singing the blues: Memphis, TN

Beale Street, BBQ, and Graceland, oh my!

Welcome to Memphis, TN.  The home of The Blues, birthplace of Rock & Roll, and Beale Street - the second most popular entertainment district outside Bourbon Street!  One weekend in February, my friend Viv and I met up in Memphis to explore the city and check off another state from our lists.  We hit up the most popular tourist destinations in the downtown area, ate BBQ at Rendezvous and spent a glorious afternoon exploring all the nooks and crannies of Graceland.  To say we fell in love was an understatement!  

Most entertaining tourist trap award goes to The Peabody Ducks.  This is such a funny attraction because the set-up and waiting seems to takes forever but the actual event goes by in the blink of an eye.  The ducks run a red carpet in the Peabody Hotel from the lobby to the fountain but they move so quickly and it's so crowded, that it's almost impossible to see, let alone capture a photo (especially back in the day when my camera and skills were pretty lacking.  haha).  Kids love it and I was glad to have experienced it once in my lifetime.  Tradition is tradition and I'm not one to miss out on the action!

No trip to Memphis would be complete, without spending an afternoon at Graceland.  The house and grounds are beautiful and I was drawn to the traditional southern style of Elvis's house.  Step inside though, and this house in anything but traditional!  We were able to explore the house, the museum, and even his private plane!  Seeing Elvis's grave is instantly sobering, as it's hard to imagine a man that lived life this large, ever dying.  

Graceland is part Elvis's home, just as he left it in the 1970s, and part music museum, showcasing his awards, costumes, and records.  We took a self guided tour and learned so much about America's Rock & Roll superstar.  

 

If old Vegas is the King of neon lights, Memphis is the Queen.  A walk down Beale street is a feast for the senses.  Each shop sign is more intriguing than the last.  Viv and I stopped to take pictures every few feet and stepped into as many of the historic shops as possible.  It was easy to see why Beale Street is the most popular entertainment district since Bourbon Street.

 

There is no shortage of good restaurants in Memphis and the list of places for pork BBQ seems endless.  Viv had her heart set on Rendezvous and my mouth is watering just thinking about those charcoal ribs.  Everything was melt off the bone delicious and we recommend getting your BBQ fix at the Charles Vergo's sauce and seasoning masterpiece if you're in town.   

A perfect trip includes a local coffee shop, plenty of tourist sites, a killer meal, and the quintessential afternoon treat.  Sometimes that treat is a class of rose on a patio and other times, it's a couple bitesize cupcakes at Muddy's bake shop!  This shop was the cutest and we had the hardest time deciding what to order.  Everything looked incredible but thanks to their mini-cupcakes, we were able to try a few flavors without breaking the bank.  I fell in love with their motto, to "break the chain, eat local" as well as their mismatched floral plates and stools.  

If we had a longer getaway, we would have stopped at the Memphis Botanic Garden and The National Civil Rights Museum.  I would have stalked The Neely's BBQ restaurant (RIP to that seemingly perfect Food Network relationship!)  Our next trip will also include more music themed attractions, like the Blues Hall of Fame and Sun Studio.  Nashville gets all the TN love right now, but Memphis will always have a piece of my heart.