Elvis Tour, Las Vegas Sun, Aug. 16, 1999

For the anniversary of the King’s death, a tour of all thing Elvis in Las Vegas Lisa Ferguson Monday, Aug. 16, 1999 | 1:16 a.m. There were no rooms available at the Heartbreak Hotel last week. That's not surprising: The 128-room inn (its full name is Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel) is located near Graceland, Elvis' former digs, in Memphis, Tenn. That's where a week's worth of activities, honoring the 22nd anniversary of the King of rock 'n' roll's death, on Aug. 16, 1977, come to a close on Monday. Anyone wanting to stay at the hotel -- which boasts a heart-shaped swimming pool, a Grandland-themed suite and free, in-room Elvis movies -- during the annual "Elvis Week" needed to book a minimum five-night's stay (at $89.95 a night). But why bother trekking halfway across the country when there are plenty of ways to pay homage to the King's legacy in Las Vegas? OK, so you can't tour his mansion, see the kitchen where his favorite peanut butter and banana sandwiches were made or weep at his grave. But you can see where Elvis (allegedly) slept and lived here, and gawk at clothing he once wore. The Sun has complied a list of some of the places Elvis visited while in Las Vegas, local tributes erected in his memory and where in the valley to find a few of his former possessions. So, grab your comfiest pair of blue suede shoes and join us for a Las Vegas-style tour. Former haunts All the King's Stuff "Best Wishes, Elvis Presley" is the autograph featured on a framed menu from the Las Vegas Hilton, sporting a color picture of the King, hanging near the entrance of Mr. Lucky's restaurant at the Hard Rock hotel. In the casino, a framed, black leather, fleece-lined jacket of his hangs on a wall beside a slew of other celebrity jackets. In one of the casino's slot machine areas, walls are decorated with photos of rockers sitting in and beside their flashy cars -- Elvis was photographed behind the wheel of a vintage convertible. Adjacent to the aptly-named Viva Las Vegas lounge, a shimmering gold jacket he once wore is encased in glass. Giant posters -- from the movies "King Creole" and "Jailhouse Rock," among others -- hang throughout the casino. Walls near the kitchen are decorated with more Elvis goodies: gold records; a letter to a "Capt. Woodward," dated Jan. 20, 1959, which Elvis signed while in the army (his buddy, Red, actually penned the note); a "favorite" red shirt with puffy sleeves (and a picture of him wearing it); and a black guitar with obvious fractures in the wood (a plaque explains that Elvis smashed it after a show "because it would not stay in tune").