Down at the End of Lonely Street

     Yes.  Down at the end of Lonely Street in Memphis is Heartbreak Hotel and that's exactly where hubby and I spent the first night of our no kids vacation.  Did we choose Heartbreak Hotel because we are huge Elvis fans?  Nope.  We chose it 1.  Because I thought it would be fun and 2.  Because the kids wouldn't want to tag along!  It worked.  :) 
     Not realizing we scheduled our trip for just before the start of Elvis week, we were assured upon arrival that we were fortunate to have a room.  The lobby itself was a sight to behold.  Shiny furniture.  Furry furniture.  A TV that looked like it might be from the 50s playing the same Elvis movie as the big flat screen just feet away. A pink fur covered phone sat on a table in the corner.  It had a dedicated line to Marlowe's, a restaurant that proudly claims "Elvis ate here" and gladly comes to pick you up in a pink limo so you can eat there, too.
     Our room.....well it had quite a view.  Looking down from our window we saw a heart shaped pool with a broken line thru it.  Heartbreak Hotel had a heartbreak pool.  And on the wall above the bed, just what every man wants...not....a huge picture of Elvis of course!  On the TV was Elvis all day every day!  Well they had other channels too but why even bother watching those when you're staying at Heartbreak Hotel in Memphis, TN.  We explored the hotel a bit and found the Kid Galahad gym (named after the Elvis movie of course.)  A man walked in right after we did.  In an Australian accent he asked if we might take his picture for him.  He said no one would believe he was working out (and we could see why!) and that, of all things, he was on a treadmill in Heartbreak Hotel, Memphis, TN.  We obliged and he said he would be posting it on facebook later.  Not sure if he actually worked out, but he got his picture at least.
     Next stop, Graceland!  I'm not sure what we really expected but what we saw was not it.  Not that we were disappointed of course.  But walking in that front door was like walking back in time.  Kinda reminded me of the Brady Bunch movies.  70s all the way.  I think Elvis would have updated things if he had lived and somehow I expected things to be updated. From the stained glass peacock in the living room to the completely fabric covered billiard room.  And that jungle room.  I expected swinging vines and maybe a rain forest type atmosphere.  Instead it was a 70s style man-cave with an old teddy bear sitting in a chair.  I'm guessing that teddy bear was there to remind us of the song by the same title.
     Before we had completed all our tours we had seen awards, clothing, checks Elvis had signed, cars, The Lisa Marie plane (complete with a bed that had a seat belt) and Hound Dog II jet with banana yellow and lime green seats.  Plus a couple of little 'museums' tucked brilliantly inside souvenir stores.  In every picture and video Elvis was always young. Always handsome.  Always Elvis.  Never the overweight middle-aged man he had become just before he died.
     After eating at Marlowe's (Elvis ate there so we figured we might as well, too) we took a trip to Beale Street.  Once in a lifetime for us for sure.  While the music was interesting, drifting thru open doors of bars and eateries, we found ourselves people watching as we walked.  We paused to watch the Beale Street Flippers, a group of young men who carry around buckets for people to drop in money as payment for the entertainment provided by the flippers who flip down the middle of the street.   A side trip from Beale Street provided a whole different group of people to watch.  Stepping inside the famous Peabody, we found expensive shops and almost quietness compared to Beale Street.  One lone pianist played a grand piano.  I couldn't help but compare the different atmospheres we were in, just by walking down a different street and stepping inside the door.
     Back on Beale Street Elvis was even very present there, complete with a statue in front of the MLGW building.  We made guesses about what MLGW stood for and imagined just what the one man sitting at his desk in that lighted window several stories up was doing. Don't know what the guy was doing but neither of us got MLGW right. It was Memphis Light, Gas and Water.  Think Elvis would have been proud to preside over that building?
     The next morning when we went down to breakfast, we quickly discovered we were in the minority.  By being in the minority I don't me race or religion.  I mean we were some of the very few who weren't wearing some sort of Elvis garb.  One older couple had matching Elvis shirts.  But the Mrs. didn't stop there.  She had a walker and draped over it was a towel or scarf with Elvis all over it.  Later I noticed she appeared to have had some sort of recent surgery on her leg and was wearing a brace.  There on that brace was a rinestone pen spelling out Elvis. 
     While we were busy feeding our faces from the Heartbreak Hotel breakfast buffet, in walked a very young Elvis.  A couple scurried up to him and the wife had the husband take her picture with him.   We continued eating and I spotted a woman wearing a top with a racing style back.  She seemed a little old and not quite built for that style but then I noticed something else.  She had an Elvis tattoo on the back of her left shoulder!  I wondered if she dressed this way just for Elvis week or if this was the norm.  Later we saw her in the Heartbreak Hotel heartbreak pool and noticed her swimsuit was the same style.  No strap to cover her Elvis of course!
     Our trip down Lonely Street was just that.  A real trip.  We had a good time, saw some interesting things, and realized we aren't normal.....at least not when we are in Memphis!