House of travel USA Brochure 2017 | Page 60

Memphis
A perfect day in Memphis
M emphis, Tennessee, is where the sound of blues began when W.C.
Handy penned the first blues song and where rock ‘n’ roll was born. The
music is still alive and well today and Beale Street throbs with music at
any time of the day or night.
The Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum is definitely the first place to visit, created
by the Smithsonian Institute it is an excellent museum. It begins with a
short film about the history of music in the south you then continue on
with an audio tour that takes you on a chronological journey through
Memphis’ music milestones. There is plenty of memorabilia and a great
selection of tunes to listen to.
From here there is a free shuttle that takes you to Graceland about a
15 minute drive away. Starting from the main ticket where you pick up
your audio/iPad tour you then bus across the street to the Graceland
mansion. You wander through at your own pace with the audio tour
giving some fascinating insights into Elvis and his time living here. The
rest of the Graceland complex has Elvis’ car collection, private plane and
memorabilia.
Next it’s back on the free shuttle to Sun Studios, where you’ll hear more
about Elvis’ career as it was here that he cut his first demo. There is a
guided tour of a small museum and then you head into the actual studio
where Elvis along with other greats such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny
Cash recorded.
By now you’ll be ready for some refreshments so it’s time to hit Beale
Street, the downtown street with two blocks of live music venues – BB
Kings Blues club is a great place to start.
Our favourite places to stay:
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Comfort Inn Downtown
DoubleTree by Hilton Memphis
The Peabody Hotel
Our favourite things to see and do
Stax Museum of American Soul – As churches were the birthplace
of soul the tour starts in a church that has been reassembled inside the
museum. There’s a great video that gives insights into how things were
when Stax Studios was formed and the huge impact Stax had on soul
music.
National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis has a very rich history in
the civil rights movement and is where Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was
assassinated. The actual motel where this happened is now part of this
excellent museum. It takes you on a historical journey through slavery,
the civil war and into more modern history such as the Rosa Parks bus
boycott, the freedom rides in 1961 and the student sit ins of the 1960s.
Peabody Ducks – These ducks live at the Peabody Hotel and every day at
11 am they come down the elevator and head to the fountain in the lobby
where they spend the day. Then at 5pm, off they go again and march
through the lobby and back into the lift to head upstairs for the night. This
has been going on since the 1930s. Get there early to get a good vantage
point.
BBQ – Memphis is home to more than 100 BBQ restaurants so finding the
local delicacy will not be an issue. The question is whether you like your
BBQ wet or dry, slab or pulled, hot, mild, tangy or sweet? Charlie Vergos
Restaurant has been making their BBQ since 1948 and are still going
strong, it’s a great place to try.
Cooper & Young – This is where the locals hang out, at the intersection
of Cooper Street and Young Avenue. Grab a cab here and then within a
few steps in any direction, you can hear some great music and find some
great restaurants.
Gibson Guitars – Take a tour of Gibson’s Memphis guitar factory and see
Gibson’s skilled Luthiers craft some of the finest guitars in the world. See
and hear how Gibson has helped shape the world of music for over 100
years.
Memphis Music Hall of Fame – Showcasing some of the greatest
musicians of all time, each were responsible for shaping modern music
and changing the world forever right from Memphis.
©Tenessee Department of Tourism
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