"Thank ya... thank ya very much..."

I want to wrap this experience up by saying thank you to all the kind individuals that I met along the way... even if it was just a smile, a nod of the head, or a quick hello, I'm so grateful that we had a chance to connect... even if only for a brief moment in time...

To all the gas station attendants:  Thanks for taking a minute or two to chat me up while I was purchasing my sparkling water and Sour Patch Watermelons... those long stretches of highway got a little lonely at times... now I know where all those excellent country songs came from... hahaha!!!

To all the waiters and waitresses:  You all were AMAZING!!  I did not have one complaint with regard to any of the service I received... hope you each enjoyed your tips... you TOTALLY deserved them.  And thanks for all the insider info about your towns (if you provided such)... this solo traveler appreciated all the help she could get!!

To all the front desk agents:  Thank you all for being so kind and for answering all my many, many questions at check-in.  A HUGE SHOUT OUT to the front desk agent at Mountain Lake Lodge for not looking at me like I was a raving lunatic when I let out my schoolgirl shrill of delight after being told I was assigned to Patrick Swayze's room.  You, my dear friend, set the tone for my ENTIRE stay... thank you so very, very much for that!!!

To the lovely couple from Canada that I met before the Grand Ole Opry tour:  Thanks for telling me that my 40th year pilgrimage was one of the COOLEST you had ever heard of... thanks for also confirming that you would have never pinned the age of 40 on me in a million years... hope you made it back to central Canada on time!!!

To the lovely couple from Florida that I met during the Grand Ole Opry tour:  Thanks for taking me under your wing... any 84-year-old man who can rock a pair of lime green tennis shoes the way you did, sir, is A-OK in my book!!  Hope you made it to Wisconsin safely and hope you enjoyed your visit with your family.

To the other female solo traveler that I met at Mountain Lake Lodge:  Thanks for talking music with me, even if you ONLY like REM because you are originally from Athens, GA, and "that means you have to like REM or you get kicked out or something..."  Hahaha!  Thanks for the laughs!!!

To the older gentleman who owned the gift shop next to Graceland:  Thanks for taking the time to talk Elvis and Marilyn and Bettie and Patsy and Willie and Johnny and all the others with me.  Keep being cool!!!  Hope Willie ends up wearing that shirt you gave him... and hope you eventually get that picture you were promised!!

To the young girl at the gift shop inside The Guest House at Graceland:  That was the COOLEST Marilyn Monroe tattoo I have EVER seen... thanks for sharing that with me.  Hope you enjoyed the Marilyn keychain I found for you.  All the best in your future endeavors...

To my mom:  Thanks for taking care of my greatest treasure while I was gone... my sweet little Pixie Anne :-)

And the list could go on and on and on... but I'm tired... and I have to move on to all the new things waiting in my life... but I want to end this the way that I started...

So, as I pulled up to my driveway at 6:06 p.m. yesterday evening, one of my FAVORITE songs from one of my FAVORITE bands was playing, and I couldn't have planned the ending to this trip any better if I tried...

Signing off until my next trip in October... not exactly sure where I'm going just yet... until we meet again...

xoxo,
Stacy

My Experience at Graceland Took Me Back to Whitney, Texas

Okay, okay, I know my title makes no sense to you at the moment, but if this story does not give you goosebumps, I'm not sure what will...

So, I can post tons and tons of Graceland photos, which you can easily find online; therefore, I won't.  Instead, I will share with you what happened as I was walking away from Elvis' grave.

As you may know, Elvis Week just occurred to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Elvis' death.  As a result, there were so many beautiful wreaths and monuments from fan clubs and individuals from all over the world placed around the meditation garden.

As I was heading back to the shuttle bus that would drive me away from Graceland, I saw this very odd tribute.  It was a stool, a gold cape, and a microphone.  I was naturally drawn to it because it seemed so out of place next to the others.  As I looked at the sign, it read: "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left for Graceland.  Thank you, and goodnight." Trying to Get to You EPFC Whitney, Texas

I gasped and tears filled my eyes... Why is that?? Well because you may remember me mentioning yesterday that I really wish my Grandma M. could have joined me at Graceland, and I also posted lyrics from "Trying to Get to You".  My Grandma M. lived in Whitney, Texas, for as far back as my memories of her go.  Maybe you're not a person who is big on signs from the Universe, but to me, that was confirmation that she had been there with me the whole time!!! Quite possibly you will be more convinced once you see how completely random this Whitney, Texas, tribute is compared to the others... It was almost as if I was supposed to notice it...

