Sharon Sparlin: MY DAY AT GRACELAND

Over the last two decades, being a dyed-in-the-wool Elvis fan, I have visited Graceland in Memphis Tennessee many times. This last September I once again found myself in Memphis, this time with four close friends. A Graceland visit was a must see on the itinerary.

Main entrance to Graceland Museum and Entertainment Complex

Our Memphis destination was a result of booking a Mississippi River cruise. We were to board in Memphis and disembark in New Orleans. The cruise company provided us a pre-cruise overnight stay at the elegant and historic Peabody Hotel.

It was from this location that we hailed an Uber and made our way to the Graceland Museum and Entertainment Complex.

The Uber cost for the five of us ran about $25 each direction.

Prior to our visit I read that considerable funds had been infused into the complex. As the Uber driver pulled to stop at the main gate, I was stunned at the extent of the upgrades.

The next shock came when I picked up our tickets. The cost on previous visits was in the range of $50 per person. Tickets now are running $77 per person for the Elvis Experience Tour.

This tour includes the Mansion plus exhibits showcasing Elvis' career, his automobiles, his wardrobe, his gold records, his custom jets, and much more from the Graceland Archives.

You are able to explore and go-at-your-own-pace with your interactive iPad tour of the Mansion, hosted by John Stamos and featuring commentary and stories by Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie. The tour of the Mansion includes the living room, his parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, TV room, pool room, the famous Jungle Room, his father’s office, the newly-enhanced Trophy Building, the Racquetball Building – newly-restored to how it looked in 1977, and the Meditation Garden.

INCLUDED IN THE "ELVIS EXPERIENCE TOUR" TICKET

· Graceland Mansion Audio-Guided Tour

· Self-guided tour of Elvis' Custom Jets

· Full Access to all-new Elvis Presley’s Memphis

Entertainment Complex, which includes:

o Self-guided tour of Presley Motors Automobile Museum

o Self-guided tour of Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum

o Self-guided tours of Elvis Discovery Exhibits

o Immersive and Interactive Experiences

March 2017, nearly four decades after Elvis sang his last tune, Graceland received an initial $45 million cash influx as part of a $140 million expansion plan, which included a $90 million, 450-room hotel that opened in 2016. The renovations replaced the aging buildings that had housed Presley-related exhibits for so many years. The old, gray, strip-mall style visitor center was torn down and replaced.

The multi-million dollar renovations also included an outdoor mall where a 200,000-square-foot campus now sits across the street from Graceland, Presley’s longtime home-turned-museum.

There is now a comprehensive Presley exhibit hall with clothing he wore on stage, as well as guitars he played. Another building showcases the cars he owned and used. Other additions also include a sound stage, a theater, two restaurants and numerous retail stores.

For overnight accommodations look no further than to the new Guest House at Graceland. At a cost of $90 million, it replaces the crumbling, and now demolished, Heartbreak Hotel. It features modern amenities like glass-encased showers with wall-mounted body sprays, along with Keurig coffee makers in each room. A new Graceland RV Park and Campground has also been built featuring full hookups that include water, sewer and electric, running $52 per night for 30 or 50amp connections. You can save with weekly or monthly rates. Various discounts apply. Contact Graceland RV Park and Campground for further information.

Now comes the fun part. Taking the tour. We found ourselves spending five hours on the complex between the mansion tour, the entertainment complex and a quick lunch. Speaking of lunch, be prepared for high prices. We opted for Vernon’s Smokehouse. My menu choice was the “Smokehouse Premium” for $21.49.

Inside Vernon's Smokehouse

I felt the menu a little deceiving. Well actually, a lot deceiving. It listes the “Smokehouse Premium” as everything that is included under the “Smokehouse Experience” PLUS

o Includes our famous Memphis-Style Pork Ribs and

o Our 14 hrs smoked beef brisket

The portions are smaller than “tiny”. The Memphis-style pork ribs should say RIB, singular, as that is what I received – 1 rib. The beef brisket was equally as small, although good in flavor. For one of my four protein items I selected meat loaf. The server cut a piece about 4” wide and less than 1” thick but then cut it in half again before putting on my plate. It was literally a piece about 2”x2” in size. Two bites, gone! Also be prepared for an additional 14.75% tax. This made my total lunch right at $25.

Other than the lunch disappointment, the museum and complex were exemplary.

Now enjoy the photos of the Graceland Museum: