That's what my friend Nella said to me about what I wanted to do for my 50th birthday. While I was ecstatic about going to the Cubs game, what I really wanted to do was go to Graceland.
Exactly 60 days later, the framily and I rolled up to the gates of Graceland to celebrate my big 5-0.
First, I will have you note that I rhinestoned the Elvis shirt all by myself. I've never rhinestoned anything (shocking, I know) in my entire life. However, I felt it was just the right thing to do for this trip.
It should also be noted, that going to Graceland was not the only requirement for this trip. Staying at the historic Peabody Hotel was essential. And to be honest, that was almost impossible, so it is the reason that our trip was about 36 hours. But, that was all the time we needed.
OK, so the trip. Nella and Linda met with at my place before the sun rose. We had to get out of downtown before the streets closed for the Chicago Marathon. Thank goodness our Uber driver arrived early, giving us just enough buffer to get out of the city. Rachel boarded her flight at MKE long after we arrived at ORD. She then joined us 90-minutes later for the flight Memphis.
Nella did not disappoint...she had hats made for all of us. Now, Rachel and Linda told the flight attendant to shout out my birthday on the speaker, but that did not happen.
While reading my book and listening to my "downloaded music" playlist, the following song came on...
...and it was perfect. Why? This is my favorite Elvis song.
We landed on-time and made our way to The Peabody. A quick shout out to the Memphis airport. The terminal we landed at was renovated. The bathrooms were awesome. Big, the doors swung out versus in, and the lights over the doors - just like in a parking garage - signaled which ones were available. Again, huge plus.
Ok, onwards to The Peabody. Now, I first became aware of The Peabody when I was traveling for a previous job. I stayed at The Peabody in Orlando frequently. It was there I learned that the OG Peabody Hotel was in Memphis. Which helped to explain what The Peabody is most famous for (beyond their luxury status and service), the DUCKS. Yes, DUCKS.
The original Peabody Hotel was built in 1869 and had 75 rooms. In 1923, the hotel closed so that it could grow in size. It reopened in 1925 with 625 rooms. Now, the ducks first appeared in The Peabody fountain in 1933 as a practical joke (apparently they first tried out turtles and a baby alligator before landing on the ducks). In 1940, the hotel hired a bellman by the name of Edard Pembroke. He was a former circus trainer with Barnum and Bailey and he volunteered to care for the hotel's ducks. He would bring them to and from the lobby each day which became the "Peabody Duck March." He also became the hotel's first Duckmaster, a title he held for 50 years.
We did not arrive at the hotel in time to see the morning "Duck March," but we did get to say hello to the ducks up on or check-in.
We decided to had out to Beale Street to kill some time before the evening "Duck March." And we found Beale Street to be dead. We had arrived on a Sunday at it was just before 12 noon. We thought maybe it got busier after church. It did not. So, we popped into few "souvenir" stores for fun.
We saw a variety of things...and odd things at that.
Voodoo Dolls
Oils of All Kinds
A Lunchbox I Would Have Wanted to Own in the 1980s
Hats We Should Have Bought (but didn't)
Beale Street did not leave us with a great impression of the City. So, we headed back to the hotel for some snacks and cocktails. It is a good thing we did. We found a table next to the fountain and didn't leave it for the next 4.5 hours. We quickly learned that The Duck March - and the viewing of it - is somewhat like the Game of Thrones. There is strategy. There are throwing of elbows. There are stealing of chairs. There are rules. And, we weren't going to break them.
So, we enjoyed many rounds of Uno. Duck cocktails. Blue Suede Shoes Martinis. Diet Coke and plenty of water.
We also visited with others who were celebrating their 50th birthday. One of them gifted me these glasses.
Now to the ducks. We had observed the Duckmaster when we arrived at the hotel. He is a celebrity himself. Kids and families were patiently waiting for the opportunity to take a picture with him.
So, when he arrived early for the evening Duck March, he stopped by our table to say hello. I asked him how does one go about being the Duckmaster and he spent the next 15 minutes telling us his story. His name is Kenon Walker and he has been the Duckmaster for the past 6 years. You can read all about what he shared with us in this article:
https://gardenandgun.com/duck-destiny-meet-kenon-walker-the-peabody-hotels-duckmaster.
During his story, several children walked up to say hello, with one giving him a drawing of the ducks with a special note. So cute.
He obviously knew it was my birthday (the hat was a dead giveaway) and asked us what we were doing while in town. I told him that I wanted to go to Graceland for my 50th birthday and that a stay at The Peabody was a requirement. I said my friends did not know about the Peabody or the history of it and that I thought they were more excited about the ducks than Elvis. He loved my story - and was appreciative that I brought my friends for the experience. He then gave me a hug and went on his way.
However, a few minutes later, he returned with a gift. A gift only the Duckmaster and give out. It was the Duckmaster Peabody Duck.
