“If you can’t fly then run,
If you can’t run then walk,
If you can’t walk then crawl,
But whatever you do,
you must keep moving forward” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Memphis, Tennessee is an interesting mix of history, music and southern style food. It is a place where the struggle of the south is still apparent with radically differing neighborhoods intertwined with each other. So whether you are here for the history or the music and food, even if you just have a day (like we did) it is worth a visit.
Sitting up on a hill, the Graceland mansion is still preserved the way it looked back in the day of Elvis Presley, both inside and out. The taste is eclectic, gaudy but tasteless and somehow still impressive. Green carpet on the ceiling? bright yellow vinyl sofas? It’s got it all. Despite the overpriced entry to Graceland, it was one of those things I felt like I just couldn’t miss. I did actually learn a fair bit about Elvis and that he was a lot more than the famous singer in a white flared-legged jump suit.
The National Civil Rights Museum is housed in the Lorraine Motel, the location where the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968. The museum is gut wrenching, extremely detailed and is worth every second of you time. There are many Civil Rights museums scattered through southern USA. This is the one to go to.
If you are feeling a bit morose after visiting the museum head to 2nd street which is where all the food and music action happens for a bit of a pick me up. Grab some BBQ pork, pecan pie and a glass of wine and enjoy the live music playing at several venues.
Memphis tips:
– You have to pay to park at Graceland (which I thought was ridiculous as it was already expensive to go there), but you can park in nearby streets and walk on over.
– Find a local diner and try the spicy chicken wings. You will not be disappointed!
– We didn’t visit Sun Studios, but I hear it is worth a visit for the Rock and Roll origin enthusiast!
Wanderlust of Dill 
April 5, 2015 at 2:32 pm
Excellent review and great tips about parking at Graceland…heading there in just over a week so this is super useful. We have 2 nights but it looks like you managed to do a lot in 1 day!
April 5, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Thankyou for your kind words 🙂 Yes, we managed to do it in one busy day then made our way to Nashville. How is your trip coming along?
April 5, 2015 at 11:01 pm
Its going great, right now in Tucson taking a break before heading to Flagstaff before hitting the Grand Canyon tomorrow! 🙂
April 27, 2015 at 3:09 am
Hi Linda,
I hope you’re well! Bit random, but I got nominated for the Liebster Award – a peer nominated thing which bloggers give to other bloggers as encouragement to keep on blogging. I love your stories, bring back great memories from America. I would like to nominate you. Basically all you need to do is have a read through some questions I wrote on my last post (mainly about travelling) and if you have some spare time post up your answers and choose some other bloggers that inspire you. Let me know if you have any questions. x
April 28, 2015 at 1:04 pm
Hey Emma! I am great! Thankyou so much for your nomination 🙂 I will get onto answering those questions asap 🙂 I hope you are well and are enjoying being back home!