Being a teenager in the late 1950’s, my dream was to see Elvis Presley, The King. The one time he came to my hometown, tickets sold out fast. It was like winning a prize if you were lucky enough to get a ticket to his show; I was not among the fortunate ones. Since then I always wanted to visit Graceland, probably just to say I had been there. I finally got my chance.

We planned a two-week road trip to the Deep South and Graceland became apart of the schedule. Yes, I still wanted to see Elvis even after more than 40 years. Leaving Texas, we first went to New Orleans and then headed for Memphis, Tennessee.

It wasn’t hard to find Graceland and the Elvis Museums surrounding it. After all, how can you miss a huge jet aircraft in the middle of a neighborhood? The area was just as I had expected-extremely commercialized. As we entered the large parking lot, we wondered if Graceland might be closed, as there were so few cars parked. I breathed a sign of relief when I discovered that the Museums were just opening. We entered Graceland Plaza, the Visitor’s Center, walked up to the counter and purchased our tickets for the tour without any waiting.

From the Visitors Center, we were taken for a short ride by bus. Arriving at Graceland, we were asked to wait until another small group had entered the house. Then it was our turn to experience this little gem of history. By today’s standards, Graceland was rather small and had a very homey feeling. It could have been the home of any of us. As we walked through each room, listening on our headsets to details and stories of Elvis, it was a spine-chilling experience to be in the home of the King of Rock & Roll. Everything we saw was authentic and just as it was at the time of Elvis’s death. Viewing the different costumes worn by Elvis was one of my favorite sections.

We toured the grounds and surrounding buildings, including Elvis’s studio. Everywhere we looked in the Meditation Gardens were memorials to Elvis. Fresh flowers, some in the shape of guitars, stuffed animals, and hand written notes were left as personal tributes to one of the most famous entertainers in history. As we left Graceland and returned to the main complex, I knew I had accomplished one more item from my "Life List".

In addition to Graceland, there are several other museums to enjoy, including a tour of the Lisa Marie, Elvis’s personal jet, the Hound Dog II, a smaller Lockheed Jetstar and an auto museum with 22 of Elvis’s cars, including his famous 1955 pink Cadillac.

Be sure to have lunch at either the Rockabillies Café or the Chrome Grill. If you need accommodations, try the Heartbreak Hotel; it’s easy to find – it’s right at the end of Lonely Street.