A weekend in Memphis, TN

Just Get in the Car — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 13:23:07 +0000

Earlier this summer we took a family vacation to Toronto and Niagara Falls. It was a trip that was much anticipated, but poorly planned. We got passports for the kids months in advance, booked our hotel rooms early, and had a pretty good idea of the sights and activities we wanted to check out. Unfortunately, the trip came directly on the heels of a death in the family, and we were totally unprepared. We had our three kids with us, and it just wasn’t what we had hoped for such a big trip. We returned from the trip feeling like it could have been better.

It wasn’t the destination, or even the things that we did, but the circumstances that created a cloud over our experience. (Not for the kids – they said it was their favorite part of the summer!)

Later in the summer, we spent a week at the Jersey shore with our extended family. Though a beach vacation seems like it would be relaxing, sharing a house with 20 additional people, lots of them children, negates that. Also, lugging chairs, beach toys, umbrellas, food, and drinks three blocks back and forth from the beach every day isn’t all it is cracked up to be. Spending a fortune in arcades so your kids can earn enough tickets to get a moustache comb while they scream about not winning the Nintendo Switch all the way home also takes away from the experience. We keep going back every year though. Something about memories and family bonding …

Lucky for us, we had a grown up trip to Memphis to look forward to! A cool city to visit, no kids, no extended family, and a bit removed from our loss made for an amazing weekend.

We love our kids, we travel with our kids, but this trip was a NO KIDS TRIP … woot woot!! Before kids, we visited some pretty cool places together, and it was so nice to experience that again as a couple rather than the whole gang. Again, we aren’t getting rid of the kids but everyone needs a break sometimes.

We had been to Nashville, and really enjoyed it, but we weren’t sure what to expect from Memphis. We knew the draws – Elvis, rock ‘n roll, the blues, civil rights history, barbeque – but we weren’t sure what the vibe of the city would be. And to be honest, Memphis has a bad rap of being unsavory in parts.

I have to tell you that we felt the complete opposite. I felt totally safe in Memphis. The efforts of the city could be seen – an adequate police presence, signs about not giving money to ‘panhandlers’ (but we are from Philly, so we already know that drill), and tons of evidence of people trying to create a positive atmosphere – Southern hospitality, new restaurants and shops, etc. No one bothered us, and the overall vibe was really very chill, so to speak.

LESSON – don’t base your travels off of things you read on the internet (except our blog, of course). Go, be smart, experience for yourself. If you’re wary, stay in the parts of town that are known tourist areas.

Lots of cities claim to be diverse – but in Memphis, it seemed that everyone mingled together more so than we’ve seen in other areas. Maybe it’s the music scene, maybe it’s an appreciation for the impact of the history of the town, or maybe it’s the mild weather and Southern vibe. Whatever the reason, the overall feeling is a positive one.

After we arrived in Memphis, and checked into our host hotel, Hotel Indigo Downtown Memphis, we decided to walk around a bit to get a feel for the area. This is a great way to see what is around before planning out your days in a new city.

We wandered down to get a glimpse of the famed Mississippi River, and check out the waterfront area. We found some pretty cool green spaces, walking trails, and playground areas. There were bikes and scooters for rent everywhere. Getting around is very easy. We accidentally stumbled into the Tennessee Welcome Center, where we were greeted by the friendly staff. Stacy gave us lots of good information about the local area and must see things to do, see, and eat. We even snapped a photo of Elvis (no, not the real one. Just a statue!).

Although Stacy gave us lots of good food for thought, we had already planned on checking out the restaurant at our hotel. We headed back there to the 3^rd and Court Diner to grab a drink and some food before heading over to Beale Street.

We made fast friends with the bartender, Jeff and his co-bartender, Nick. Whether it was par for the course Southern hospitality, good bartending, or that he just really liked us (OK, probably not that) – we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Jeff. Shawn tried some local beers from Crosstown, Wiseacre and Memphis Made breweries. Jeff was even creative enough to pair some of them with Girl Scout cookies. We even learned something! When looking at the menu for something to eat we saw popcorn with ‘cracklin’ as an option. Cracklin is not a Yankee term, so we had to ask for a translation. Jeff tried to explain it to us, and another customer chimed in. We determined it is basically bacon. So obviously, we ordered the popcorn with cracklin, and it hit the spot! We also ordered the pimento cheese ball, which seemed to be a local favorite. Both choices did not disappoint.