For me, really? I said how sweet given that he could give it to one of the many children were had gathered to see the Duck March. Again, I thanked him and aid it meant a lot. He started the program and shouted me out three times to the packed house (2 floors by the way) watching the Duck March. The framily thought he "liked me," like "really liked me." I was like, dude, his job is to be charming to everyone. However, it has made for a great story (and a great memory).
Now, we have lots of video of the March, but we didn't take still photos. Why? It's all about the March!
Before dinner, we headed to the rooftop to visit the luxury home of the Ducks (The Duck Palace - where they go when they aren't in the Fountain).
Now, I wouldn't say it is luxury, but they sure did look like they were having a good time. Plus, great views of the City.
We headed out to dinner and once again walked Beale Street. It wasn't any better at night.
We needed to get our rest anyway because the following morning, we were headed to Graceland.
All I can hear in my head is the song "Graceland" by Paul Simon.
Now I woke up this way. I feel like it was the perfect way to start the day with my Elvis-hair-style from the 50's.
Now, Nella had once again requested I wear "headgear" for the day. This time, a sparkly crown that had the number 50 on it (just so everyone could stop and ask what the 50 was for and to wish me a happy birthday).
We arrived at the Visitor Center a few minutes early. And no, you can't be dropped off at the Gates of Graceland and walk up the driveway anymore. We would soon learn that the visitor center opened in 2017 and housed many Elvis artifacts and 7 gift shops (they make a point of this many times on the tour).
I had reserved the VIP Archives tour, which would get us access to the Elvis/Graceland archivists and to see things that are not on display on the "regular tour." It also meant we had a tour group of 12 people or less (we had 8). Now, I'm going to establish up front that I knew that the house would be small. What I was expecting was more "Smithsonian-esque" archivists, modern displays (including placards), and professional tour guides. None of those things were our experience, however our down-to-earth, relaxed tour seemed to be fitting for the environment.
The house is still owned by the Presley Family (Riley and her two sisters since her mother's passing in 2023) and the family can still stay on property from time-to-time since it is a private residence. It is the second most visited private residence in the United States. The White House is #1, although we did learn that Graceland had the #1 honor recently - for several months.
Anyway, we couldn't take video of any of the house, but would could take as many pictures as we wanted.
The house remains a time capsule of the year 1977. Elvis died in the house - upstairs in his bathroom - on August 16, 1977. The upstairs is completely off-limits to the public (for obvious reasons). And let me just say, it looks exactly as it does in pictures.
Everything in the home is original, with the exception of the carpets (which have been changed).
The white furniture in the "front room" is not the furniture that was in the room at the time of his death (although it was furniture that had been in the room previously. The original furniture is across the street in an exhibit at the Visitor Center.
Now, this seems more like the Elvis I imagined in the 70''s.
Moving onto the other parts of the house, including:
His Mother Glady's Room
We all fell in love with the poodle wallpaper in her bathroom.
The Dining Room
The Stairway Leading to the Second Floor
If you look closely at the picture above, you will see a white wall with a small window at the top. Elvis enclosed the staircase with a wall and added the windows (there is one behind one waking up the main staircase as well) so he could see who was downstairs waiting for him. If he didn't want to visit with them, he would not invite them up.
The Kitchen
We were all a big fan of the kitchen. This is also the first time we began to realize how many televisions were in each room (Elvis loved his TV apparently). it was pointed out that he had one of the first "home" microwaves in the United States (at a cost of $3,000) and the most modern technology for the time.
The Jungle Room
Most of the walls in the jungle room - and the ceiling - are covered in the green shag carpet you see on the floor. Also, it was almost like they planned it for me because Suspicious Minds was playing as we toured the Jungle Room.
The TV Room
Now, the inspiration for the TV room came from President Lyndon Johnson. After Elvis saw he had more than one TV, he had to have more than one two. The reason for three was so he - like the President - could watch each of the news networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) at the same time - and multiple football games.
The Game Room
The walls and ceiling are fabric and there are two Tiffany Lamps (which you see one in the picture above) hanging from the ceiling. We later found the invoice for these lamps, costing $9,000 (a bargain in this day and age).
We then headed outside for a short walk across the back yard to his Father "Vernon's Office," but not before we saw the swing set Lisa Marie played on as a child. Note, the bullet holes in the slide. Inside the "office building" was Elvis' gun range so target practice extended to the playground when things got a little rowdy.
The office is just what you would expect.
The Fitness Center (with a indoor racquet ball court and bar)
Now, a couple of things to note, Elvis bought the property in the 1950s...13 acres to be exact. Today, this property sits in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Now, there are still horses on the property today, but the house literally butts up to a residential neighborhood. In fact, if someone wanted to try, they could hop the fence and just walk right up to the house. It's beyond bizarre.
