Since arriving home from Europe in September things have been quiet for me as I once again focused on the nuts and bolts of life. I did sneak away for a few days to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Austin which was very nice. The last time we spent time together was last July in Italy. It was good to catch up stateside.
With resources available I figured I could run off for a couple of weeks and see a few new things in my own country. I've already traveled America extensively but there are still many, many things I have not seen. The idea is to take in a bit of Americana and drop in on a few friends along the way. Last night I stayed with friends in Little Rock, Arkansas but tonight I've checked into a decent cheap hotel in downtown Memphis. Tomorrow I'll head on to Nashville.
The two main attractions for me in Memphis are Graceland and Sun Studio. Graceland was the home of Elvis and the Studio is where the first rock 'n roll record was produced. Elvis was discovered by Sun and recorded his first song there.
It was an easy 2 hour drive to Memphis from Little Rock and I headed straight to Graceland after crossing the long broad bridge over the Mississippi river. Graceland consists of a relatively small mansion built upon a hill within a large grassy yet forested lot. The stone wall that separates the property from Elvis Presley Blvd, with it musically decorative gate, give it a luxurious compound sort of look.
Graceland is on one side of the Blvd while museums, shops, and parking lot are on the other side. When I pulled into the parking lot they wanted $10 to park. Paying to park seemed like a total rip off considering a ticket to visit Graceland is $34! I just turned my car around and parked a five minute walk away to avoid paying the $10 fee.
The nice thing about traveling on weekdays in America, outside of the summer, is that tourist crowds are rarely a problem. After purchasing a ticket I was on a shuttle bus for a quick ride to the Mansion in no time. The first impression I got upon arrival is that the home appears quite a bit smaller than I expected. The tour is self guided and your given an audio device with headphones that explains the nuances of each room.
The interior is frozen with the same decor of 1977. The year Elvis passed away. Each room varies in character from classy and tasteful to artsy bordering on gaudy. The dining room looks perfectly normal but after passing through a dark paneled kitchen into the jungle like living room full of plants and water trickling down a wall constructed of flagstone, I found the home to be particularly interesting.
The basement hosts an entertainment room with three TVs so Elvis could watch all three network news programs at the same time. The room is brightly decorated by some notable decorator of the 70's who used lots of yellow and blue paint with a pop art flair. Also located in the basement is a very creatively decorated game room with a pool table.
The grounds of Graceland also contain a stable for horses and a racquetball court that's been converted into a museum filled with gold records.
Aside of the fact that Graceland is Elvis's home and it's a very interesting home there's definitely a special feel about the place. For me there's a very powerful vibe there. Elvis was more than just a great musician. He was notoriously generous, extremely charismatic, and genuine. He did not like being alone and always had visitors. He shared a lot with many at Graceland and this I believe has made such a huge impression on the place.
The only downside to Graceland is how commerical its become. Fortunately it's separated from the souvenir shops etc. by a busy wide boulevard. Once your actually on the grounds and inside the home its pretty easy to get past the touristic aspect of it all but I visited on a day that wasn't very busy. In busier times it might not be as nice.
After Graceland I continued on to Sun Recording Studio. I was especially interested due to my appreciation of music and records. I could go on and on with the Sun story but I'm going to wrap up this post with some pictures my day in Memphis....
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