While we really enjoyed hanging out with Jeff, we also wanted to venture out and experience Memphis before calling it a night. We decided that we should walk a few blocks to Beale Street, but on the way we passed by AutoZone Park, which is home to the AAA Memphis Redbirds. I had already reminded Shawn that this was not a baseball trip, but he wanted to pass by and just “see what it looked like.” Next thing I know, we were both walking around the stadium watching the second half of the game! Shawn was excited to pull one over on me, but I was enjoying myself, so I was OK with it. While we were there, we even ordered some BBQ pork nachos from the Rendezvous Barbeque concession stand. They hit the spot!

After the game, we continued on toward Beale Street. Stacy at the visitor center informed us that they recently started charging a $5 cover charge and doing a security check at the entrance to Beale Street. This is a good way for the city to keep the crowds manageable, and everyone safe. No one likes to be nickel and dimed, but we thought this made a lot of sense! And for those of you wondering – they checked ID at the gate AND at each establishment.

Our first stop was King Jerry Lawler’s Hall of Fame Bar and Grille. Shawn recognized the name from his years watching WWE wrestling, but I had no idea. And when Shawn tried to explain, I may have checked out for a few minutes. Inside, they had televisions playing old videos of his wrestling highlights, which Shawn watched while we enjoyed some drinks and music by Fuzzy Jeffries and the Kings of Memphis.

We are old, so we did not stay too long. We walked back to our hotel with no issues, and had a good night’s sleep, free from the fear that one or more child would be sneaking in and taking up an inordinate amount of space in our bed.

We started our Saturday off with a delicious and filling Southern breakfast at the Blue Plate Café. This was a place you’d expect to find on a Main Street in a small country town. Instead, we found it right in downtown Memphis, only a few steps from our hotel. The service was friendly, the food was yummy, and the coffee was plenty. Shawn enjoyed peanut butter and banana pancakes (Elvis inspired, I’m sure), while I had bacon and eggs with biscuits and gravy. At the end of our meal, they even gave us a full to-go cup for our day of sight-seeing. Don’t miss this place if you are in town! We did seem to get in at a good time, however, because it was a full house on our way out, with a wait that we did not experience.

From breakfast, we walked a few blocks over to The Peabody Hotel to check out the famous ducks. For those unfamiliar with this tradition, the hotel has a family of ducks that spend the day in the hotel lobby in the fountain. The hotel has a formal entrance and departure for the ducks every day, as the “Duck Master” escorts the ducks to and from their rooftop home to the lobby for a swim. It’s a popular and family friendly event. We got there a little late, so we had to watch from the second floor. So get there early! Also, for about twenty minutes prior to the duck parade, the Duck Master gives a history of how this came to be a tradition at this historic hotel.

We were still full from breakfast, so I suggested, “let’s walk to Arizona!” Shawn agreed, but reminded me how bad I am at geography, so we walked across the Big River Crossing Bridge to…Arkansas. It was a hot day, and the walk was about three miles round trip (the bridge itself is a mile long). But we made it to West Memphis, Arkansas where we saw…a port-a-potty and a bench right next to the Interstate. Seriously, there was nothing there. So we reminded ourselves, it’s the journey, not the destination.

After leaving a bit of ourselves in Arkansas (remember the port-a-potty?), we decided to check out another famous Memphis site – the Lorraine Motel, home of the National Civil Rights Museum and the place where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. We spent well over an hour in the museum. We both found it sad, infuriating, and inspiring. The museum does a great job of bringing together some of the darkest moments in American history and to show how some people were courageous enough to take a stand and make some much needed changes.

By the time we got out it was late in the afternoon, and we were starving for lunch. Luckily, the museum was right around the corner from Central BBQ. We stopped in to get a taste of real Memphis BBQ – some dry rubbed ribs with pulled pork and brisket. It was delicious, and well worth the wait.

After eating, we jumped in the car and decided to check out the Crystal Shrine Grotto at Memorial Park. Shawn found this in our research for Memphis, and we were intrigued. I was not sure what to expect. After all, it was a piece of public art in a cemetery. The grotto itself was peaceful. A well landscaped park in the middle of the cemetery with a pond, some man-made caves, and a gazebo that looked like it came from Middle-Earth. The grotto itself was inside one of the caves. Inside, we found a cool looking cave made by hand and decorated with various scenes from the life of Jesus. We were a little underwhelmed by the experience, but it was still interesting.

Next, we drove over to one of the top tourist sights in Memphis – Sun Studio – the birthplace of rock ‘n roll! We signed up for the tour and learned a bit about Memphis music history, and how it was the perfect place for Delta blues and country music to come together to make a new sound. Soon, we found ourselves in the same studio that Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other famous acts got their start. At the end, we had the opportunity to pose with the microphone they all used – but sadly, one of us was impersonating our three year old and had enough and was ready to go. Maybe next time!

Next, we went to the Memphis Pyramid, which is a giant steel and glass pyramid that used to be home to the Memphis Grizzlies and is now home to…a Bass Pro Shops. The store was pretty neat and really big, but didn’t seem to really fit with the architecture. But we grabbed some fudge, checked out some guns, and then went on our way.

Before we got back to the hotel, Shawn drove us to a whiskey distillery. Ever since Shawn went to Louisville, he has thought of himself as some kind of whiskey expert. But we didn’t have kids, and I could go for a drink, so I agreed. We missed the tour at the Old Dominick Distillery, so we just sat at the bar and had our drinks, before heading on our way.

After getting changed, we went back to visit Jeff at 3^rd and Court. We had some more drinks, and Shawn continued to be a whiskey connoisseur, and tried some Blue Note Bourbon, as well as some local beers before we decided to head out for a bit before heading to bed.

For our last stop that evening, we went to Rendezvous BBQ, which was also just a short walk from our hotel. They were pretty close to closing, so our waiter didn’t look too happy to see us. But we ordered a simple platter of dry-rubbed ribs, and tipped well, so I bet he was OK with that. The food was delicious. There is a reason these guys are one of the best in the BBQ business.

After filling up, we went to bed and got ready for our last day in Memphis.

After waking up Sunday, we decided to finally take advantage of the rooftop pool at the Hotel Indigo. It was warm and quiet, so we went out and had a morning swim. The water was still a little chilly, but the setup was awesome. Besides the pool, there is plenty of seating, as well as some games, like giant Jenga on the deck. It’s definitely a cool hang out place, if you don’t feel like going out.

After checking out of the hotel, we decided to head back to Beale Street for lunch. It was much quieter and less crowded in the early afternoon, and we checked out some shops before getting our last meal and fixin’ of the Blues at BB King’s place. We tried some fried catfish for the first time, and were surprised how much we enjoyed it. Then we had some very generous portions of our lunch while we listened to the music.

With a couple of hours to kill before our flight, we decided to check out Mississippi. This is our typical MO, as we like to get the most out of all of our trips! Don’t be too impressed, Memphis is right on the border of Mississippi. It’s not like we took a drive to Arizona or anything. We stopped in the town of Hernando to see what it had to offer. The answer is: not much. But we did get some awesome donuts from Hernando Donuts.

After driving back to the airport through a rainstorm that could only be described as Biblical, we got ready to head back home to Philadelphia. School was starting, work was waiting, and our babysitters were ready to unload our kids.

Memphis is an awesome city. If you love music, there is so much to listen to, learn and see. The history speaks for itself. For foodies, there is all the delicious BBQ you can imagine, and other cuisines as well. Our stay at the Hotel Indigo was comfortable with a ton of amenities and a great location. And there is something to be said for Southern hospitality. (During one of our strolls, a biker yelled out “On your left!” as he came near us and proceeded to say “How y’all doin?” when he passed us. Back home, it would have been “On your left, asshole!”

So do yourself a favor – plan a trip to Memphis. Check out the Hotel Indigo and tell them Just Get in the Car sent you. And when you go for your drink at 3^Rd and Court Diner, tell Jeff we said hi.

Downtown Memphis – Just Get in the Car

A weekend in Memphis, TN

-Kristin and Shawn