u/TheMotherThing

After our Vegas Westgate stay, we checked into Treasure Island and explored various shops and malls. I had a blast hunting for Elvis everywhere we went. ❤️

Here’s some cool artwork I found throughout our trip and the Elvis goodies I got! 😁

My love for EP brought me and my family to Las Vegas this year.

We spent a couple days at The Westgate (formerly The International Hotel) for the recreation of the opening night of his 1969 Vegas residency on July 31.

They celebrated Elvis all weekend with festivities like ‘Blue Hawaii pool party’ and ‘Karaoke with the King’. They brought out photos and memorabilia and special merch for sale. They played his music throughout the lobby and set up photo ops. There were tribute artists and special guest speakers like Estelle from The Sweet Inspirations and Linda Thompson’s brother Sam (formerly part of Elvis’ security team). They had tours of the backstage area, though they were sold out by the time I found out 😭

All in all, it was a lovely, sweet weekend and celebration of Elvis and his legacy in Vegas.

I didn’t get to stay for the pool party or the guest speakers. IMO, they kinda poorly planned all that out…I booked my reservations and concert tickets back in January when I heard about the show. They didn’t announce any of the extras until June and never mentioned prior to check back for any added events. I found out on accident when I went to the website to confirm and check my booking the week before my trip 🙄. I absolutely would have loved to have stayed for all the other stuff but we had already made other plans 😭.

The concert was awesome. The ETA, Travis Powell, was excellent. I don’t love ETAs in general, but he was really something. I felt like he was able to tap into Elvis’ energy without it looking so put on or try hard. He didn’t look like a cheesy Halloween character or like he was just going through the motions…it looked authentic and natural in a way. He sounded great and you could really feel his love for Elvis from the stage through his performance. There were times when I could soften my gaze just enough that it literally looked like Elvis up there and I felt like I had stepped back in time. I couldn’t believe I was in THE theatre in THE hotel that Elvis had spent so many years in…where TTWII and EPiC and Elvis In Person among other things were filmed and recorded. It was a trip! We saw Travis the next morning out and about in the hotel and chatted with him and got a picture together. He was very sweet and kind and loved that my kid was dressed up as Elvis in his TTWII/EPiC rehearsal outfit of the red shirt, black slacks and big belt 🤣

The hotel itself wasn’t quite what I expected….but so much of the city has changed since it was first built. I’m pretty sure at the time it was built, it was considered the largest hotel in the world. Since then, places like the MGM Grand and Caesars Palace and the Luxor have been built….those make the Westgate pale in comparison. But the history in the Westgate is incredible, especially for an Elvis fan.

The room wasn’t as lavish as I expected. There definitely wasn’t any southern hospitality out there 😆😆. We went to Graceland last year and stayed at The Guesthouse and WOW what a difference in guest experience and comfort for sure lol. The Westgate feels a bit dated and underwhelming for it having been such a ritzy hotel of the past with Elvis’ legacy inside…it’s got a smoky casino downstairs, some restaurants and shops, and most of the staff that deals with ‘guest relations’ are salespeople trying to rope you into buying a timeshare there…though in their defense, I experienced similar encounters at all the other hotels/casinos we explored while in Vegas.

While it’s like comparing apples and oranges, I prefer the Guesthouse in Memphis over The Westgate in Vegas when it comes to Elvis stuff and guest experience, but I’m so grateful I’ve been able to explore either of them at all!

My kiddo got up on stage during ‘karaoke with the king’ and sang Polk salad in his best black suit and red shirt to honor the ‘69 fashion of Elvis. He left the stage exhilarated and greeted with so many cheers and high fives and hand shakes from Elvis fans. I was like BRO YOU GOT TO SING AT THE WESTGATE! AT THE SAME PLACE ELVIS DID! My mom heart was so full and proud. He gave it his all and was so thrilled to be up there. He had people come up to him after the show to tell him they were so happy to see Elvis’ music and spirit live on in such a young fan (he’s 12).

