Graceland, How, What, If

[Lindnet]

In May of 2004, I was planning a trip to Atlanta to visit my big brother. I decided to make a stop in Memphis. I arrived about 3 in the afternoon and was picked up at the airport by the van from Heartbreak Hotel. There were 2 girls on it and we started chatting. Pretty soon, the driver of the van was involved in the conversation too. None of them could believe that I was there all by myself and I was only staying one night! That night we all went to Beale Street and had a blast! Yes, Tom (the driver from Heartbreak) went with us!

The next morning I got up and met the girls for the tour of Graceland. One of the girls was a huge Elvis fan, the other one not so much. As soon as I got close to those famous front steps, I got teary-eyed. I cried off and on through the whole house! It was just overwhelming being there where Elvis had lived. You could just feel his presence there so strongly! My only regret is that I wasted too much time taking pictures of everything. It took away from the whole experience. Of course after the tour, we went to the shops and spent lots of money on souveniers!

The coolest thing is that the girl who was a big Elvis fan that I met there has become a very good friend! She lives in Florida(I'm from California) and we talk on the phone every week for at least an hour. We used to only talk about Elvis, but now we talk about everything! We have already made reservations to meet in Memphis again next May. It will be her 60th and my 50th birthdays!! This time we will stay for 4 or 5 days and see everything, including driving down to Tupelo!! And I'm NOT going to take pictures inside Graceland this time at all. I'm going to go slowly and drink in all the sights!

[Jungleroom76]

AWESOME STORY LINDNET!!!

While I was in Memphis for Elvis Week 2000, I was having breakfast at the Chrome Grille and while I was there, I overheard an Elvis Tribute Artist talking to some other fans. I thought I heard him say his name (Gary) and so I went over and introduced myself and asked him if I had heard correctly...turns out I did, and Gary was an Elvis fan that I had met on the internet a couple of years before and we became good friends through e-mail!! It was pure luck that we were both having breakfast in the Chrome Grille at the same time! We had talked about meeting up in Memphis, but Gary had lost my hotel information and didn't know how to get a hold of me...but as fate would have it, we were both there having breakfast that morning! We wound up hanging out for the rest of my time in Memphis, and since then, we have made it a weekly tradition to chat on the phone every Wednesday night!! It is SO COOL to meet up with other fans during Elvis Week, and if you haven't had a chance to go to Memphis for Elvis Week, I HIGHLY recommend that all Elvis fans try to get to Memphis at least once for some of Elvis Week....it is just amazing, like a HUGE family reunion!!

And Lindnet, if I might make a suggestion to you...when you go back to Memphis next May to take another tour of the house, might I suggest you try the tour without the headphone tour? When I was last in Memphis in 2000, I took the tour of the house twice....once with the headphones and once without, and while hearing the pre-recorded tour was cool for the complete tour experience, I found myself REALLY enjoying the second tour without the headphones, when I could just concentrate on the sights and sounds of the house...seeing and hearing what I wanted to, instead of what highlights the recorded tour tape was pointing out. I'd be interested to hear how you like the tour without the headphones, if you give it a try!

TCB!
Mike

[Tommy]

Lindnet and Jungleroom 76 great stories. How wonderful and how cool is that!! We never know what lies around the corner of life. Elvis has so enriched our lives, he would be just amazed!

Thank you both for your lovely stories and thanks for sharing with us all.

Tommy

[Lindnet]

Thanks for the suggestion, Mike! I must have read that part about doing the tour without the headphones on this board somewhere, did you post it recently? I remember thinking it was a great idea! And I will try it for sure!! And how cool is that, you made a lifelong friend through Elvis too!

My girlfriend from Florida and I have discussed trying to visit Memphis during either the January or August celebrations, but just weren't sure we wanted to be there when everything is so crowded. I think the next time, we will try to do Elvis week, but this time we'll go in May. I'd really like to experience Elvis week, I just have to talk her into it.

Tommy, I know just what you mean....wouldn't Elvis just be touched by how much he still influences people's lives? And he was afraid nobody would remember him!

[Jungleroom76]

Yes actually, I did post that in one of my other posts in this thread, but since you were talking about going back to Memphis in May, I thought I would offer my opinion on that again!! It really is so cool to just wander through the mansion without the headphone tour...if you listen really closely, you can almost hear Elvis singing in the Jungle Room...I know it sounds kind of silly, but I swear I could hear Elvis singing in there!!!

I've never been to Memphis in January, but I know they have so many more events planned during Elvis Week in August! Plus the weather is better that time of year (hotter, but better) and there are more fans down there, which is really cool...you get to meet so many more fans! So if you ever do get to go to Memphis during Elvis Week, I really think you will love it! And it's not as crowded as you might think either...there are so many events happening all around the city, so everyone is spread out pretty well! The tours move along smoothly, and the area outside Graceland Crossing is busy without being too crowded (except for the restaurants and gift shops, which are usually packed...the one drawback! You may want to consider eating off Graceland property during Elvis Week! Just my opinion... ) Plus, there is LOTS of entertainment happening around Graceland Crossing during Elvis Week....plenty of tribute artists performing in tents around Graceland Crossing, which is cool to stop and listen to...and it's FREE!!!

