Itinerary - VIP Memphis 2010
Tuesday 12th October
07.00 VIP guests arrive at Terminal 3, London Heathrow Airport, to meet with Alvin and other VIP Memphis guests.
Once we have checked-in our cases and bags, we will make our way to our designated VIP Executive Lounge for tea, coffee etc, in preparation for our departure to the USA.
09.55 VIP Memphis guests depart on American Airlines (American Eagle) to Miami, USA.
14.20 VIP guests arrive at Miami International Airport and, upon clearing US customs, board our coach for transfer to the Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach resort, where we will check-in for a two night stay.
19.00 VIP guests are invited to join Alvin for reception drinks at the hotel and then accompany him to dinner in Miami, or have their own free time to explore by themselves.
Wednesday 13th October
This is a free day and evening to help overcome “jet-lag” where VIP Memphis guests can visit the beach, or the magnificent swimming pool at the hotel, perhaps pay a visit to downtown Miami, take in the sights of the infamous Ocean Drive and/or visit the various shops and bars etc. (NB – whilst in Miami, Alvin will be by the pool, on the beach and dining out, but generally making it up as he goes along and all VIP guests are welcome to join him!).
Thursday 14th October
09.00 VIP guests will check-out from the hotel and board the coach for transfer to Miami International Airport.
11.35 VIP guests depart Miami on American Airlines (American Eagle) for our flight to Memphis, Tennessee.
13.05 VIP guests touch-down in the land of the Delta Blues, Memphis, the home of The King. Once our luggage has been loaded, our coach will take us for the 20 minute ride to Heartbreak Hotel (situated just at the end of Lonely Street) for check-in, room allocation and to unpack.
15.30 VIP guests are invited to meet in the hotel reception and join Alvin as we walk out onto Elvis Presley Boulevard and see Elvis’ home, Graceland, in all it’s glory from the roadside, before taking afternoon tea or coffee at the Graceland Visitor’s Centre.
19.30 VIP guests are invited to join Alvin for dinner for an introduction to Mike Freeman (our tour guide who for seven years co-owned a famous house in Memphis at 1034 Audubon Drive… yes, this was the first home that Elvis ever bought. Mike is a writer of several books as well as a researcher and has lived in Memphis for most of his life) where we will answer questions and discuss guests’ hopes and fears.
Friday 15th October
11.00 VIP guests are invited to join Alvin for the Graceland Platinum Tour, which takes you inside Elvis’ beloved mansion, aboard The King’s custom airplanes and much more!
The Platinum Tour includes an audio tour of the Graceland Mansion, where you’ll hear an informative narrative, family memoires from Lisa Marie and commentary from The King, himself. The tour includes the main house, where you will see the famed “Jungle” den, the racquetball building, original business office and the trophy building. You’ll go on a self-guided tour of his two custom airplanes; the Hound Dog II and the Lisa Marie, commonly referred to as the “Flying Graceland”. And for those looking for a sentimental time of remembrance, you’ll have the opportunity to visit and place flowers upon Elvis’ final resting place in the Meditation Garden. (NB the Graceland tour can take up to five hours).
19.30 VIP guests meet in the hotel reception to catch the complementary shuttle transport to Beale Street.
Beale Street is the home of “The Blues”, guests have the opportunity to remain with Alvin and any other members of the group, or explore the sights and sounds of Beale Street and the surrounding area. (Look out for BB King’s Blues Bar and the Hard Rock Café etc).
Saturday 16th October
07.15 Guests are invited to join Alvin for an early morning walk up to the Meditation Garden at Graceland.
09.00 Guests are invited to meet in the hotel reception to board our executive coach for the trip to Elvis’ birthplace… Tupelo. (Timing and itinerary will be announced as the day unfolds).
18.30 (approximately) – arrive back at Heartbreak Hotel.
20.00 VIP guests are invited to join Alvin for an exclusive dinner at Marlows restaurant with special guest, Sonny West.
Sonny West was Elvis’ long time bodyguard and one of the last remaining members of the “Memphis Mafia”, as a confidant to The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, he will speak candidly about his relationship with Elvis and VIP guests can ask questions, as well as have the opportunity to purchase and obtain a signed copy of Sonny’s book “Elvis: Still Taking Care of Business”.
“No-one loved Elvis more than Sonny West. He was a true and loyal friend to Elvis and he did what he could to protect and advise him. Sonny’s book reveals some of the saddest parts of Elvis’ life that alot of us suspected but didn’t want to accept. If only Elvis had listened to his friend, perhaps he would be with us today. It truly shows us how hard it was to be The King” - Lee Majors.
Sunday 17th October
09.30 VIP guests are invited to join Alvin as we visit famous landmarks that are associated and linked to Elvis, on the Grand Memphis Tour. The tour includes:
A visit to Elvis’ former home at 1034 Audubon Drive (the home where he lived before he bought Graceland)
Former Libertyland site – (this is where Elvis had fun riding the rollercoaster, hiring the whole fairground for himself and his friends, something he did right up until his death)
Overton Park Shell (Elvis performed here in his early career and also as a support to Slim Whitman)
Visit to Humes High School (Elvis’ high school)
Lauderdale Courts (the housing project where the Presley family lived when they first moved to Memphis from Tupelo)
Forrest Hills Cemetry (where Elvis’ body was interned before being moved to Graceland) - drive past as coach cannot pass through cemetery roads
The Memphis Rock & Soul Museum (a celebration and informative view of Memphis musical routes)
Following our return to Heartbreak Hotel at the end of the afternoon, VIP guests are invited to join Alvin on Beale Street (and perhaps join him for a song or two at the Karaoke bar!).
Monday 18th October
The Grand Memphis Tour (part 2)
09.15 VIP guests meet in the hotel reception to board the coach to take us to the legendary Sun Studio, the birth place of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
At Sun Studio, as well as the “Studio Tour”, guests will have the chance to take coffee in the famous Sun Studio Café and visit the Studio’s gift shop.
12 noon We visit the DoJo of Kang Rhee, where we will meet Elvis’ karate instructor, the Grandmaster himself.
14.00 VIP guests will meet at Colleta’s (one of Elvis’ favourite dining Pizzerias) for lunch in their “Elvis room”.
VIP guests will visit the Lorraine Motel (this is the actual place where Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated. The hotel itself remains unchanged and is now a museum dedicated to the Civil Rights movement).
Following our visit to the Civil Rights Museum, we will return to Heartbreak Hotel to prepare for dinner that evening.
19.30 VIP guests are invited to join Alvin for an exclusive private dinner at the Club Superior, with Elvis’ life-long friend, George Klein. (George Klein is a popular Memphis entertainment and media personality. He and Elvis began a life-long friendship while attending Humes High School together. Today he presents a weekly radio programme, The Elvis hour with George Klein, on 98.1 FM in Memphis on Sundays at 07.00). VIP guests can ask questions, as well as have the opportunity to purchase and obtain a signed copy of his book, “Elvis, My Best Man”.
Tuesday 19th October
Morning VIP guests have free time to catch up on shopping and/or the chance to revisit any missed sights.
15.30 VIP guests meet at the hotel reception for departure to Memphis Airport for our flight to the UK, via Chicago.
19.10 We arrive in Chicago for transfer to our transatlantic flight to the UK.
20.15 VIP guests depart Chicago on American Airlines (American Eagle) flight returning to the UK.
Wednesday 20th October
10.00 (GMT) VIP guests land at London’s Heathrow Airport. Following customs control, VIP guests bid each other a fond farewell.