I recently had a work trip to Memphis. It was a conference so most of our day time was strictly scheduled but boy did this group go all out for our nightly activities. They shut down the Hard Rock Cafe as well as the Memphis Music Hall of Fame the first night. The second evening we had Graceland all to ourselves along with private tours! Talk about rolling out the red carpet! Here are my highlights.
Beale Street
Beale Street is iconically memphis and is home to BB King and great BBQ. We arrived on a Monday night so I am sure it is a lot more active on a weekend, but it was still vibrant with great live music.
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame is adjacent to the Hard Rock Cafe and is really well done. I had no idea so many artists were influenced by or lived in Memphis at some point during their career. Just to name a few: Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, Justin Timberlake, and of course, Elvis Presley.
Graceland
I had no idea what to expect from Graceland. I do not really listen to Elvis Presley's music but I do have huge respect for the change he brought to our culture and the music industry. The tour itself is extremely well done and everyone is given an iPad so they can go at their own pace.
The first room on the tour is the living room. I loved the white decor with gold accents!
The next room when you visit is Elvis' parent's room.
Next you visit the dining room. Elvis always sat at the far end of the table at the head so he could view the tv that he had installed. Lisa Marie and her family still eat around this table when they are in town.
Next to the dining room and kitchen is the Jungle room. Notice the green carpet on the ceiling. This was installed to help with the acoustics. Elvis recorded a couple of albums in this room. The red rocks illuminated on the far left wall are part of a working water feature.
A better view of the water feature and left side of the room.
The basement housed the media room as well as a billiards room. The color scheme is very 70's.
Outside you get to tour the grounds. I particularly liked the fields where the horses are kept. We were touring in the evening and the light was perfect for pictures.
The tour ends in the meditation garden where Elvis and several members of his family are laid to rest.
