In Paul Simon’s song ’Graceland,’ he sings, ’I have reason to believe we all will be received in Graceland.’ If Rhymin’ Simon believes it to be true, who are we to argue?
I had been meaning to take my pilgrimage to Memphis’s musical Mecca for quite some time. On March 28 it was added to the list of American National Landmarks, so this seemed like as good a reason to go as any. Graceland is only a three-hour drive from Murfreesboro so I had no excuse for putting it off.
My journey started on a positive musical omen when my first stop on Interstate 40 was at the Johnny Cash Memorial Rest Area. Then at mile marker 94 there’s a sign proclaiming I-40 as the ’Music Highway.’
I got to Memphis late at night and was hungry. So I decided to visit the city’s favorite late night food stop, CK’s Coffee Shop. CK’s is a lot like Waffle House, only its d’cor more closely resembles a 1950s diner. The seats and table tops are all red with chrome trim, it has a classic jukebox complete with a vast collection of Elvis records, and the sign outside proclaims its featured dish: steak and eggs.
When I entered I was greeted with a hearty hello from the manager. The diner was empty of customers. The only other person present was a college-aged fry cook sitting at the counter reading a newspaper.
After I got my eggs, I thought I’d ask a little bit about Graceland to prepare me for the next day.
’Don’t go,’ urged CK cook Brett Edmonds as his manager sat beside him at the jukebox playing Elvis tunes and laughing at him. ’All we see here in Memphis is Elvis and you get pretty sick of it.’
The next day, looking around Memphis, I saw that it’s true. Elvis is on every billboard, storefront, and road sign. It reminds me of Orlando. Elvis is the Mickey Mouse of Memphis.
Graceland overlooks Elvis Presley Boulevard from atop a high hill, surrounded by a pasture for horses. The street is constantly being crossed by shuttles carrying eager tourists hoping a bit of Elvis’ musical prowess will rub off on them while they wander through his manor.
The first thing you have to do when you get to Graceland is obtain tickets. With a student ID and an AAA membership, you can do the basic mansion tour for less than $18.
That includes a set of headphones that helps guide your tour, though it costs an additional $5 if you want to board Elvis’ jet planes to take a tour of them.
With ticket in hand and headphones on you can board the shuttles to be whisked across the street for your tour. With the headphones, the necessity for human tour guides has been negated. But the property is peppered with staff members who can direct you where to go. They are equipped with walkie talkies, so if you have any questions they can’t answer, they can ask someone who can look it up for you.
The house itself is 10,000 square feet, and the entire property takes up more than twice that. The tour winds through the house first then goes on to such sites as the racquetball room, Vernon Presley’s office, Lisa Marie’s swingset, and the expansive trophy room, complete with all of Elvis’ gold records and Grammys.
While there I ran into Emily Skaggs, another MTSU student, taking the tour. When I told her what Brett Edmonds said at CK’s Coffee Shop, she was astounded.
’This is fun!’ she exclaimed. ’The tour is interesting and the music is awesome!’
My tour group included people of various ages, races and nationalities. While walking through the mansion I heard at least three languages besides English.
’It’s amazing to see how many lives worldwide Elvis has touched,’ beamed Laurie Montarano, longtime Graceland tour guide. ’I get to meet people from all over the world standing right here in the Graceland racquetball room.’
It seems Paul Simon really did have reason to believe that everyone would be received. Graceland is an attraction that appeals to people from all walks of life.
Location: 3734 Elvis Presley Boulevard – Memphis, TN 38186
Hours of operation: Open daily. Monday- Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m.
Prices: $22 for the mansion tour. An additional $2.20 off of that with a student ID. There is also a 15 percent AAA discount.
Accommodations: Memphis is just 200 miles from Murfreesboro, so you could go, sightsee and drive back in the same day. If you really want to stay the night, the Heartbreak Hotel on Elvis Presley Boulevard is appealing, but pricey. I recommend a Motel 6, which offers rooms for $40.
