Goin' to Graceland

Wednesday  May 4, 2011

Site #74

Graceland RV Park

Memphis, Tennessee

We were up early but for one reason or another

didn’t pull out of the Seven Points Campground until 11:00. 

We stopped at Flying J for gas $3.749 

OUCH

and for David to try to put air in one of our rear inner tires

 that has been refusing to take air from the compressor. 

Success!

While he was doing that, I saw this vintage

Winnebago Brave parked in front of the

convenience store. 

One of Winnona's elderly relatives.

Check out the passenger. 

Back on the road, David wasn’t feeling well

and  asked me to take over the driving

so we stopped at a rest area for that

and he napped in the back while I drove on toward Memphis.

Or,

since he wasn't so sick

he couldn't get up to take this picture 

maybe he just didn't want to drive.

 

We had decided that there wasn’t much sense

in looking for a campground outside of the city 

and driving in to Graceland since it was the only thing

we were going to do in Memphis.

We don't really like cities or being tourists

and it is a rare thing, like the Opry or Graceland,

that will get us to come in to a city.

 So we just made a reservation for 2 nights

at the Graceland RV Park and campground

from which we could walk over to see all the sights.

We pulled in just before 4:00. 

A LONG 235 miles from Nashville.

The park is a bit more than a parking lot

but the sites are very close together. 

Walking out of the office after

registering, I saw this sign on its parking spots.

Our site is one of the only non full hook up sites.   

We’re a water/electric spot.  

So that put us on the outside edge of the park

right next to the “walking trail” and the trees. 

VERY NICE.

$33.43 a night with tax and Good Sam discount.

But to avoid the driving, the aggrevation,
and the Graceland parking fee,

it was definitely worth the price.

We are just past the corner of Jail House Road and Hound Dog.

Heartbreak Lane is the next street over

 

After getting set up and having dinner,

we went over to check out the ticket

 and exhibit areas both just next door to the park

and across the street

from the Mansion itself.

Look who we found on Hound Dog on our walk over.

That's Presley in the lead.  Oliver in the back.

We found out the location of everything,

and I bought a couple of postcards

to send to Carrie and a friend who scoffed at my

“Going to Graceland”.

On the way back,

we saw this limo pulling into the

Heartbreak Hotel.
Things here are just too much fun!

A local restaurant, Marlowe's Ribs
will send the limo to pick you up at your site
and return you from the restaurant.  No charge. 
AND give you a 10% discount on your dinner
if you are staying in the park.
The prices are very reasonable.

So, we went into the Heartbreak Hotel where they have

All Elvis, All the Time.

Don't you think the heart should have a crack in it??

He’s singing on the lobby speakers

(check out the decor)

and performing from DVDs played on a big screen

in the Jungle Room Lounge.  

So we sat down in the lounge for a couple of pieces

of Elvis’s favorite PeCAN pie

and watched him on the screen

in the two TV specials they were playing.

This is from the 1968 "Comeback" Special.

I admit openly to being an Elvis fan. 

I think he had a great voice,

all 8 octaves of it.

I’m old enough to have seen him on the Ed Sullivan Show

IF

my mother would have let me watch it

which she would not. 

Bad influence.

Boy how tame his shows look compared to today.

Tomorrow is the Graceland visit

and Friday we are on our way to

Hot Springs National Park.

Definitely havin' fun -

We're "ready ready Teddy to Rock N' Roll".

All Elvis, All the Time.