If
a local man has his way,
fans soon will be able to
see where Elvis kicked off
his blue suede shoes. The
King's Palm Springs home is
being revamped to become a
tourist attraction. The
Elvis Estate -- one of only
two homes the King owned
when he died in 1977 -- is
free from legal battles and
wants to be known to rock
fans as the next Graceland.
"I want this to be Elvis of
California," said Reno
Fontana, who won ownership
of the home in November with
his wife, Laura Whittier
Fontana. That could be good
news for Palm Springs
tourism. "I get asked
probably six times a day to
see the inside of the Elvis
house," said Bill Davis, the
owner of Celebrity Tours in
Palm Springs.
"In fact, last week I had a
woman from Poland, and all
she could say was 'inside
Elvis house,' " he said.
"People want to see what's
inside." More than 600,000
people a year visit the
Graceland mansion in
Memphis, Tenn. -- making it
one of the five most-visited
home tours in the United
States and the most famous
home in the country after
the White House, according
to Elvis Presley
Enterprises.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley
bought the home at 845 W.
Chino Canyon Road in Palm
Springs for $85,000 in April
1970. The Presley's and
their young daughter, Lisa
Marie, lived there part
time. When the two divorced
in 1972, Priscilla Presley
signed over the home to
Elvis with a quitclaim deed.
After Elvis died, his
personal lawyer, who
represented him during his
divorce, took control of the
estate.
Visitors won't find a jungle
room, Elvis' animal-themed
playroom in Graceland. The
five-bedroom house with a
pool and stunning eastern
views surprisingly is
understated. The most
outrageous part -- if one
can even call it that -- is
a sunken tub with
red-and-black tiles in one
of the seven bathrooms.
Today, if someone knocks on
the door, Fontana will show
them around for free.
Source: Google