Some of the other (less random) tributes...

Also, another touching moment for me was when I saw the cologne worn by Elvis.  Every year for Christmas, my mom would buy a Brut cologne set for my Grandpa M.  Now I totally know why my Grandma M. liked that scent so much.  Hahaha!

Finally, when I went to check out the Icons exhibit, I was so pleased to see a quote from Brian Setzer.  I am a HUGE fan of the Stray Cats.  So I'll share that with you too!!

I'll be back with one final summary post tomorrow.  I'm too tired tonight... Sleep peacefully, everyone!!

xoxo,

Stacy

"Trying to Get to You..."

I'm finally here at The Guest House at Graceland... well, I've been here since around 6:00 p.m.  This hotel is breathtaking... and they play Elvis songs 24/7... I'm truly in heaven!! 

The rooms are unbelievably gorgeous too!!

And of course, I've already hit up the hotel gift shop and another within walking distance of the hotel... I am now the proud owner of an Elvis bookmark, an Elvis messenger bag, two (2) Elvis snowglobes, and an Elvis wallet, which is awesome because my other wallet broke on this trip, and I had it on my to-do list to purchase a new wallet when I returned home --- mission accomplished!!  There are a few other items there too, but those are gifts for the Elvis-loving people in my life...

There are a few Elvis channels that have trivia and fun facts about his life, as well as live performances... I'm watching said channels as I type this...

Before I leave you for this final evening of my trip and before I wind down for the night for my 9:30 a.m. Graceland tour, I wanted to share these lyrics with you from "Trying to Get to You" that I heard while I was watching the '68 Comeback Special because they seem so apropos for my trip...

"I've been traveling over mountains 
Even through the valleys too 
I've been traveling night and day 
I've been running all the way 
Baby, trying to get to you..."

I did travel through mountains and even some valleys too, and tomorrow, I'll finally get to you, my dearest Elvis!! <3

Good night, everyone!!  I'll be sure to post my Graceland pictures at some point tomorrow.

xoxo,

Stacy

All Dolled Up To Go Visit Elvis

So, yes, I did spend most of my trip dressed up like I was straight out of the '50s/'60s... oh wait, that's EVERY day for me... I was soooooo born in the wrong era!!! Hahaha!

In all seriousness though, I really wish my Grandma M. could be here with me on this last leg of my trip.  She is the one who instilled the love for Elvis in me.  I know she'll be there in spirit.

I'm off... next time I report, it will be from Graceland...

xoxo,
Stacy

"PLEASE DO NOT PEE OFF THE PORCH!"

Oh my absolute madness!!  Gatlinburg is the most bizarre and backward place that I have EVER been... and I think I kinda like it!!  The best way that I can describe this place is by the sign that I saw on the upper porch of a restaurant that said: "PLEASE DO NOT PEE OFF THE PORCH!"  Sadly, due to the brightness of the sun and the angle from which I was trying to take the photo, I could not get a clear shot; so you are going to have to take my word on this one!!

Gatlinburg was supposed to be my secluded mountain stop for a good night's rest before I head back towards Memphis to experience Graceland.  Fortunately, my hotel is near the quieter part of town, and it is incredibly lovely!  My room is right next to the pool, but thankfully the sound of the waterfall drowns out all the noise.

Nearby, I found this cute little Episcopal church, this quaint little Catholic church, and this sweet little pancake house that I might try to visit tomorrow.

However, take just a mere five (5) minute walk down the road and a turn to either the left or the right, and that's where all the debauchery begins.  I have never seen so many variations of the Ripley's Believe It or Not offerings, optical illusion attractions, and oddly-themed dinner shows.  (Who thinks of these things?!?!?)  I have also never heard so many German accents or seen so many funnel cake shops.  On top of all of this, there is a Bluegrass music writers' festival going on.  There was a sea of bodies for as far as the eye could see.  I couldn't even stop to get many decent pictures for fear of being trampled by the crowd, but this one should give you an idea.

