My Grandma has always been a huge Elvis fan. Ever since I can remember she has listened to and talked about his music. I think that is maybe why, in the back of my mind, I have always had Memphis on my bucket list. I wasn’t sure when I would get the opportunity to visit, but I knew that I was going to go one day…
WHERE TO STAY
Close To Beale Street - as with most places on this trip, James and I had never been before, so wanted to pick the most central accommodation we could find. We stayed just off of Beale Street, which ended up being perfect. We felt very much in the middle of everything that was going on, and most, if not all of the main attractions were within walking distance, or a short Lyft Ride away.
Air BnB – Again, we stayed in another Air BnB property whilst we were in Memphis. However, I would recommend booking accommodation as soon as possible for Memphis. It isn’t the biggest of cities and as we booked a few things only a little while in advance, we didn’t have many options to choose from. Although the location was brilliant, it wasn’t the nicest of apartments but fit well within our budget.
WHAT TO EAT
Food in the southern states of America isn’t well known for being the healthiest of choices… but we managed to find some pretty cool places to eat in whilst in Memphis.
Kooky Canuck – This restaurant was so nice that we actually went twice – something we tried not to do during our trip. Its menu is filled with hearty, all-American food that certainly lined our stomachs! The Nachos were seriously good and James stated that it was one of the best burgers he’d had whilst in the States.
Trolley Stop Market – After we’d been to Sun Studios we stopped for lunch at this cute little place before heading over to Graceland, home of Elvis. It was really cool and the café walls were loaded with lots of local produce. I opted for a grilled cheese sandwich with avocado and tomato, and yes, it was as good as it sounds.
Margaritas of Downtown – We had A LOT of Mexican food whilst we were away and we were so happy to find that this place was just around the corner from where we were staying. I could have eaten the unlimited tortilla chips and salsa all night, but the fajita, taco salad bowl was pretty incredible too.
WHAT TO DO
Civil Rights Museum – This was an absolute must for me as I studied Civil Rights whilst at university. It is located at the Loraine Motel, the location in which Martin Luther King was shot 50 years ago. It was really interesting and went right back to the slave trade and followed the history of black people in America. I was so inspired by the people that stood up for everything that they believed in, in the fight for Civil rights.
Graceland – How can you visit Memphis and not go to the home of the king of rock and roll. Elvis’ house is completely preserved to look the way it did whilst he lived there and it was like nothing I have ever seen before. The tour included an iPad and headphones so there was a constant supply of information being re-laid to us whilst we wondered around Graceland.
The Gibson Guitar Factory Tour – This was something we stumbled upon whilst we were looking in the Gibson Store, just off of Beale street. We overheard that they gave hour-long tours of the factory and it was one of the best $10 I have ever spent! They took us through the whole process of how to make a Gibson guitar, it was really interesting and worth a visit.
Have A Drink On Beale Street – Beale Street is known for it’s party atmosphere. I also could not stop singing ‘Walkin’ in Memphis…” the whole time we were there! On our first night we got a beer, sat on a roof top bar and watched the sun set whilst watching everyone party in the street down below. It was a really cool atmosphere that was great to be a part of.
Sun Studios – Although no longer in use, it was really interesting to visit this tiny little recording studio just on the outskirts of Memphis city center. It recorded music for some of the biggest names in the music industry such as Cash and Elvis, even though it was only in use for 10 years.
Memphis Zoo – We had checked off everything on our Memphis list and so we decided to spend an entire day at the Memphis Zoo. It was so much fun exploring the grounds and learning lots about all of the animals. We spent 7 hours walking around, enjoying the weather and having a true escape from city life. If you were spending more than 1 or 2 days in the city I would really recommend heading over to the zoo.
Madolyn
xxx
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