Lilo and the King

Everything my kids know about Elvis, Lilo taught them.  And they can sum it up in a 6 word phrase, “Thank you.  Thank you very much.”   Zoë  can do a little lip curl and finger point, but that’s pretty much the end of the hunt.  They don’t know his songs or his movies.  They don’t about Priscilla.  Lisa Marie and Micheal Jackson.  Graceland and Paul Simon.   Sun Studios.

I don’t necessarily feel the need to rectify any of this vast lack of knowledge.  Really, I’m OK with it.  Well, except for the Paul Simon part.  That’s kind of sad and I feel badly about it.

Anyway, I suppose I should give them a bit of background on the poor boy from Mississippi  who would one day become King in culinary circles.  So on our recent trip to Louisiana, I decided to stop in Tupelo, Mississippi where it all began.

The Elvis Presley Birthplace Museum and Chapel

OK, I just lied.  Actually, I needed gas and as I have mentioned before there are no service stations on the Natchez Trace.  When the tank gets low, you pull off.  I suppose the boyhood home, scratch that, birthplace of Elvis Presley in Tupelo was just a bit of lagniappe.  (It’s a Louisiana term–means a little something extra.)

According to This Marker, Elvis is Dead!

Talk about humble beginnings!  He was born in a two room house that his father borrowed $180 to build in 1934.  That’s TWO rooms.  A bedroom and a kitchen.  Keep that in mind when considering the tour.  It doesn’t take long!  Oh, and to boot—he only lived there three years.  The house was repossessed because the family could not afford to repay the loan.

The Two Room House Where Elvis was Born

The First Room of the Two Room House Where Elvis Presley Was Born

The Second Room of the Two Room House Where Elvis Presley Was Born

Also on the birthplace grounds is a chapel which was built by donations from fans,  a museum with a couple of audiovisual presentations focusing on Elvis’ early life and a few costumes and the church where the Presley family attended services.  Oh, and of course, a gift shop.  Gotta schlep the goods.  For the life of me though, I couldn’t find a single Paul Simon album.  They must have been sold out.

The Boy Who Would Become King.

So if you’re a fan of The King, The Elvis Presley Birthplace is a definite a must see if you happen to be anywhere near Tupelo, MS.  It’s located at 306 Elvis Presley Drive.  Hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday Through Saturday (1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sundays).  Admission is modest, $12 for adults to visit the home, museum and church and just $6 for children 8 years and above.  That’s the see-all-three discounted rate.  The fees are divided between the three individual exhibits–The Home ($4 adults, $2 children), The Church ($6 adults, $3 children) and The Museum ($8 adults, $4 children).

If Elvis is not your cup of tea…

well, there are plenty of gas stations in Tupelo as well.