We went into what we learned as the "addition" that Elvis made to the house, which originally stored his track car hobby. It was also used for large parties and Elvis and Priscilla's wedding reception.
But perhaps the most photographed part of the property is the outside grounds where Elvis and his family are buried. We learned that the property is deemed a cemetery so they are required to open the side gates to the property for 30 minutes a day where anyone can come in and pay their respects - for free. Vernon - Elvis' Dad - had Elvis and Gladys moved from their original burial plots (a cemetery not too far from the house) because o the threats they were receiving that people wanted to steal the body. Elvis, his parents, and his twin brother who died in birth (original body was in an unmarked grave and never recovered), Lisa Marie, and her son Benjamin are now buried in the gardens.
And now onto the part of the tour we cannot share with you (or at least most of it). The archives. Here is where things just got weird. The "archives" building is a smallish building across from the original car park. IT was once used for auctions, movies, children's programs, and the like. Now, it is just a building with a lot of racks you would see at the Home Depot and archival boxes. There is one archivists. She would best be described as a woman you'd find at the end of the bar chain smoking each night. She was dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and an oversized hoodie. She - along with her fellow archivists (aka the archival tour guides like the one we had) are in charge of authenticating all Elvis material. The day we visited we learned that they are in the process of authenticating, cleaning, and archiving all of Lisa Marie's estate. Her three living children requested this and have since moved 9 warehouses of materials to Memphis for the process. Now, I did ask if all it was in the building and the answer was no. Most of these items still are in warehouses somewhere in Memphis (which they do not disclose).
Now Rachel and I wanted to see the famous black leather coat and hat Lisa Marie was photographed in with Michael, but Rachel also referenced a bright blue blazer she vividly remembered her wearing when sitting next to Elton John. The archivist just started pulling boxes off the shelf and we saw some jewelry and other clothing items. And then, the box (unlabeled by the way) with the said jacket Rachel was referencing was pulled from the shoes and opened.
We can all say it is quite stunning in person. We wanted to take it home - but obviously we couldn't (we weren't even allowed to touch it if we put on gloves).
After about 45-minutes, we carried on the rest of the tour. Now this is where things got odd. We want into another part of the building that had rows of patio benches and a metal cabinet at the front of the room. In the cabinet were artifacts that are not on display. To say this was so odd when they opened the cabinet to reveal the items would be an understatement. This is what I was paying for. Because here, I was to be getting a photo opportunity with said artifacts and fro what I read, his "belts" were typically what you got to hold and be photographed with. Instead, we got his wallet. Yes, that was my big photo opportunity. Whomp. Whomp.
Here are the remaining items in the cabinet.
Note the 3M hook that these Numchucks are hanging from. I don't think this would be the display quality - or appearance - of a Smithsonian-level experience.
Our tour ended back at the front of the house for a photo opportunity.
We were driven back to the visitor center so we could tour the other exhibits. Now, these were much better in appearance and content. And to imagine many of these items were in areas of the house or the cars parked out back, well it's just crazy.
Now, things really started to get good when we entered the room with the wardrobe from the 1968 comeback special.
What struck us is just how "tiny" Elvis really was at that time. He stood 6 feet tall and about 170 pounds. In fact, pictures from the special show that his leather pants are a little baggy on him.
Now this is considered Elvis everyday-wear.
But the most impressive part of the exhibit is that of all his jumpsuits. Now, they know there are more than 100 that were made for him (wool gabardine no less), but they only have 67 of them. Some they. have no idea where they are or who has them. Others they know who have them and frequently offer to purchase them with most not willing to part with them for any price.
The tour ends with a culmination of his achievements.
And to think, only a small amount of these were on display in the Fitness Center before the welcome center opened in 2017.
We wrapped up our day at Graceland with lunch and Elvis' favorite sandwich: Peanut Butter and Banana (not half bad).
Now, before we left Memphis, we said goodbye to the ducks.
And one final piece of history of the Peabody that we learned on our Graceland Tour. Elvis attended his junior-senior prom at the hotel (the Continental Ballroom to be exact) in 1953. Furthermore, Elvis received a signing bonus for his first national RCA recording contract at the Peabody in 1955. The original "receipt" is in the archives and was typed on official Peabody Stationary because Colonel Tom Parker was staying at the hotel at the time.
I continued to wear the crown all the way home. In fact, the male flight attendance on the plane stopped by and said "50 what," as he was referring tot he 50 on my crown. I said my 50th birthday. To which he says, I'm not good with age, but I wouldn't have even thought you were 35! Right answer, my friend.
But that's not all. When I returned home, I downloaded the cruise-style photos I bought during the tour. Now, they take your picture as you are boarding the bus. As you're touring Graceland, they get to work on placing you in a number of places around Graceland (digitally, so to speak). Good thing we got a photo in front of the airplanes (the part of the tour that was self-guided that I had no interest in seeing).
These pictures alone were worth the price of admission.
