Going to Graceland!
The Kelly Family Trip to Memphis, TN
May 2008
Photos by Ronald Kelly
We recently took a mini-vacation to the city of Memphis. Our trip
included the Memphis Zoo and Graceland, the home of the King of Rock &
Roll, Elvis Presley.
First stop... breakfast at Cracker Barrel!
The entrance to the Memphis Zoo.
We saw lions...
And tigers...
And hippos... oh my!
Reilly and Makenna and their pal, Kasey, the flesh-eating Komodo Dragon.
As Marlin Perkins would say “Jim will wrestle the ferocious rhino... while I sit safely in the jeep.”
You wouldn't believe what this 500 pound gorilla was eating!
(Hint: He manufactured it himself. Yeeech!)
TOP 4 QUOTES FROM THE KELLY FAMILY'S TRIP TO THE MEMPHIS ZOO
Reilly: “I'm tired! My feet hurt!”
Times said: 325
Makenna: “Ugh! I smell doodie!”
Times said: 3,500... once for every animal in the zoo.
Ron: “Just one second and I'll get a perfect shot. See, it's starting to turn. No, wait...!”
Times said: 3,500... once for every animal in the zoo.
Joyce: “Well, you must have had your own agenda, didn't you? All you
did was take pictures of animals. You took a couple of the kids, but not
one of me!”
Times said: Once (is enough.)
The home of the King... Graceland.
The living room. This room featured peacock mirrors, a 15-foot sofa and Elvis's grand piano.
The dining room. This is where Elvis served his guests
Southern delicacies like meatloaf, sweet potato casserole,
and fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
The TV room. This is where Elvis shot... er, watched three television
sets at a time and listened to a state-of-the art stereo system
featuring quadraphonic sound and an 8-track tape player.
The famous Jungle Room.
Ron toured Graceland “Blue Hawaii” style.
The Meditation Garden where the Presley family is buried.
The grave of Elvis Aaron Presley.
The legendary pink Cadillac. Elvis bought this for his mother, Gladys,
even though she never learned to drive.
The “Elvis Jumpsuits: All Access!” exhibit.
Elvis' private jet, the Lisa Marie, was like a Graceland with wings. It
featured a formal dining room, several bedrooms with bathrooms, and a
king-sized bed with a seat-belt in the event of turbulence.
Here we are in front of the gates of Graceland.
Well... across the street from the gates of Graceland.
Um, more like in front of a cleverly-painted backdrop across
the street from the gates of Graceland.
But it looks so REAL doesn't it?
THE TOP 4 QUOTES FROM THE KELLY FAMILY'S VISIT TO GRACELAND
Makenna: “I WANNA SWING!!!”
(During her ten-minute tantrum following her discovery of
Lisa Marie's old swing set)
Reilly: “COOL!”
(Upon seeing everything that Elvis ever wore, touched, or sat on.)
Ron: “Thank you. Thank you, very much.”
(Said every few minutes, in his best Elvis impersonation, for the
amusement of Reilly and Makenna, but the annoyance of everyone else
within earshot.)
Joyce: “DON'T TOUCH THAT!!!”
(Said countless times to Makenna whenever she approached breakable
items, like Graceland beer steins and porcelain Elvis bobble-heads, in
the gift shop.)
Well, I hope you enjoyed our little trip. We sure did.
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE KELLY FAMILY HAS NOW LEFT MEMPHIS... THANK
GOODNESS!”
