Admittedly I can’t say I ever knew all that much about the city of Memphis other than it being home to Elvis Presley’s Graceland. And to be honest I can’t say I ever had a desire to visit up until a few months ago. In my travel planning for Nashville I came across a blog post about Memphis and was intrigued by pictures of the colorful lights of Beale Street. What the heck… it was close enough to Nashville, so why not check it out?
Memphis sits a little over 3 hours away from Nashville (although I took a Greyhound bus and it ended up being more like 5 hours – that was an experience). It lies in the southwest corner of Tennessee, along the Mississippi River. Arkansas is directly across the river, and a few short miles to the south is the Mississippi state line. It is in the heart of the south.
Hotel rates in Memphis looked better than Nashville, but I ended up staying not immediately downtown. The hotel, the Best Western Plus Gen X Inn, was fabulous by my standards but my only issue was getting downtown and back. Other than the trolley lines that run in the downtown area, I found Memphis’s public transit system to not be too robust and ended up taking a lot more Ubers/Lyfts than planned to get to and from my hotel.
Obviously one of the musts in Memphis is to go to Graceland. There are a few different tiers in ticket pricing that get you into different experiences. I opted for the one that included the Graceland mansion and the Elvis Presley’s Memphis exhibits which include his car collection, military memorabilia, his flashy outfits, and more. I recommend this option because you just have to see that pink Cadillac! The mansion is unbelievable and you walk through with an audio tour narrated by John Stamos. All of the rooms are eclectic and interesting, but my favorite was probably the stunning white living room with peacock stained glass.
There is a free shuttle that runs between Graceland, Sun Studio, and the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. Since the shuttle is operated by Sun Studio, the only thing they ask is that you take the Sun Studio tour. I hadn’t realized this at first, but was really glad that I ended up fitting it into my itinerary after Graceland. This studio is known for the discovery of artists from B.B. King and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. The room in which they recorded is largely untouched, with the same tile floor and the same soundproofing. It’s almost surreal to be in there and think that the Million Dollar Quartet – a jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash – took place right where you are standing. The microphone that the greats used for recording was donated back to Sun Studio by founder Sam Phillips under the condition that it doesn’t ever go behind glass, so you can take your picture with the actual microphone that Elvis used!
Also in Memphis is the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the old Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life was taken. It’s quite somber to walk through a timeline of the Civil Rights Movement that concludes with a glimpse into Dr. King’s last hours with the actual motel room he stayed in and the balcony where he was standing when he was assassinated. You learn about the movement in school as a kid but it’s so much different when you’re in a city where many of these events actually took place and you can put it into context. The museum also includes the building across the street, the former boarding house where you can see the view that shooter James Earl Ray had, and learn about the federal investigation in the days that followed.
Something kind of quirky that you have to do in Memphis is go to the Peabody Hotel. Every day at 11 a.m. in this historic hotel, the hotel’s famous ducks come off the elevator and run the red carpet to the lobby’s fountain where they spend the day and retreat back upstairs at 5 p.m. Get there early so that you get a spot because it can get pretty crowded in there! Since you’re there, make the trip up to the top floor of the hotel where you can go out on the roof for some of the best views of the city.
If you’re a sucker for some quaint Victorian architecture, Memphis’s Victorian Village is worth a pass through. A few of the stunning mansions are open for tours, including the haunted Woodruff-Fontaine House, which I was devastated to find wasn’t open the day I had planned to go, so I had to pass on it. The Mollie Fontaine House across the street is open as a popular lounge.
Enough on Victorian architecture – did you know Memphis has a pyramid? This pays tribute to the city’s Egyptian namesake. Built originally as a sports and entertainment complex, the pyramid now houses a Bass Pro Shop megastore. One look at the pyramid and you’ll be dying to know what it’s like inside. Even if you’re not in the market for outdoor gear, with a visit to the shop you can wander around and see fish, alligators, and ducks. There’s also an observation deck and a hotel with cabin-inspired rooms.
Not far from the pyramid is the Mud Island River Park. This peaceful park along the Mississippi River allows you to walk a carved replica of the entire lower Mississippi River, with signs along the way explaining significant cities and historical sites.
Along the river in the evening, you can view a light show on the Hernando de Soto Bridge. The light show is every half hour after sundown and lasts about 10 minutes. One of the best spots to view is the hill at Beale Street Landing. Then once you’ve seen enough you can wander up Beale Street for a drink!
Beale Street is the prime spot for nightlife in Memphis. If you’ve been to Broadway in Nashville, this is the Memphis equivalent, but with much more blues music rather than country. Historically, many blues greats got their start playing music on Beale Street. Today it is lined with bars where you can stop in to groove to those blues beats. The strip closes entirely to vehicle traffic and asks for ID after a certain time. That’s because a lot of the bars have walk-up windows where you can purchase alcohol, so the entire street becomes one big party! Silky O’ Sullivan’s was my favorite spot. In addition to the dueling piano music inside, they have a chill outdoor patio that houses their famous beer drinking goats! I also caught some good music at B.B. King’s Blues Club, Blues City Cafe, and King’s Palace.
If you’re looking for a good bar experience away from Beale Street, go to Earnestine & Hazel’s on South Main. I have enough to say about this haunted bar that I’ll probably be giving it its own blog post. Spooky occurrences aside, I’m comfortable calling this the best dive bar I have ever been in. Try their Soul Burger – the only food they serve – and be sure not to miss the upstairs piano lounge where you’ll feel like you’re stepping back in time.
Speaking of good eats, caddy-corner from Earnestine & Hazel’s sits the Arcade Restaurant, the oldest cafe in Memphis. Elvis was a regular here, so (if you’re lucky) you can sit in his booth and enjoy his favorite sandwich: fried peanut butter and banana.
Sometimes when you travel, the best experiences are the unplanned ones. I had wanted to try the popular Rendezvous BBQ, but found it wasn’t open on my last day in Memphis (they are only open Tuesday through Saturday). After a lengthy walk around Mud Island River Park I was in desperate need of a good meal. I took my chance and selected a place that showed up nearby on GoogleMaps. That place was the Little Tea Shop. I walked in and wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. The restaurant is small and very humbly decorated. I got a small table and was greeted by a very friendly waiter who started me with some of the best cornbread I have ever had. My entree came out freakishly fast – and was probably gone just as freakishly fast. I usually take pictures of every meal when I travel, but I was so distracted with this one that I forgot! The entrees at the restaurant vary by the day, and I chose Moroccan chicken. It was so amazingly juicy and flavorful and fell off the bone. My mouth waters just thinking about it again. For my sides I chose turnip greens, which the restaurant is known for, and some delectable buttery mashed potatoes. Maybe as phenomenal as the meal was the service and the home-like atmosphere that the staff create. I stumbled upon an absolute gem.
What started as a secondary destination on a Nashville trip became a real highlight of the trip. There is so much music history that intertwines the two cities and visiting Memphis seemed like I was finishing a story that I started in Nashville. Not to mention something about the rhythm and vibe of Memphis just flat out stole my heart. This city with its quaint facades, retro cars and trolleys, and blues music truly takes you back to another place in time.
C to Shining C 