Memphis, Tennessee

MISSISSIPPI

After leaving New Orleans in the state of Louisiana we entered the state of Mississippi on our way to Memphis in Tennessee. Mississippi has the lowest per capita income in the USA and its capital city Jackson is roughly halfway New Orleans and Memphis.

We did not stay long in Mississippi as our first stop was Memphis in Tennessee.

3. TENNESSEE

Tennessee, a landlocked state, shares borders with 6 States: Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama.

Tennessee has 2 major rivers, the Tennessee River and the Mississippi River which forms its western border.

Tennessee has played a major role in the development of many forms of popular music, including country, blues, rock and roll, soul and gospel.

The city of Oak Ridge was established during the second world war to supply housing for the Manhattan Project (uranium enrichment facilities) for the construction of the world first atomic bombs.

 While Tennessee is far enough from the coast to avoid any direct impact from a hurricane, the state annually averages about 50 days of thunderstorms, which can be severe with large hail and damaging winds. Tornadoes are possible throughout the state, with West and Middle Tennessee the most vulnerable. The state averages 15 tornadoes annually.  

Nashville is the state’s capital, but our first visit in Tennessee was Memphis.

MEMPHIS

Memphis is the second most populated city in Tennessee (700000) after Nashville as well as the largest city bordering the Mississippi River with a wide variety in landscapes and various distinct neighbourhoods.

MEMPHIS has the largest African – American population and played a major role in the American civil rights movement. It also is the city where Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968.

Memphis is known as “Home of the Blues & the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Plenty of things to do in Memphis: Elvis Presley’s Graceland, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the National Civil Rights museum and the Mississippi waterfront were on our list.

Downtown Memphis is also where you’ll find live music on Beale Street, with Memphis Rock and Soul Museum, Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of fame all in the area. Beale Street, founded in 1841, is where many famous musicians – including B.B. King, Alberta Hunter and Isaac Hayes –got their start and today is the most iconic street in Memphis. We took our scooter, so we also visited Mud Island, Peabody Hotel (Duck Parade) and Sun Studio the site where Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash started their career.

The atmosphere on Beale Street is “buzzing,” thanks to the variety of live music that pours from the clubs stationed along the street. Beale Street also hosts a variety of festivals throughout the year. Beale Street is party central, and much like Bourbon Street in New Orleans. More than 11 million domestic and international tourists visited Memphis in 2023.

The Beale Street area is also home to several popular attractions, such as the Beale Street Flippers (athletes who perform daring flips on the street). On a sad note, on the Saturday night another shooting in Beale Street killed a person. But shootings in the USA seem to be part of life…..

Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, it’s one of the most famous buildings in the USA, second only to the White House in terms of annual visitors! Our tour included the bedrooms, basements and billiard rooms that are filled with rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia, the vintage cars and the honest-to-God airplane that Elvis kept near the mansion and named after his daughter. Another amazing thing about Graceland is that Elvis was laid to rest on the grounds. His grave is always decorated with fresh flowers.

It is a must see when in Memphis but the standard self-guided tour for 2 (cheapest) at $ 283 Australian Dollars ($170.00USD) is over the top!

The Sun Studio is a local legend in Memphis. Known as “the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll,” it’s where the world’s first rock song was recorded in the early 1950s Its hallways have seen everyone from Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash.We did visit the studio and saw things like the former recording booth of B.B. King and the microphone that was used by an 18-year-old Elvis to make one of his earliest hits.

The National Civil Rights Museum

the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, housed in the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, is filled with photos, documents, artifacts and exhibitions that showcase the long and painful struggle for equal rights in Tennessee. It is a painful but eye-opening experience. The Civil Rights Movement is an important part of USA heritage that shouldn’t be forgotten, and this Memphis Museum is dedicated to the preservation of history and the education of its visitors. We were guided through four centuries of history, and saw King’s motel room, where he spent his final hours.

We only learned about Apartheid in South Africa and for this the world boycotted South Africa. But we never boycotted the USA?  Sounds a little like negative travel advise: one shooting in Mexico or any other country in the world and travel advise goes to negative but 20 mass shootings in a weekend in the USA does not warrant a negative travel advise……..

Memphis was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement, especially after the assassination of Martin Luther King at a Lorraine Motel in 1968.

Rather than brushing over its ugly heritage, the city decided to use the motel as a foundation for cultural and historical education, and the Museum was built around it. Not unlike the Apartheid Museum in Soweto South Africa.

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

Memphis is a mecca for music lovers, it celebrates the achievements of many Memphis-born or in Memphis-living musicians, it offers photos, interviews, video performances and interactive exhibits. Everyone knows that Elvis lived in Graceland, but we did not know that Justin Timberlake was born in Memphis.

The A Schwab store is filled to the brim with kooky knickknacks that aren’t available anywhere else in the city. Don’t miss the worlds largest pair of overalls. Too much time enjoying the music resulted in and we did miss the store.

Tennessee has strict gambling laws, but as a city on the border of both Arkansas and Mississippi, Memphis has figured out several ways to get around that. Located in West Memphis, a city that technically falls outside of state lines, Southland Casino is a haven for gamblers and ramblers. You can even bet on greyhound races!

The Memphis Pyramid

At nearly 100 meters high, the Memphis Pyramid is one of the most iconic landmarks in Tennessee. During the day, its steel walls glint with sunlight from every angle; at night, it becomes a rainbow of multicolored LED lights.  .

The Pyramid on the Mississippi river is huge and offers everything from shopping to bowling or spending a few hours at the spa, there is something for every member of the family to enjoy. It is home to the tallest free-standing elevator in the country, and has impressive views of the store from the The Lookout (on 28^th store), a swanky bar and restaurant that leads to two glass-floor outdoor observation decks with panoramic views of downtown Memphis and the Mighty Mississippi.

The Peabody Hotel is well known for the Duck Parade held in the marble lobby that has been used in everything from local commercials to famous films, and its centerpiece is an ornate water fountain filled with live ducks. Every day at 11 AM and 5PM, the ducks march down the lobby of the hotel on a red carpet. Very touristy, it was not something we enjoyed.

Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum/B.B. King’s Blues Club 2 places

The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum’s exhibition is about the birth of rock and soul music and tells the story of musical pioneers who, for the love of music, overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create the music that shook the entire world.

Memphis is included in the lyrics of more recorded songs than any other city on the planet. The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum released a list of more than 1000 recordings which include “Memphis” in their lyrics.

Just to name a few artist and bands: Chuck Berry, Louis Amstrong, Rod Stewart, Steppenwolf, John Fogerty, Roy Orbison, Frank Sinatra, Suzie Quatro, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Cher, Bob Dylan, Joe Crocker and the rolling Stones.

Mud Island Park sits in the heart of the Mississippi River, a short walk from downtown Memphis. It boosts a 5,000-seat concert venue and a huge Memphis sign.