Memphis

Memphis is the “Home of the Blues” along the Mississippi River. It is famous for influencing artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and B.B. King. I visited here on my cross-country road trip with my Uncle Richard.

What to Do

Beale Street

Beale Street became popular in the roaring 1920’s with many bars, restaurants, gambling, prostitution, music, etc. Currently, it is a fun-filled street lined with bars and restaurants. We felt safe here in the early evening and it looked like a great time; we didn’t want to leave and continue on our road trip!

The Peabody Hotel

The Peabody Hotel is a historic hotel downtown near Beale Street, which opened in 1869. In the 1930s, the General Manager Frank Shutt and his friend Chip Barwick had a few drinks after their hunting trip and thought it would be funny to place their live decoys in the hotel fountain. In 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke offered to escort these ducks as he was a former circus animal trainer. He did this until his retirement in 1991. The ducks still parade in an out of the lobby at 11AM and 5PM respectively. Also in the lobby area is a store that has music memorabilia and high-end shopping.

Mississippi River

We walked down to the Mississippi River and enjoyed the walkway. I’ve always wanted to see this river after reading history books when I was a child about westward expansion.

WDIA Radio

WDIA was the first radio station programmed for African Americans. A lot of singers were influenced by WDIA, including Elvis Presley. BB King got his start here.

Graceland

Since we were in Memphis after hours, we did not get to visit Graceland. It would have been cool to see Elvis Presley’s home, and his gravesite, but I have heard that the Peabody Hotel and Beale Street are much more memorable to visit.

Where to Eat

Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ

This chain BBQ spot was just outside of Memphis. It hit all of our taste buds. I highly recommend their peace iced tea!

*Road trip route from here: Prior to Memphis, we were in Nashville. After Memphis, we headed to Dallas, TX where I picked up my cousin. I drove with him to Valentine, TX for the infamous Prada Marfa art installation.