tara k. foto

Graceland feels like a humble home compared to the homes of modern rock stars and music moguls we see on MTV’s House of Style. Three stories high, the rooms on the first floor feel normal in size (albeit there are 23 rooms in total) and the furniture is modest, even a little small for today’s standards. Don’t let this fool you though. As soon as I walk down the mirrored steps the basement, things get very… lively with the decor. The floor, walls, and ceiling of Jungle Room are covered in green shag and adorned with army camouflage curtains, perhaps a nod to Elvis’s military history. The TV room, paneled entirely with mirrors feels very 1960s mod and ‘Vegas’-ish. As an asthmatic, I held my breath while walking through the billiards room which is covered completely with fabric pleating. Lots of dust, to say the least, but it’s hard not to have a very clear sense of Elvis Presley’s quirky, eclectic and bold tastes.

The house is really cool, but I have to say that the real treat for me was the people watching. There must have been at least a hundred people wandering through Graceland in the two hours I was there (Wikipedia says around 600,000 people visit each year). What really strikes me is that these folks have made the effort to get themselves to Memphis to visit Graceland. They get to feel the physical presence of the home, view the textures of that crazy green shag, look up close on those bejeweled jumpsuits and see their breath fog up the glass of the framed gold records.

There is truly a sense of reverence and awe by these visitors. Even 34 years after Elvis’ death, the management receive thousands of gifts and tributes each year from dedicated fans all over the world. Graceland is not just some two-dimensional image on a screen. It is a living, breathing shrine to one of the greatest rock stars in American history.

A couple of weekends ago I snuck over to Los Angeles, CA for a surprise visit with my sister. I had some time to kill before seeing her, and The Getty Villa was recommended as a gorgeous place to check out. I dropped off my bags and immediately went online to reserve my ticket (it’s free, but you do have to reserve tickets in advance). I had exactly 40 minutes to drive from one side of LA to the other. With just 5 minutes left to make it on time, I was gently informed by the parking attendant that the scheduling was “loose,” that the ticket reservation was mainly to track the number of visitors per day. Oh well. At least it was a gorgeous drive up the Pacific Coast Highway.

Tranquility and splendor are the two words that describe this place to me. The gentle murmuring of the water fountains is all you’ll hear at The Getty Villa. It is so relaxing, and a great place to chill. I was perfectly happy to sit in the warm sunshine and let the stress of traveling melt away. Batteries recharged, I ambled throughout the various rooms checking out ancient Greek art, including the towering marble columns, sleek sculptures and intricate jewelry. It never ceases to amaze me how these ancient cultures were able to create such advanced works with such ‘low tech’ devices.

Getty Villa - Los Angeles, CA