My trip to Memphis (Pt 1)

 And just like that, I'm back home on my couch in Los Angeles. If someone were to ask me how my trip was, I wouldn't even know where to begin. My mom and I had so much fun, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world for getting to put my own two feet on the same soil that Elvis once put his on, from his home at Graceland to the many homes he lived in before that. It's going to be so hard to pick the right pictures to capture every moment I experienced, but I'll do my best! I'd also just like to mention that Memphis is really such a cool town. I'm a west coast girl, and have apparently only ever been to Tennessee once in my life (Paris, to be exact) at three years old, and I was surprised at how nice people were, and how welcoming the whole city was. I wish I could go back, and only just left! I did get to visit every spot I was hoping to on my itinerary, except for one place that was minor on my list, so hooray for that!

We arrived in Memphis pretty late on Wednesday night, and headed straight for the hotel. I can't say much about the first night except I was lucky enough to spend the second flight (from Houston to Memphis) seated next to a girl who was around my age and we talked so much that the flight just zoomed by. I also got pretty much zero sleep that night because of being in a weird place/jetlag, etc, so waking up on Thursday was not a pretty sight.

We first headed over to a cute little cafe called The Blue Plate, recommended by the concierge at the hotel, and boy, it did not disappoint. I knew right away that I would be ordering grits and biscuits/gravy since in LA that's not something I can really order and have it be totally authentic, and I was in heaven.

 

 After some issues returning the rental car in exchange for a new one (long story not worth sharing), we headed for Graceland, and guys, I just about died. First of all, Graceland is basically on a super busy street. Yes, there's a big gate and a long driveway, but you can still see the house from the street, which I was shocked to find out. I had pictured it being tucked away somewhere, hard for anyone to see unless they paid for the tour, but no. We made our way to the ticket booth to pick up our VIP Tickets, and headed straight for Elvis' cars museum which is in the big plaza that houses all of the other exhibits, gift shops and a couple of restaurants. I'm not one to be too excited about cars as I've said before, but some of them were seriously amazing to see in person (like the pink Cadillac he gave his mom, the pink jeep everyone rode around the backyard in, and his 1973 Stutz which I've seen many pictures of him driving). There was a cute little gift shop tucked inside, too, and I couldn't help but snap a picture of one of the displays.

 

 

 

 

After that, we made our way to Graceland. I was awestruck. I'd heard and read many times over that the mansion is not as big as you would expect, so I knew that going into the tour, but I actually felt like it was way bigger than people give it credit for. Aside from all the regular rooms in the house (and ones they don't show you on the tour like the upstairs and basement), there's a big, beautiful lush backyard with horses and a barn. I really, truly love this place. I can see why he once fell in love with it, too. I think my favorite rooms in the house are not the ones everyone talks about like the Jungle Room or the Trophy Room, but to me, the most special areas in the house are his parents' bedroom which was the opposite of lavish (so, so modest in fact), with the pink tile and poodle wallpaper in the bathroom, and Gladys' old dresses and bags hanging in the closet, as well as Vernon's office, and the little hallways in between. I really felt like it was an honor to be there, and I just didn't want to leave.

 

(I'm in love with their bathroom wallpaper and pink tiling!) Note the staircase leading to the second floor which is off limits to everyone except the immediate Presley family

{Jungle Room}

 

 {Tv Room}

 {Billiard Room}

 

 {Vernon, Elvis' dad's office. One of my favorites in the house. They really kept it looking exactly how it had been. It's so remarkable. And Elvis sat at that desk to answer questions about his recent stint in the army which he'd just completed}

 

{Elvis' mini shooting range next to the office}

 

 {Some of the old memorabilia that I so wish I could own, especially the shoes and wallet}

 

After Graceland (we toured it twice, and Vernon & Gladys' (and later Minnie Mae's) bedroom for a third time, cause I'm crazy), we headed back on the shuttle and made our way to the other exhibits, which I don't need to mention here, but whoa, I saw a lot of jumpsuits. A lot. We also stepped into Elvis' personal airplane named the Lisa Marie and the smaller jet that was used for his band members to travel in.

 I knew I'd wanted to stop by Elvis Radio on Sirius XM because I used to listen to it religiously when I worked at my last job and used the family's car that had Sirius programmed in it. So I tapped on the door, and the DJ (Jim Sykes) welcomed me in with open arms. I told him how I know so much about Elvis, and he was so impressed, that after letting my mom and I record ourselves saying where we were from (they put those on the air between songs), he gave me an interview! After I heard myself introducing Jailhouse Rock, I almost cried. It was an amazing experience that I'll never ever forget. He told us to listen the next day which I'll get into later.

Graceland was amazing but we were ready to explore more of Memphis, so after five hours there, we headed to The Peabody Hotel to see the ducks making their way from the famous fountain up to their residence in the penthouse. We made it just in time, and it was so cute, but it was hard to see because we got there right before it began. We stayed for a drink in the lobby, and then ran across the street in pouring rain to Rendezvous for ribs, and they were delicious! I love southern food so much. I wish I could have it more often. The one lame thing about living on the west coast is that we don't have the luxury of ordering it whenever we're craving it. I would be eating biscuits every morning if I could.

 

Once we ate, we took a little break back at the hotel and then knew we had to walk down Beale Street. We were exhausted by that point, but pushed ourselves to make the most out of our trip, so we ended up at the Jerry Lee Lewis club for some beer. We watched a great cover band and the singer even lit his piano on fire just like Jerry Lee. It was awesome.