Needless to say, I am safely back at the hotel, and I'm going to spend some time relaxing and reading next to that beautiful waterfall and pool.  I also managed to pick up this magnet while heading back.  The magnet made me laugh a bit because it looks so peaceful and serene.  My memories of this city will forever be the exact opposite... I still kinda dig all of the oddities here however!!!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Memphis to visit my beloved Elvis!!

xoxo,

Stacy

Happy Birthday, Patrick Swayze!!!

Yes, today is Patrick Swayze's birthday, which makes this little trip even more special for me!!

There's a cabin on the grounds that is specifically dedicated to the film...

Inside, there are so many items to honor Patrick Swayze...

But the greatest manner in which his Dirty Dancing legacy is honored is through this stone monument that was placed near the Gazebo...

To wrap things up, I cannot offer you a picture of me in a lift scene.  Believe it or not, there isn't a whole lot of dancing that takes place here!!  However, as I gazed out the window of Room 232, the room that Patrick Swayze and I shared, I couldn't help but wonder if he was as mesmerized by the beauty of it all as I have been...  I'll include the view from "our" window... :)

And now, as I start to unwind for the evening, I am going to sit next to this window, and I am finally going to enjoy the Collector's Edition People that I have been holding on to for well over a month now; I promised myself that I would wait to read it until I was here where it all took place...

Tomorrow, I head to Gatlinburg, TN...

xoxo,

Stacy

"(I've Had) The Time Of My Life..."

Did I, indeed, have the time of my life??? You betcha!!!  There's a gift shop on the grounds that sells Dirty Dancing memorabilia, so I picked up a shirt, a mug, and a postcard to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the film...

However, my favorite souvenirs were as free as free can be, but they are worth so much to me... these two (2) little heart-shaped rocks that I found on the lake bed near where the lake lift scene would have taken place...

I'll be back with one final post from Mountain Lake Lodge before I leave you for the evening...

xoxo,

Stacy

"I carried a watermelon..."

Okay, so I didn't really carry a watermelon, but I did enjoy some watermelon for breakfast... Does that count??  Then immediately after breakfast, I started out on my self-guided tour with my handy-dandy little map.

Stop #1 - The front entry where the guests arrived...

Stop #2 - Chain with ballards that were installed for the film and still remain today...

Stops #3 & 4 - Harvest dining room (okay, so this was actually stop #1 for me if you want to be technical) where all of the dining scenes were filmed.  I ate my breakfast out on the porch where Baby and her family had brunch and where Dr. Houseman announced that they were leaving early...

Stop #5 - Staff quarters sign where Baby encounters Johnny's cousin and carries the watermelon.  The scenes past that point were then filmed at the location in Lake Lure, NC...

Stop #6 - Lift scenes in the water... well when there was water.  The lake is not currently there.  It's a geological phenomenon that the lake disappears periodically only to return later.  It's so bizarre that you can hear the water below the surface if you actually take the time to hike out a little past the boat dock.  Also, many people try to argue that the water lifts were done at Lake Lure, but I'll let you be the judge of that...

Stop #7 - The Gazebo... They were setting up for a wedding, so I didn't get a chance to snap another photo of the Gazebo.  I'll  include yesterday's photo again...

Stop #8 - Baby's cabin, called The Virginia Cottage... I also didn't get another photo of this one because there were people standing all around it.  Jennifer Grey actually stayed here during the filming of the movie, and it is available to book...

Stop #9 - Lawn area where the outdoor events took place and where Baby and Lisa tried on wigs...

Stop #10 - The archway that Johnny and Baby drove through as she declared: "You're wild!"...

Stop #11 - The first shot of Kellerman's... Some nimrod apparently stole the movie sign, but here are some different shots than the one I posted yesterday...  (Oooops!  I stand corrected.  I took one final stroll around the grounds, and it appears that the sign for stop #11 has been relocated...)

I'll be back with more later...

xoxo,

Stacy