Graceland Christmas Decorations
Saturday 4.11.23
Today is one of the big stops on this trip – Graceland – and it is a huge draw. We make an early start with the aim of beating the crowds which we almost do. The estate has taken over a large area across the highway where we park and which holds the secondary exhibits with a bus to take us over to the house itself. It feels a little like a rabbit warren as we head around the downstairs and then into the lower level – which clearly reflected updates at various times. Exiting at the rear of the building we see the and then there is a final very tidy garden with the graves of Elvis and his parents.
Elvis’ Rolls Royce
Back across the highway there are many displays – the cars being the first highlight and the two planes a little further away. However for real fans there are many other displays and people could easily spend a lot longer here than our four hours. Great Rail take the view that their travellers will not all be pure Elvis fans and so limit the time – however it is a reminder of how the King lived!
Sun Studio
The importance of Elvis was covered at RCA Studio B earlier in our tour but the next stop on our return to Memphis is Sun Studio. Here in August 1953 he recorded an acetate as a gift for his mother, plus another one off a few months later. However the secretary Marion Keisker brought him back a third time for a recording session in July 1954, which simply did not work until very late at night Elvis started playing the fool – probably enjoying himself and apparently that was the start of the legend. Three days later the track was played by a local DJ and most of the rest is history. The Studio has an upstairs museum telling the history of the site and then downstairs is the studio itself together with a selection of instruments. Real American history. Many others recorded here of course.
In the evening we wander out to the main strip for a drink and to listen to music – not quite as loud or all encompassing as Nashville – before heading to the restaurant previously spotted – the Flying Fish. A local delicacy is allegedly “po boys” and so tonight we eat as the locals. Order at the counter and then called to the counter when ready. So this is the local fast food and it makes a change – and actually tastes – so we have done well for local food in Memphis.