Remembering the King

Back in February, I took a vacation to New Orleans and Memphis. While in Memphis, I visited Graceland, one of the true highlights of the trip.

If you haven't been there, go. It's fascinating even if you aren't an Elvis fan. You see his home -- still furnished like the 1970s -- the grounds, museums full of memorabilia, his costumes and cars. You can even roam through the aisles of his private jets.

I was 13 when Elvis died on this date in 1977 and never really got into the music, but since my visit to Graceland I've rented his 1968 TV special, downloaded some songs, and last night sat watching some videos on YouTube of his final concert. Even though Elvis was obviously sick, the performances were pretty amazing.

There weren't many people at Graceland when I visited Feb. 7. It was snowing and about 28 degrees in the vacation off-season. I stood at Elvis' grave for about 10 minutes, taking it in.

The mansion and grounds were expected to be packed today with fans commemorating the 34th anniversary of Elvis' death. I never really had planned to go there, but I'm glad I did.

Here's a short cell phone video I shot that morning at the gravesite: