For starters, we booked a hotel using Hotwire and got an amazing deal on a "3 1/2 star hotel in Downtown Memphis." Fort hose of you that are not familiar with Hotwire, the name of the hotel is not released until after you have made the reservation. The website gives you a price for a hotel with a certain star rating in a certain location. We lucked up with the Crowne Plaza in Downtown Memphis, complete with complimentary shuttle! The room was nice, and totally worth the $77. I highly recommend the website to anyone looking to book a hotel! (Just an FYI: the room we stayed in rents for $150/night on the hotel website!)
We started our day by having lunch at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, famous for their Memphis dry rub ribs. Per their website (www.hogsfly.com) "Presidents and potentates, the King and the Killer, Rolling Stones, *NSYNC, and everybody who’s anybody have all been down for a bite." Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of their ribs. (Sorry Charlie) They were good, but nothing special in my book. The atmosphere of the restaurant was fun and made for a great start to our Memphis adventure.
After lunch, we took a stroll around the streets of Downtown Memphis. One of the first stops on our list was Bank of America. I realize this may sound strange, but considering the BoA in Memphis is the closest to Tupelo, it was a welcomed site! It was nice to be able to use an ATM! We saw the Orpheum Theatre, which looked like a great place to see a show, but unfortunately we didn't have time this trip. We also happened up on a statue of none other than Elvis. It's completely natural that the "birthplace of Rock N Roll" has a statue of the King of Rock N Roll.
We stopped in the Rum Boogie Cafe to see what it was about, mainly because I was a fan of the guitars on the sign. Once inside, there were guitars everywhere. Not just any guitars, guitars that were previously owned by different musical talents from all genres. All guitars were autographed by their previous owners, it was quite a site to see!
We didn't take time to look at all the guitars, but I did spot these two country artists!
A bag of cotton..symbol of the hardworking men and women.
Brittany and I sitting on the porch listening to musical hits of the 40's and 50's.
Johnny Cash and Elvis, both got their start on Beale Street!
We started our day by having lunch at Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, famous for their Memphis dry rub ribs. Per their website (www.hogsfly.com) "Presidents and potentates, the King and the Killer, Rolling Stones, *NSYNC, and everybody who’s anybody have all been down for a bite." Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of their ribs. (Sorry Charlie) They were good, but nothing special in my book. The atmosphere of the restaurant was fun and made for a great start to our Memphis adventure.
After lunch, we took a stroll around the streets of Downtown Memphis. One of the first stops on our list was Bank of America. I realize this may sound strange, but considering the BoA in Memphis is the closest to Tupelo, it was a welcomed site! It was nice to be able to use an ATM! We saw the Orpheum Theatre, which looked like a great place to see a show, but unfortunately we didn't have time this trip. We also happened up on a statue of none other than Elvis. It's completely natural that the "birthplace of Rock N Roll" has a statue of the King of Rock N Roll.
Beale Street was a true site to see. It is an important historical site from various periods of history including military battles, civil rights, and entertainment. Present day Beale Street is the home to various blues clubs & restaurants as well as a hoppin' spot for Memphis Nightlife.
Just a few of the signs that caught my attention!
We stopped in the Rum Boogie Cafe to see what it was about, mainly because I was a fan of the guitars on the sign. Once inside, there were guitars everywhere. Not just any guitars, guitars that were previously owned by different musical talents from all genres. All guitars were autographed by their previous owners, it was quite a site to see!
We didn't take time to look at all the guitars, but I did spot these two country artists!
Memphis is also home to a wide variety of museums, including the Gibson Guitar Factory and the Rock and Soul Museum. Both of these attractions are downtown, and we chose to include them in our trip. We toured the lobby and gift shop of the Gibson Guitar Factory, and it would be an amazing place to visit for any guitar player. There is an option to tour the factory and see the process of how guitars are made, but we decided to save that for a later time. We did tour the Rock & Soul Museum, which included an in depth look at how Blues music came about as well as how modern day Rock&Roll came to be. It also included different aspects of life in the pre-civil rights era, as well as tributes to Elvis and Johnny Cash.
A bag of cotton..symbol of the hardworking men and women.
Brittany and I sitting on the porch listening to musical hits of the 40's and 50's.
Johnny Cash and Elvis, both got their start on Beale Street!
After the museum, we drove across the bridge over the Mississippi River into Arkansas. (This marked my fourth state to be in on this clinical journey, as well as my first time driving across Old Man River!)
One of my favorite things about Beale Street was the live music that could be found inside every establishment. We chose to have dinner at BBKings and were treated to some fantastic guitar skills of 17 year old Will Tucker of the Will Tucker Band. He had a unique sound, and a great talent that just might make him world famous one day. We also met up with some Memphis locals, including Brittany's roommate, Moira. They recommended we try out Silky O'Sullivans, a piano bar down the street. Another thing Silky's is known for is the live goats they have on the patio. Too bad for us, the goats weren't out due to the cold! We didn't get to see the goats, but we did get to meet Silky!
Sunday morning, the shuttle driver at our hotel recommended Arcade Restaurant for breakfast. This was the filming site for Tom Cruise's "The Firm." Definitely a nice breakfast spot and it was on the trolley line, so we got to take a trolley back up through town.
Next stop on our Downtown Memphis tour was The Peabody Hotel. This hotel is absolutely stunning, but that was not our reason for going. The Peabody is home of the Peabody Ducks. Everyday at 11am, the ducks march down the red carpet into the fountain in the lobby. The ducks remain in the fountain until 5pm, when they march back down that same red carpet, into the elevator to the Royal Duck Palace on the rooftop. Click here to read more about the history of the ducks! It was a site to see, to say the least. The lobby was quite crowded as everyone waited for the ducks to make their march!
Sunday morning, the shuttle driver at our hotel recommended Arcade Restaurant for breakfast. This was the filming site for Tom Cruise's "The Firm." Definitely a nice breakfast spot and it was on the trolley line, so we got to take a trolley back up through town.
Next stop on our Downtown Memphis tour was The Peabody Hotel. This hotel is absolutely stunning, but that was not our reason for going. The Peabody is home of the Peabody Ducks. Everyday at 11am, the ducks march down the red carpet into the fountain in the lobby. The ducks remain in the fountain until 5pm, when they march back down that same red carpet, into the elevator to the Royal Duck Palace on the rooftop. Click here to read more about the history of the ducks! It was a site to see, to say the least. The lobby was quite crowded as everyone waited for the ducks to make their march!
We had front row seats for the duck march!
Our final stop in downtown Memphis was at the Lorraine Motel, the site where Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated. Good ol' Wikipedia has the following about the motel: "During segregation it was an upscale accommodation that catered to a black clientele. He added a second floor and then drive up access for more rooms on the south side of the complex converting the name from Lorraine Hotel to Lorraine Motel. Its guests included musicians going to Stax Records including: Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, Aretha Frankling, Ethel Waters, Otis Redding, The Staple Singers and Wilson Pickett."
Overall, our trip to Memphis was very exciting and I look forward to going back, soon! We definitely missed our third partner in crime, Ashley; but were glad that she was able to be with her family, celebrating the life of her wonderful Nana, a great woman who will truly be missed by all who knew her. Our hope is to return to Memphis in the coming weeks to continue our Elvis tour by stopping at Graceland, as well as hitting up some other Memphis hotspots!
On the way home, we drove through New Albany, Mississippi. Tupelo is in Lee County and just up the road is New Albany. This is comical to me, being as I am from Lee County, which is just down the road from Albany, GA! Of course, I had to get a picture with the sign! And Albany folks--our Albany is much bigger than New Albany, Mississippi!
On the way home, we drove through New Albany, Mississippi. Tupelo is in Lee County and just up the road is New Albany. This is comical to me, being as I am from Lee County, which is just down the road from Albany, GA! Of course, I had to get a picture with the sign! And Albany folks--our Albany is much bigger than New Albany, Mississippi!
To our family and friends: we love you and miss you dearly! 8 more weeks till we come home and less than 100 days until we graduate! Stay tuned for more updates of our adventures!
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