My Visit to Graceland

     I have just returned from my trip to Memphis to visit Graceland.  I was so excited to be able to visit The King of Rock & Rolls home.  The home is called The Graceland Mansion but it was such a homey and welcoming place, I expected it to be cold and more like a museum than an actual home.  It was decorated lavishly but not so much that you would not be comfy....  I could see myself eating and enjoying spending time in the home as an actual residence. 
     I was accompanied by my eleven year old daughter and my husband for the trip.  We had a self guided tour, audio head sets and a tablet; but I thought to myself "why would I want to view the rooms on a tablet when I am standing in the home" so I just used the audio for my tour.  I was not surprised at the amount of people at Graceland that Tuesday morning, not overly crowded but we still had to wait for a short time.  I was so excited to view the rooms and I could picture Elvis and his family and friends sitting, eating and living in the home.  I have seen several videos about the home and the activities that Elvis enjoyed.  Elvis had several horses and purchased a horse for all his entourage.  Horseback riding, playing around on golf carts, swimming, racquetball, singing and playing the piano were just a few things they seemed to enjoy doing together.  
     I went thru the Mansion and I walked outside to the pool area, down by the horse fence and to the racquetball building.  I walked along the pathway and I thought to myself, "this is a walk that Elvis took all the time"  it made me feel a little excited and a little sad at the same time.  I stood for a moment to gaze at the horses and just enjoy the sun shining on my face.  I continued down the pathway and I could see the Memorial Garden. The Memorial Garden is the resting place for Elvis, his mother and father, Grandmother, his twin brothers headstone and his Grandson Benjamin.
The Memorial Gardens are the end of the tour at the Mansion.  
     The tour of the Mansion was about 2 hours and the car museum, airplanes, and gift shops are across the street from the mansion.  The complete tour of everything took us about 4 hours.  The amount of stage outfits and all the other items to view was almost overwhelming. I looked at as much as I could and enjoyed every moment.  I would highly recommend going to Graceland for a visit, it makes you feel just a little closer to the King.  If you would like to leave any comments please do so below.  Thank you for reading about my experience at Graceland.
Lisa Bailey-Owens