Is Weird! It's like many southern cities in that there is an underlying racism still present, but in Memphis, the home of the National Civil Rights museum, on the sight of MLK's assassination, it's a little more obvious than in other places. This is a city of rich and poor, healthy and sick, hip and square, young and old, black and white.
To Do--- The sights are many and include the aforementioned National Civil Rights Museum, the Pyramid, Mud Island, Beale Street, and a great downtown ballpark for the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Of course, no trip to Memphis would be complete without a trip to Graceland, it's definitely worth the trip to say you've been, but there are many other cool places in this Jewel of the Delta. I enjoy downtown, where you can shop at Peabody Place and then wonder over to Beale St. for live music seven nights a week at any number of places from Alfred's to Coyote Ugly to B.B. Kings (where he plays live a few times a year). Being a former Tennessee Banker, Memphis holds a special place in my heart as being the HQ for First Tennessee and Union Planters (now part of Regions Bank), these two employed the founders of Stax Records, which has a great museum on the history of Soul Music from Isaac Hayes to Booker T. and the MG's and my personal favorite Otis Redding, there is also Sun studios where Elvis got his start. Memphis is also home to FedEx and the new FedEx Forum which hosts world class concerts and the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, it's also located just off Beale St. in the heart of downtown. You could easily spend a couple days without getting in your car right in the Beale St/downtown area, and another MUST to check out while you're there is the Gibson Guitar Factory. The childhood home of W.C. Handy is on Beale! There is a fine array of evening activities from sports, to bowling (no, it's not a sport), to Beale street, and the Flying Saucer has a great selection of brews. Last but not least, in an ode to my younger years, when on Beale St., you must stop by Silky O' Sullivan's, it's the only place I know that has both goats and Dueling Pianos...seriously.
To Stay--AS you could tell with the things to do section, for the truly unique Memphis experience it happens downtown. This is a great city of nice suburbs, but if you want to experience IT, it is downtown, as are the best hotels to help with that. The only four diamond hotel in the city is the Legendary Peabody with their world famous ducks and it is truly the cream of the crop. In the last few years several VERY nice hotels have popped up on the fringes of Beale street. The Hampton Inn and Suites is very nice and convenient as is the new Westin. Other downtown choices are available, but those are my top three. Of course, if you're here for Elvis, then the Heartbreak Hotel is your place for at least one night.
To Eat--Memphis has its own style of Barbecue and oddly the place that is most often mentioned as the best in town, Rendezvous, does not fit the label of "Memphis" 'cue. Which is why I prefer the saucier stuff of Corky's or The Bar-B-Q- Shop. If you're looking for something more metropolitan, Automatic Slim's Tonga Club is my fave, but there are MANY "unique"(boring) places that look like something out of a magazine from--you name the urban center. If you're in the mood to be a serious carnivore, few places can top Texas de Brazil, a small chain of Churrascaria restaurants with a nice location in downtown. Memphis has a great food scene, but really...come here for the music. If you want one stop that summarizes Memphis, I'd go to The Pig.
To Do--- The sights are many and include the aforementioned National Civil Rights Museum, the Pyramid, Mud Island, Beale Street, and a great downtown ballpark for the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Of course, no trip to Memphis would be complete without a trip to Graceland, it's definitely worth the trip to say you've been, but there are many other cool places in this Jewel of the Delta. I enjoy downtown, where you can shop at Peabody Place and then wonder over to Beale St. for live music seven nights a week at any number of places from Alfred's to Coyote Ugly to B.B. Kings (where he plays live a few times a year). Being a former Tennessee Banker, Memphis holds a special place in my heart as being the HQ for First Tennessee and Union Planters (now part of Regions Bank), these two employed the founders of Stax Records, which has a great museum on the history of Soul Music from Isaac Hayes to Booker T. and the MG's and my personal favorite Otis Redding, there is also Sun studios where Elvis got his start. Memphis is also home to FedEx and the new FedEx Forum which hosts world class concerts and the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, it's also located just off Beale St. in the heart of downtown. You could easily spend a couple days without getting in your car right in the Beale St/downtown area, and another MUST to check out while you're there is the Gibson Guitar Factory. The childhood home of W.C. Handy is on Beale! There is a fine array of evening activities from sports, to bowling (no, it's not a sport), to Beale street, and the Flying Saucer has a great selection of brews. Last but not least, in an ode to my younger years, when on Beale St., you must stop by Silky O' Sullivan's, it's the only place I know that has both goats and Dueling Pianos...seriously.
To Stay--AS you could tell with the things to do section, for the truly unique Memphis experience it happens downtown. This is a great city of nice suburbs, but if you want to experience IT, it is downtown, as are the best hotels to help with that. The only four diamond hotel in the city is the Legendary Peabody with their world famous ducks and it is truly the cream of the crop. In the last few years several VERY nice hotels have popped up on the fringes of Beale street. The Hampton Inn and Suites is very nice and convenient as is the new Westin. Other downtown choices are available, but those are my top three. Of course, if you're here for Elvis, then the Heartbreak Hotel is your place for at least one night.
To Eat--Memphis has its own style of Barbecue and oddly the place that is most often mentioned as the best in town, Rendezvous, does not fit the label of "Memphis" 'cue. Which is why I prefer the saucier stuff of Corky's or The Bar-B-Q- Shop. If you're looking for something more metropolitan, Automatic Slim's Tonga Club is my fave, but there are MANY "unique"(boring) places that look like something out of a magazine from--you name the urban center. If you're in the mood to be a serious carnivore, few places can top Texas de Brazil, a small chain of Churrascaria restaurants with a nice location in downtown. Memphis has a great food scene, but really...come here for the music. If you want one stop that summarizes Memphis, I'd go to The Pig.
As some of you know, I'm a huge music fan and one of my favorites is Walking in Memphis. Every time I hear it, I close my eyes, feel that thick warm air of the Mississippi and smell some BBQ, once I hear the music in the distance...I'm home. It's weird, but it also might be a little like heaven.
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