The idea of going to Graceland is ubiquitous in North American culture it was hard for me to even understand “why” I wanted to go. I knew I was going to be in Nashville for a couple of days and the idea of driving down was too tempting.

So I rented a car and left Nashville and ended up on Elvis Presley Boulevard with reservations at Heartbreak Hotel. Now the first thing to note, is that you need reservations if you want to stay at the hotel.

It is comparatively priced, not out of range, but not a good deal. They do have a special rate they can offer you on tours of Graceland but don’t mention it on the phone unless you ask.

Graceland itself was kitchy and fun and a bit too reverential of a man who died overdosing on prescription drugs on a toilet. It glosses over his divorce to Pricilla or some of his rather odd behaviour.

It’s fun. It’s like the version of the 1970s dream home and for a non-Elvis knower like myself, I still really enjoyed it.

The hotel was a bit dumpy and kitchy. I was in a smoking room—unless you smoke never get the smoking room! It smelled, no matter how long I had the fan on for. The hotel has an all-Elvis movie channel and I realized that most of Elvis’s films weren’t very good.

So fun, yes!