Sun 22 July – 6708 steps
Songs: Anything and everything by Elvis played all day.
Today was the day for Graceland.
We planned to spend about 3 hours there and then move on. We spent more like 6 until we could absorb no more and we walked home. You start off in the lobby, get fitted with an iPad and headphones and then a shuttle takes you across the road, through the gates to the back of the house, where you watch an introductory video. Then you go to the front of the house and walk past the rooms on display. You have to remember that it was decorated in the seventies, a decade not renown for its elegant furnishing, but oh my word, it is gaudy. He may have changed the music industry and even created new fashion, but I cannot say his home decor was tasteful. The more bling the better. He bought Graceland when he was 22 and added significantly to it over the years, including carports for the cars he loved, a pool, a racketball court, a recording studio, rooms to house his awards and a meditation garden. Graceland was clearly his happy place.
You then return via shuttle to the museum which houses his cars; motorbikes, clothes; show costumes and other memorabilia, all the while showing videos of Elvis, doing interviews; in concert and also his movies. It is mind boggling. So many music icons pay tribute to him for paving the way and inspiring them. Then you can move on to the airplanes, the Lisa Marie and another Lear Jet. After that we were exhausted. We knew there was more to see and absorb, but we walked straight back home and collapsed.
Chuckle of the day: David is now a huge Elvis fan.
What I learnt: I still think Elvis was the greatest. I learnt about his incredible generosity and the emblem he created for his business, a lightening bolt with the letters TCB, which stood for Taking Care of Business in a flash.
Kim's journey 