Going to Graceland!

I love nostalgia, and perhaps nothing is more nostalgic than Elvis Presley. Even though I was very young when he died, his music still plays an important role in my life today. I love all his classics, but my favorite is Suspicious Minds. But did you know that Elvis won only three grammys, and all of them were for gospel songs! I love that!

Anyway, fast forward several decades. Graceland still stands, attracting visitors from all over the world. And it was on my bucket list for some time. So when my mom told me she needed to get away, we flew to Memphis to fulfil a dream of seeing the mansion firsthand.

We weren't disappointed!

I'm sure many of you have already been there, so I just want to show a few highlights that I personally loved. And if you haven't, there's so much more than this. You could really spend an entire 8-10 hours there, because it's more than just a house, but across the street there's a mini "theme park" dedicated to all things Elvis. They even have a movie theatre that shows some of the movies he was in. Unfortunately that was closed when we were there. The restaurants even serve some of his favorite foods. And the gift shops are amazing!

The main living room is beautiful!

The main staircase leading to the second floor. Tours aren't allowed up there.

This furniture was owned and used by Elvis, but is not in a museum on the property.

Guys will love the car museum! This one is my favorite of all his amazing cars.

His crayon box!

Of all the magnificent things at Graceland, the one thing that I found so drawn to is his box of crayons from the first grade. His name is written on the back of the red one. Perhaps it's because I love color. Now I use ink, markers, etc, but back in first grade I love my Binney and Smith Crayons. The large box with the sharpener in the back was the best! I love thinking about little Elvis coloring way back then.

One thing I found out during the tour was that he didn't have it built. He bought it from someone else. And the name "Graceland" was actually the name of the property, named for the original owner's daughter, Grace. It was built in 1939. Elvis bought it in 1957 when he was 22.

These are just a few of the wonderful things in his home. Even if you aren't a fan of his music, you'll probably enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the home itself.

So if you're anywhere near Memphis, be sure to take a day to tour this majestic mansion.