Today's Stats:
Miles Driven: 370
Driving Time: 5:58
Total Miles: 2312
Average Speed: 62 mph
Fuel Economy: 24.5 mpg
What we're listening to:
"Elvis as recorded at Madison Square Garden (Live)" 1972 (RIAA Certified Triple Platinum)
Weather:
In the morning it was pretty cold and a slightly windy. For most of our Graceland visit it was bearable. As we were heading back to the car it got very windy (there was a severe wind advisory for the area) and cold. Driving out of Tennessee it was raining/snowing, but once we got into Kentucky it was clear.
Reflections on the day:
Meghan and I were very excited for Graceland, especially after experiencing some of Memphis last night. We woke up and hit the breakfast at the Best Western which was good. After we ate we packed up our hotel room and put in a new fuse for the cigarette lighter. We were very proud of ourselves for fixing this problem (we blew the fuse again later in the day).
We drove over to Graceland but got lost and had to ask for directions. Memphis, unfortunately, is a very run-down place. From what I have heard, the area around Graceland was mostly fields and farms when Elvis moved in. Now it is surrounded by gift shops, fast food joints, and gas stations. Kind of sad.
We got directions from a lady working at a gas station behind about 12 inches of bullet proof glass. By the way, the locals pronounce Graceland with a short "a" sound and a soft "d". Kind of like "gracelin".
As we turned onto Elvis Presley Blvd, the excitement began to build. We parked and walked into the ticket office/gift shop (there are probably 6 "official" gift shops around the complex). I bought our tickets and we waited patiently for the shuttle to take us across the street and up to the house.
There was a diverse group of people there with us: asian tourists (of course), Germans, young people, old people, families. We got our souvenir picture taken and were issued our headsets for the audio tour.
The shuttle drove through the gates and dropped us by the front door where Meghan snapped a couple quick pictures. Then we were given a very, very brief history of the house by a semi-interested "tour-guide" (more on that later). At this point we entered the house and began the tour.
I won't give you a complete blow-by-blow, but here are some quick thoughts on the residence:
- Graceland is a big house, but the public part of the house is small. Everything above the ground floor is closed off for privacy and other concerns. According to the tour, everything upstairs is exactly the way it was the day Elvis died.
- The house is pure 1970's which is kind of fun. I am talking mirrors everywhere, carpet on the ceiling, and lots of colors. There are also some design elements that don't really match other parts of the house. Check out the pictures and you'll see what I mean.
- Campy decor aside, it's a pretty cool house and you can feel the communal nature that Elvis created there. From his parent's bedroom to the basement hang-outs, it is clear that Elvis wanted everyone to feel welcome and at home.
The other parts of the tour are pretty impressive. There is a section called the "Trophy Room" that is basically a series of "cases" that chronicle parts of Elvis' life and career such as the movies, his wedding, charitable activities etc. During this portion of the tour, you can listen to specific information on certain things which is pretty cool. The whole pace of the tour is up to you which is nice. You can take as long as you want to finish.
Getting to see wall after wall covered with Elvis' Gold (500,000 sold) and Platinum (1,000,000 sold) records really makes you understand the impact of his career, especially considering that he never once performed outside of North America. In all, Elvis had 97 Gold and 55 Platinum records and it is estimated (according to the tour) that he has sold in excess of 1 Billion records.
One of the best parts of the tour was a discussion of Elvis' charitable activity and a showcase of checks that he sent to various groups and individuals. According to the tour, Elvis considered his receipt of the Jaycee's Outstanding Young Men award to be one of the proudest moments in his life; and it was the only awards ceremony he ever attended.
The garden where Elvis is buried was pretty solemn. The whole tour is treated with a great degree of reverence by the people who come. I think the best part, for me, was hanging out in the "raquetball" building and watching some Elvis concert footage with a bunch of other people that were touring the grounds. It felt kind of like being at a concert in real life.
The planes were cool and so were the cars. All in all it was a really fun tour. Parts of the experience feel very exploitative. For example, in one exhibit (outside the grounds) you can pay $100 to play pool on a pool table that Elvis kept at his home in Bel-Air.
The facilities, other than the house, were not in good condition, and the employees for the most part are very apathetic. I think it would be cool if they staffed the exhibits with real Elvis fans who could tell stories and answer questions (similar to what we saw at the Grand Canyon).
I could write a lot about where they could improve, but the bottom line is this: Meghan and I highly recommend anyone who is a real music fan make the pilgrimage to Memphis and Graceland. In more ways than one, you feel like you are in a very special place while you are there.
And Elvis is, without question, the King of Rock N Roll.
By the way, it just so happened that Mr. B.B. King was playing a local blues club last night, I wish I would have known that!
After Graceland, we cruised the gift shops and picked up a CD and then hit the road. The drive was for the most part not exciting. The weather was crap for all of Tennessee. Once we crossed into Kentucky though, we were pleasantly surprised.
Kentucky is beautiful country. Rich, rolling hills and a soothing almost pastoral feel. The sunset was amazing and at one point had a very fitting, bourbon-like color to it.
Today's pictures are in their own album because there are so many. I hope you enjoy them, Meghan took some really good ones.
Tonight is our last hotel night. Tomorrow we drive to my uncle's house in Pennsylvania and then onto New Jersey on Saturday.
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