition centres. The first museum featured his collection of cars and bikes. Elvis loved cars and is said to have had over 200 automobiles in his lifetime. He favored Cadillacs but also had an extensive collection of Harley Davidsons. He was the first person to own a Stutz Blackhawk, and his favorite car of the 1970s was his 1973 Stutz Blackhawk III. Elvis bought his first pink Cadillac in 1955 which he drove around with members of his band. Later on he purchased a second one which he gifted to his Mother. However she never had a licence, so he continued to drive it. A 1977 Cadillac Sedan de Ville was used to lead the procession for his funeral, followed by a white 1977 Cadillac hearse carrying Elvis.
The second museum was Elvis the Entertainer Career Museum which provided a journey through Elvis’ incredible career and had exhibits of his collection of gold and platinum records, movie memorabilia, stage wear etc. What a lot this man achieved in his short 42 years. I learned that while Elvis the Pelvis always looked so cool on stage, he used to suffer from nerves which made his legs shake. So he emphasized the shaking and made that part of his act.
The next museum was about his time in the military. When Elvis was 22 he was drafted into the army for two years. Instead of enlisting in the Special Services to entertain the troops and live in priority housing, he chose to be a regular soldier. This tactic, planned by his manager, earned him the respect of many of his fellow soldiers and positively turned the people in the United States who previously viewed him in a negative light. After his induction ceremony he received a GI haircut in front of 55 photographers and commented to the crowd, “Hair today, gone tomorrow.” Just before he was transferred to West Germany, his mother, Gladys Presley died of a heart attack at the age of 46. On a more positive note, it was while he was living in Bad Nauheim in Germany, that he met his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu. The exhibit has his army uniforms, foot locker, hundreds of photos, videos, signed conscription papers, etc. Another facet to this amazing legend.
Lastly there was a museum dedicated to singers who had been heavily influenced by Elvis during their career and also a museum about Lisa Marie. That was a jam packed Elvis day for sure!
Keen to listen to some good music, Derek and I went downtown to Beale Street the following evening. Known as the Home of the Blues – Beale Street is to Memphis what Bourbon street is to New Orleans. There are more than 25 clubs in this street belting out jazz, blues and rhythm daily and amazing smells of Memphis soul food fill the air. The whole area was so incredibly alive. The crowds on the street were pretty thin (it was a Wednesday night), except near BB King Blues club which clued us into what turned out to be the most popular place on the street. We sat at an upstairs table and had some drinks and a meal while we watched a couple of different bands playing. We absolutely loved the music and there was so much incredible talent. Such a great place to hangout.
