Graceland & Corvettes

One of the destinations on my bucket list was Graceland, and I was lucky enough to visit it on Friday! It was really cool to see Elvis’ costumes, automobiles (including the pink cadillac), Harley’s, military memorabilia, and the mansion itself. I think the decor inside the home was gaudy, but he must have liked it! He had a den that was yellow and black with a mirrored ceiling, and a pool room that has all the walls and the ceiling covered in printed, pleated drapes with printed couches. His living room has a custom 15-foot white couch with a custom 10-foot coffee table.

We learned that Elvis was quite the philanthropist. He was born and raised in Mississippi, living in poverty as his parents scraped by. Growing up, he told his parents that someday, he would buy them the house they deserved. Once he purchased Graceland, which was built in 1939, he gave his parents the master bedroom on the first floor. At the time, it was very modern to have a master bathroom attached to the master bedroom. Elvis, his wife, and daughter resided in the upstairs bedrooms. When he made it big, he was very generous. He did a benefit concert in Hawaii for a friend with cancer (all ticket sales supported his friend’s treatment) and he was known to have cars delivered to people in need. He gave thousands of dollars to different charities (and they displayed the checks). It’s nice to hear about people who can give back to those in need.

Of course, he had more than enough money to buy all the toys he wanted. He had many cars, dune buggies, boats, and motorcycles. They had many of his vehicles on display, including the pink Cadillac.

We ate some southern BBQ that was there at Graceland. I had rotisserie chicken and my dad had a sampler platter, that included some ribs, brisket, pork, and chicken. It was way more than we could eat, but it was tasty. It turns out, Elvis was known for enjoying his food too, and some of the postcards had his mom’s home cooked recipes for meatloaf, spaghetti, BBQ, and peanut butter banana sandwiches. The PB and banana sandwich had grilled bread that is buttered, then the PB and bananas are added, and it has several layers!

After Graceland, we continued our journey East, heading to Kentucky. As we drove through the countryside of Tennessee, the view was breathtaking. Winding roads, lush green grass and mature trees, and beautiful, old barns were some of the scenery we enjoyed. In Bowling Green, KY, we saw Western Kentucky University (driving by) and stopped at the National Corvette Museum. I have decided that I like the 1950’s Corvettes the best. My favorite was the 1958, which had a nice white stripe in the door.

After seeing the cars, we stopped to have a coffee in the Corvette Cafe, and we ended up meeting a group of motorcycle bikers from Massachusetts! We joined them for coffee, and they recommended some places to see when we make it up to NY. This is actually part of the fun of our adventure across the country… we meet all kinds of people and hear their stories. The majority of bikers in that group rode Indian motorcycles, and two had a Harley. The women commented on how lucky I was to have this time with my dad, and I told them I know that. I am truly thankful for this experience to have quality time with my dad, to see our country on the backroad highways, and to meet the diverse people who make up the fabric of our country.