I have just returned to “reality” after a truly fantastic vacation to Memphis. Months ago, with the big 3-0 birthday looming and with the unwavering desire to avoid any unnecessary and/or embarrassing fuss, muss or hoopla, I plotted to disappear with my man for a well-deserved pilgrimage to Graceland.

Why? Many have asked me this question. I suppose it is because I have always been fascinated with the fascination of Elvis. Elvis as an institution, an icon. I wouldn’t have labeled myself as a fan- or worse- a fanatic- but I’ve always been more than mildly enamored with the “King.”

So off we went, and we had such a great trip. We arrived in Memphis on Thursday evening and I proceeded to get intoxicated old-school style (with many shots of tequila.) I refused to dance on the bar at Coyote Ugly, but I would be a liar if I didn’t admit to contemplating it very seriously. In seeking the thrill of “look at me- I’ll be thirty in the morning”- I did smell out a karaoke bar. I sang one song (I love Rock and Roll) and promptly left the building. My honeypie said I was well-received by my fellow drunkards, but I’m thinking he was just trying to be polite.

Friday morning arrived like a punch in the face. Crap. Turning 30 feels an awful lot like a hangover. No worries, because the big b-day was also day o’ ELVIS. I got to see the house, the cars, the planes, the jumpsuits, even the grave site. It was surreal. Elvis was an actual human, that took care of his momma and daddy, that gave money to charities, that liked peanut butter and ‘nanner sammiches in his ultra-cool 70′s kitchen. Even though we did visit other places over the weekend, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel (where Martin Luther King was shot), the Center for Southern Folklore, and the sights, sounds and smells (ew) of Beale Street- nothing else was more invigorating than Graceland. I must mention that I managed to spazz out in style by tripping over my own feet not once or twice – but thrice- in a completely sober state! I’ll be grateful for memories of this trip for a long time!

Click HERE to see all the photos from my trip.