Seniors Still Search For Elvis In Tupelo

Tupelo, Mississippi, a town of 35,000, draws thousands of tourists, including many senior tourists. “Our Talent Is Our Hospitality” is the motto of Tupelo.

Conflict and courage has formed the backbone of Tupelo’s colorful history from the earliest days of Spanish explorers through the bloody battles of the Civil War. Attractions such as the Elvis Presley birthplace and the Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo showcase the vivid success of present-day Tupelo.

Memphis claims Elvis, however he was born 1935 in Tupelo. We all know about the meteoric rise to fame. We all know about his mansion called Graceland and we all know how his life ended, but in Tupelo is where it all started.

Tupelo, a four-time “All American City”, has the distinctive appeal of historical battlefields and historical sites along with the added advantage of becoming the largest furniture manufacturing mecca in the nation. Tupelo was named after it’s native Tupelo Gum Tree.

 Seniors Walk The Countryside Of Hernando de Soto

Senior visitors to Tupelo, Mississippi can walk the same countryside that Hernando De Soto explored in 1540, when he and his traveling party stumbled upon a tribe of Chickasaw Indians among the hills of the wooded countryside.

Tupelo enjoys a colorful, exciting history that is just waiting to be explored. The Tupelo National Battlefield (1864), a must do for history buffs, marks where Confederates lined up to attack Union forces.

The Elvis Presley Park and Museum, set on 15 acres, features The King’s birthplace, a diverse collection of memorabilia, a chapel, and garden walk. The Elvis Presley Festival, held annually in June, celebrates the accomplishments of this Tupelo famous native and celebrates the first time he came home to perform after becoming a huge hit.

Seniors: Cars Or Elvis?

Born in Tupelo on January 8, 1935, the shotgun house where he was born has become a centerpiece of the city’s tourism industry. In Tupelo senior visitors will find the church where he sang his first song and the hardware store where he strummed his first guitar.

Real Elvis fans should consider the Elvis Presley Self-Guided Driving Tour, which features some of the important places in the life of Elvis. For senior visitors uninterested in blue suede shoes, the city offers up the Tupelo Automobile Museum, featuring over 100 antique and classic cars.

Tourist attractions include museums and art galleries, amusement parks, scenic National and State Parks, historical places, sporting events and festivals. Elvis is big, but the 444-mile parkway that follows a Native American footpath from Natchez to Nashville called the Natchez Trace Parkway is ranked the #1 thing not to be missed in Tupelo.

The parkway began its humble beginnings as a trail used by Indians almost 8,000 years ago. The Natchez Trace is one of the nation’s most unique national parks open year round.

So set your sites on Tupelo as it is one of those cities that sets itself apart with it’s own unique feel and charm making travel to this city extremely memorable.  jeb