TCB!
Mike

[Lindnet]

Thanks! I'll see if I can talk her into changing our visit this year, but if not, maybe we can go next year!

[Tommy]

All of this sounds so inviting, thank you Mike!

I'm wanting to go again everyone has peaked my excitment, if that's possible since Elvis and Graceland are so magical! I'm already at an all time high!

Tommy

[Tommy]

Lindnet,

Thanks for your comments too. Yes, Elvis was fearful we would forget him! HA Fat chance of that ever happening.

Tommy

[boogie]

I was there in september 2004, we had a trip by car, from NY to nashville, memphis, back up to niagara and again NY to catch our plane back to Belgium....
It was the trip of my life,..never been to the states and than this...
Of course Graceland was the highlight...It must have been 30 years i talked about visiting the mansion, and finally the moment was there...
There i was standing at the gates for about 30 minutes, realizing i was in front of the house of my King...unbelieveble...
and later inside, watching all the rooms, clothes, records, ... i saw them a hundred times on video and pics, and now they were just in front of me... i had no words..
after a difficult moment at Elvis' grave i left with the greatest memory of my life..."I WAS AT GRACELAND"....so guys, in 2007 i go back to be there on elvisweek...for another impressive moment...

Greetzzz, Johan

[Tommy]

Johan,

How wonderful for you. I know you will have a great time. Your story was very touching.

Thank You,

Tommy

[SANDRA]

I just loved to read all your wonderful stories about Graceland!
I haven't been there yet,but visiting Elvis mansion is one of my biggest dreams!
Hope one day it will come true !!!

[Tommy]

Sandra,

I hope you make it to Graceland one day.

Thank you for your reply.

Tommy

[Jungleroom76]

All of this sounds so inviting, thank you Mike!

I'm wanting to go again everyone has peaked my excitment, if that's possible since Elvis and Graceland are so magical! I'm already at an all time high!

Tommy

MY PLEASURE TOMMY!!

You are right...it definitely is a magical place!!

TCB!
Mike

[Tommy]

Glad to see you around today Mike

Tommy

[Jungleroom76]

THANKS TOMMY!!!

GREAT to see you around here today too!

TCB!
Mike

[Lonniebealestreet]

For anyone who hasn't made the trip to Graceland, I would personally recommend going in December. I'd love to try to get down there this December if possible, but I don't know about that.

I went in December of 1999, and it was for sure one of the most amazing trips there for me. Liking Elvis and the Christmas season like I do, it was just a magical time to be there. Seeing the way Elvis had the place decorated plus having all the new light displays, which are very much in keeping with Elvis' tastes, if you ask me, is just so cool.

Now, I haven't been around Elvis' birthday, but to me seeing all those decorations a couple weeks after Christmas would be a little depressing.

The neat thing about going during the Christmas season is that (and I assume you can still do this) with your mansion tour ticket stub, you are allowed to go back into the house in the evening to go through at your own pace! That takes care of going through twice without having to pay for two tickets, and doing it with and without the headphones. Plus, you hear Elvis' Christmas songs playing throughout the house, which is so cool.

Even if you're not a big Christmas person, Elvis being into it like he was makes this experience extra special...perhaps his presence is felt even more than usual.

It's great to mingle with all the the fellow fans during Elvis Week, but if you want to feel less like you're being shuffled through the house at EPE's pace, I recommend going during this very festive but far less crowded time of year. In addition to my own family, my parents and one of my sisters and aunt and uncle and cousins also went on this trip. Most of them are not necessarily Elvis fans, but they all really enjoyed it.

Another plus is you don't have to endure the Memphis summer heat!

O come, all E faithful!

[Tommy]

Lonniebealestreet hello

Thank you for the wonderful descripton of Graceland at Christmas time. I love Christmas. I can just imagine how beautiful it is there in December. Glad you got to go then.

Tommy

[Redroo]

I have a job interview in Memphis next month, so it's as good an excuse as any to visit Graceland I think- have never been before, so haven't really got a clue what to expect.

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Lucky bastard, take a few snaps of "The Graceland Gates for me mate, iam making some cd covers for my best of E vol 1, 2, and 3 calling them "Graceland Gates" when iam finished i will post them on the site, the more i can get the better the 1 2 and 3 will be, so if you take a few pics and post them on the site here that would be great, long shot short shot shot of the gates and the wall plus the grounds from the wall of the gates...
Redroo

[Redroo]

Lindnet and Jungleroom 76 great stories. How wonderful and how cool is that!! We never know what lies around the corner of life. Elvis has so enriched our lives, he would be just amazed!

Thank you both for your lovely stories and thanks for sharing with us all.

Tommy

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Hey Tom do you have any pics of Graceland Gates? if so can you put them on the site...great thread you have started man...
Redroo
Playing 'My baby left me" on the puter in the state library here in adelaide South australia at the moment part of my Graceland Gates cd collection iam making vol 1, 2, 3 with covers of 'The Graceland Gates' pics coming soon of the covers

[Redroo]

Lindnet,

Thanks for your comments too. Yes, Elvis was fearful we would forget him! HA Fat chance of that ever happening.

Tommy

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E has nothing to worry about there mate, he will still be remembered in another 200 years from now, he'll be rockin the cosmos when we leave this planet...'We're gonna rock all our blues away'
Redroo