The Mister and I were invited to a wedding in the middle of Indiana and since we’d already driven through Indiana before and there was nothing to do, I refused to simply go to Indiana. So we tacked some time onto the trip with a few days in Nashville (you can check out my Nashville city guides, Part 1 and Part 2) and a few days in Memphis, because I really wanted to see Graceland!
I can’t tell if Memphis is a city that is going up or going down. It’s pretty small with some really cool, worn down urban areas full of neat old buildings and signs, but there is also Beale Street and a lot of history.
First thing we did when we got to town? Dinner at Marlowe’s because I had to see that big pink pig! Plus I thought they would pick us up in a pink Caddy, but they only do that for some hotels. And unfortunately we were not staying at one of those hotels. Sucks. Dinner was okay. Not great, but it was down the street from Graceland, so it was a fun drive. I really enjoyed seeing Graceland lit up at night – it reminded me of a huge white house in the middle of a mini-golf park with all the multi-colored lawn lights.
The next day we went straight to Graceland in order to avoid the long lines. The house itself was a bit smaller than expected, but there was a LOT to see. My favorite room? Toss up between the tiki-themed den and the yellow television room.
After Graceland, we were so inspired by Nashville, we went over to Sun Records for the tiny recording studio’s tour. If you’re ever in Memphis, I recommend it!
And then for dinner, we went to the juke joint Earnestine & Hazel’s for the Soul Burger! I thought the people who would be ordering the Soul Burger would be tourists, but no, regulars would walk in and sit at the bar and order a Soul Burger and a drink. The place used to be a whore house, and if you go, make sure to head upstairs and check it out!
We then wandered down to Beale Street which was way more crowded than I expected! And I was really surprised that the police has the street closed off at both ends for carding and a security pat down. It was a Friday night, and the bars were packed! We found one at the end of the street that seemed a bit less touristy and listened to some great blues.
The next day, we checked out the National Civil Right Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. I highly recommend visiting this museum, and please take my advice and get there early on a weekend to avoid long lines and give yourself enough time to get through it, the museum is HUGE.
I really wanted to take a ride on one of the river boats, but after reading the atrocious reviews, I settled for a photo of a riverboat.
And on our way out of town, we stopped at the Bass Pro Shop in the giant pyramid, because well … it’s a Bass Pro Shop in a giant pyramid. How could we not?
Have you been to Memphis? What did I miss?