Part Two coming tomorrow so I don't clog your feeds! :)

I'm Going To Graceland (Pt 1)

 

Image Courtesy of Evelyn Henson

Whenever I'm a tourist in a new town, I plan like crazy for my trip - weeks, even months ahead, which is what I've been doing since March. As my trip to Memphis is now only two days away, I thought I'd share the list of places that I plan on visiting. Let's see if I stick to my itinerary! Obviously, there are certain places that are a must, and some that seem interesting but won't be a big deal if we don't make it to them.

This is, of course, the number one spot I can't wait to visit. As I've said before, it's been a long time coming for me to see Elvis' home. I've heard so many great things about Graceland, and even though I'm kind of spoiling things by reading SO many TripAdvisor reviews, nothing can stop my excitement, and nothing can spoil it, either. I splurged for VIP tickets, because I heard that by doing so, you can skip a crazy long line to get on the shuttle to the mansion. Also with the VIP pass, you get to enjoy a bonus room full of other Elvis memorabilia and personal items, as well as the freedom to come back later in the day rather than having to leave once you're done with the tour. Who knows how long we'll spend at the mansion, but I imagine I'll want to take my time and dedicate day number one to Graceland.

 

We'll be stopping by these exhibits on the first day, before we hop over to the mansion. I'm not one to be too crazy about seeing someone's old car, but Elvis loved his, and I can't help but be excited about seeing the pink Cadillac he bought for his mother in person, or the pink jeep that looks like something Barbie would be driving around in. Oh, and the Lisa Marie plane is supposed to be just as awesome to see as visiting Graceland itself.

 

The famous recording studio where Elvis made all of his Sun Studio recordings. A number of other artists have recorded here including Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison (Million Dollar Quartet). Supposedly you can record your very own little ditty to take home, as well as put your fingers on the same piano that they all used to record their very early hits! (This is especially cool since you can't touch anything at Graceland)

 

Apparently, this is the oldest restaurant in Memphis and first opened in 1919. I've already reserved the "Elvis booth" in the back (the one he used to sit in when he came here) for our second day in Memphis. They're known for their famous sweet potato pancakes which I'm definitely going to order.

 

 

From all the research I've done, it seems that this is THE place to go if you want great BBQ. I also saw this on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and once I heard the owner say that they got their BBQ recipe from Elvis' personal cook, I was sold (of course, they modified it, so it's not totally original). I just have to see the famous pig camper in person.

 

Image Courtesy of Norococo Blog

I've been reading great things about this restaurant and bar, which is known for allowing you to pick a "flight" of entrees to try and enjoy. I love that concept, given the fact that I'm the most indecisive person on the planet (I drive every waiter crazy). I'm especially looking forward to trying their Chicken & Waffles and Georgia White Bass.

 

Image Courtesy of Road Glide

Well, there's no way I can travel somewhere new and not visit the most coveted donut shop in town. I've been reading rave reviews about this place, from their red velvet cake donuts to their apple fritters. Don't worry, I will definitely be taking a LOT of pictures of these yummy treats, and you will see the sugar fest in my post next week.

 

Not only does this seem like it could be a great record store, but it holds an Elvis shrine?! It's a must. I think by the end of this trip, my mom will probably never want to hear or see the name Elvis again, judging by how much of Elvis' face we're going to be subjected to.

 

The home Elvis lived in between 1949-1952. Apparently you can tour the same room he lived in, which has been restored to its original furnishings. Oh yes, we're doing this, if I can manage to find more information. They have a facebook page but it seems inactiveI recently read a biography that detailed his happenings here from courting young women to strumming on his guitar in that very room.

 

This historic theater (once called the Memphian) was once the movie theater that Elvis used to rent out every night to screen movies with his closest friends, since he was too popular to be seen there during regular hours.
I heard that Arcade Fire played a show in there, as well.

 

 

Elvis' high school is something I figure I might as well see since I'll be there. But is on the list for "not as important" because, well, it's just a high school. But considering how much I've read about Elvis' life and what it was like for him going to school here, I want to check it out.

 

 

 Aside from the Elvis statue, I mostly just want to check it out because of this awesome mural that I'm definitely going to get a good picture of. But the park is also supposed to host a number of interesting restaurants, and a candy shop.

 

 

 One of the most exciting things we'll be doing is making a visit to the Peabody Hotel to check out the ducks. Apparently, every day at 5:00, the ducks that live in the penthouse of the hotel walk around the lobby on a red carpet and can be seen sporting bow ties. It sounds too cute and funny to pass up. Plus, the hotel is gorgeous and the restaurants are supposed to be amazing.

 

During one of our days, we will be taking a drive into Tupelo (only an hour and a half from Memphis), to see where Elvis was born. 

 And when I'm not shopping for the perfect Elvis coffee tumbler (it is on my list since my Kate Spade one broke), we will be checking out Memphis' cute boutiques and vintage clothing stores. Among them is Hoot + Louise, which has been written up about in Lucky Magazine and on various other tourist blogs. I'm so excited to see what they have, and to come home with something fun!

We'll be in Memphis for a total of four days (three nights), and I can't wait! If anyone has any tips on places I haven't mentioned, like restaurants or shopping, please let me know! There are other restaurants we'll be going to that I didn't think I'd need to mention here. I will be making another post tomorrow, and then I'll be off until the following week when I'll be posting about the trip! In the meantime, check out my instagram for some of my travel photos! @circusofcakes  <3