ELVIS AARON PRESLEY

[Mo Green]

If anyone saw the programme on Elvis and is thinking of going to Memphis, Tad Pierson (the guy in the Hawaii shirt in the Cadillac) does some great tours of Memphis in his Cadillac. He advertises them under ‘American Dream Safaris’.

We stopped at Memphis a year ago with two friends who were Elvis fans. We booked an afternoon trip with Tad as a surprise. We arranged to meet him at the Peabody Hotel and did not tell our friends we would be travelling in an old Cadillac. Tad is a real expert on Memphis and Elvis and also took us down Beale Street and introduced us to some of the groups playing.

It should have been a two hour trip but turned into 3 hours. For US$200 for the four of us (including admission to Sun Studio)it was a fantastic experience.

[JOHNNY BOY]

We have booked two nights at the Heartbreak Hotel near to Graceland at the end of October, $125.00 per night for a King Suite.We are Flying from MCO to Memphis International, £65.00 each return. through Expedia.

I've got the Graceland tour tickets booked but can't pre-book parking at MCO as they will only accept credit cards registered to a US address,... might see if our MC can arrange this for us.

JR

[traceya89]

Talking of Elvis, I have an original autograph of Elvis from his fan club in Memphis in 1972 still in the envelope. Does anyone know where i can get this valued?

[jeansusrentals]

Oh CDV - I wish I had been 10! I was 31 - and can remember it well! We were just in the middle of moving to Inverness from Coatbridge - and DH thought I had lost my marbles the night he came home to find me in tears!! - nearly as bad (but not quite - when Buddy Holly died in 1959!!) I was then only 14!!
Jean

[Cruella DeVilla]

Same age as my Mum then Jean she was 60 last November Crickey Elvis would have been over 70, wonder what he would have been like, maybe best not to dwell on that thought.

[Southsider]

We are thinking of going to Memphis for maybe 3 days next week, (Thanks to CDV for putting the idea into my head!!!) and was wondering would we need to hire a car or not?

Tricia

[Mo Green]

I would definitely hire a car. There is plenty of parking and is quicker to get around especially if you also want to visit Sun Studios, Beale Street, perhaps take a trip on a Mississippi steam boat.

[Cruella DeVilla]

We had a car as we did the Southern States over a three week period Tricia but to be honest we did not use it too much when we spent a week in Memphis. Too busy on the Paddle steamers and horse drawn carriages etc, we really played the tourist. Add the Memphis Bell and Lorraine Motel (sad and made me want to cry) to your list. The restaurants in Beale street are brill as are the bars, infact it's wicked!

We stayed at the Wyndham and it's really luxurious, really pricey but lovely and if only for three days you could treat yourselves!

Make sure you have one of Elvis favourite sandwiches too!!

[Southsider]

I have looked at the Heartbreak Hotel that Johnnyboy recommended and it does seem to be in the centre of everything also there is an Elvis Package they do as well, I will have a look at the Wyndham as well before I decide .........Have you done the Ducktour?

Tricia

[Cruella DeVilla]

HH is not central to all the action just Graceland. It's nowt special but people only stay there for one reason.

The whole area has actually gone tacky and a bit rough over the years but for a die hard Elvis fan you can forgive it.

We had a car so drove to all the sites ourselves (we left it parked up at night as there was too much partying to do) and the only thing Duck orientated then was feather ones at the Peabody where we first saw the "parade".

We went during "Memphis in May" which again was amazing, its a massive BBQ cookout, you would not go hungry!!

We spent a week there before driving down to Nashville, through Mississippi and onto New Orleans then back up through Alabhama and into Georgia for our flight back to London. It's over 6 years since we went so maybe time for another visit