Walking in Memphis

Put on my blue suede shoes
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain

W.C. Handy
Won't you look down over me
Yeah, I got a first class ticket
But I'm as blue as a boy can be

Then I'm walking in Memphis
Was walking with my feet, ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

Saw the ghost of Elvis
On Union Avenue
Followed him up to the gates of Graceland
Then I watched him walk right through

Now security they did not see him
They just hovered 'round his tomb
But there's a pretty little thing, waiting for the king
Down in the Jungle Room

When I was walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet, ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel

They've got catfish on the table
They've got gospel in the air
And Reverend Green, be glad to see you
When you haven't got a prayer
Boy, you got a prayer in Memphis

How apt these famous lyrics were to describe our journey through Memphis, we drove along Elvis Presley Boulevard to Graceland and were immediately swept up in the Elvis enthusiasm. We got our tickets to see his home and caught a tour bus through the famous gates of Graceland and up to the mansion. We turned our audio tour on and began our journey throughout the house with stories from Lisa Marie Presley of her childhood years in the house.

The mansion and all its decor has been left as it was in the 1970s when Elvis passed away. A favourite was the jungle room (mentioned in the song) which was a living room kitted out like a hunters lodge.

We then made our way through the garden and paddocks to an extension which housed all of Elvis's gold and platinum records as you can see from the photos he had collected a couple over his music career.

Our final stop was the graveyard of the Presley family where Elvis's parents, his twin brother who died as a baby and Elvis are laid to rest. It felt a privilege to see this house and you could not leave without feeling in awe of his music success.

We then went through a museum of Elvis's car collection including his pink Cadillac he gave to his mum. Our final stop was his 2 private planes a small jet and a big plane named Lisa Marie, we walked through these planes which again were kitted out with a living room, boardroom, bedroom, bathroom and dressing room. How the other half live!

After Graceland we headed downtown to Memphis where we took a trolley ride around town, stopping off at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated and then onto the memorial statue of Elvis Presley.

In the evening we headed to Beale Street stopping to listen to some gospel singers on the street singing for tips. Beale Steet reminded us of Bourbon Street in New Orleans although a heavy influence on blues rather than jazz, we went to B.B.Kings for dinner and listened to a blues band over a few drinks.

Next stop is heading east to Chattanooga!!