It was an honor to walk the halls and sit in the theater of the place Elvis had found himself again in. Even though we all know how it ended and he pretty much became a prisoner to that place eventually, those first few years of his Vegas residencies were magic. It was so cool to see it recreated in 2026 IN the place where it all began and to look around and see all the people he brought together, all these years later.

So excited for tonight!!!

I just love it so much 🥰

Wrap me up in all things Elvis please, and thank you 😁🙏🏻

Am I not understanding the term ‘cousin’ in the 60s? There’s also ‘Kissin’ Cousins’ which is weird too 🫠😆

Was this like….normal back then?

Jerry Lee Lewis married his cousin….everyone thought that was weird…right?

I absolutely adored this book and the narrator on audible.

I could 100% hear and see Elvis, in my mind, saying everything she wrote and found myself smiling all throughout as I listened. Her stories were darling and the end of their relationship was heartbreaking 😭

I did find it odd at the end though when she said she saw him live in 1969, where he opened with 2001 space odyssey and ‘see see rider’ wearing a white jumpsuit…..because that definitely wasn’t until the 70s….right?

And she also mentioned Elvis and Gladys dying at the same age of 42….which also isn’t right.

But the rest of the book was lovely, I think. It felt like I was stepping back into time.

I’m currently listening to June Juanico’s book 🥹❤️. My goodness, it’s such a sweet story to listen to thus far!

I just finished listening to The Occult Elvis which I really enjoyed.

I’ve read a bunch of the classic books like Guralnicks but these I haven’t read yet and need to use this credit…

Which one would you suggest??

I went to Graceland with my kiddo last weekend for my 40th. I couldn’t think of any other place I’d rather be.

Their new EPiC display was really cool. And the new 1956 exhibit was great. The 90 for 90 and Backlot exhibits were shut down for something new they’re opening in August, I assume for Elvis Week!

Memphis had beautiful weather most of the weekend, and my kid designed his swim suit after Elvis’ in the home videos from EPiC 😂

I gifted myself some new merch for my bday. 🎉🎂 I really wish they’d make some Elvis slippers, claw clips, swimsuits, and new iPhone cases and earrings!! I own all the earrings and my phone is newer than what they offer lol. I got a lip balm though that I had to throw away because it smelled bad and turns out it EXPIRED IN 2024 💀👎🏻 I didn’t have time to swap it out before we left so I just saved the wrapper for my scrap book 😂

We got to take the pink limo ride to Marlowe’s and have dinner in the Elvis booth on my birthday night! That was super fun.

But my FAVORITE part was absolutely the nightly Elvis movies at the Guesthouse. There’s nothing like watching him on the big screen with a group of like minded fans that laugh and clap and giggle at all the same parts. We caught Girl Happy, Spinout, and Live a Little Love a Little. On the last night I snagged some popcorn and candy from the gift shop before hand 😂. It was perfect! (The Guesthouse also gifted me an Elvis keychain for my birthday when I checked in which I thought was so kind 😭😭)

A short and sweet trip of just 3 days but memories that’ll last a lifetime. There’s such a magic there….there’s just nothing quite like it!

It’s my 40th bday and I’m celebrating at Graceland!! 🥹✨SO EXCITED 💙💛

This was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed her other one, about/from ‘The Memphis Mafia’.

She’s well researched in Elvis and writes in such a way that’s easy to gobble up. Both do feel a bit tabloid-y/gossip-y here and there but chocked full of anecdotes and interviews and personal stories. I loved hearing from those that loved him and whom he loved very much.

Some of this also made me blush 🫢🫣😏 lololol

But damnit….reading about the last few years kills me every. single. time.

She ends this saying Elvis ultimately died of a broken heart…..

😔😔

I just want to love hiiiiiimmmmmm 😭😭

Just watched ‘the trouble with girls’ and I honestly didn’t love it…every woman was pretty much humiliated in that movie…

But I did love Elvis’ look in it 🔥 He also appeared to be enjoying that role a bit more than his others in his later movie career.

And the song ‘almost’ is just lovely 🥹