RVentures with Doug and Chris: Memphis: Blues, Barbecue and a Lesson or Two

When I put Memphis on our travel route, I honestly thought that I would get to visit its most famous attraction, Graceland. Everyone wants to see Elvis' extravagant home, right?? Well, everyone except my husband ... who has never quite figured out the fascination surrounding old homes. After we got settled on the shores of Lake Arkabutla at Hernando Point Recreation Area, I caught a glimpse of my first sunset and agreed with Doug ... our current home is pretty spectacular!

Because we were staying 35 miles south of Memphis, we planned to go into Memphis for a couple of day trips. So, what to see and do during those two days?? I was sure that "the ghost of Elvis" was serenading me to come see him.

Whenever we get to a new-to-us city, it requires a little "studying up" on what is worthwhile to see and do. Friends often ask how we get to know our new "hometown".

I have found a few electronic sources that provide quick overviews and helpful information to decide what sights best fit our interests and also give us a better knowledge of the city.

I read about the history of the city using Wikipedia.
I study the top rated area attractions using Trip Adviser.
I check the local city websites to find out about special events taking place.
I get recommendations from the locals ... in this case, the friendly and helpful camp hosts.
I cross my fingers that some of our Facebook friends will pass on suggestions ... many thanks!
I check the travel blogs of fellow RVers to see if they have visited and written about the area. In this case, our friends Tim and Cindy, wrote some wonderful pieces about Memphis including their visit to Graceland ... click here to read all about it, because, as you may have guessed, no Elvis for me this time., and that's OK because ...
Ultimately, I talk with my travel partner(s) and the fun naturally follows.

Imagine this ... all three of them agreed
that a craft brewery needed to be on our list!

The Memphis Music Scene

As we strolled down the iconic Beale Street, we were surrounded with Blues, Soul, and Rock n Roll.

From a side courtyard, the band
"Redemption Daay"
belted out some oldies but goodies.

In a casual bar, this one-man band
was as humerous as he was entertaining.

And a visit to
BB King's Blues Club
gave us a taste of
classic Memphis music.

Memphis Barbecue

In a city that boasts of top notch barbecue, I did my research on what was considered the best of the best. My research method?? Ask the locals!

The Memphis barbecue scene is all about the dry rub, and Central BBQ was the name that came up most often. Their slow cooked, "fall off the bone" pork ribs did not disappoint. So good that we ate there twice ... enjoying it a second time with a craft beer at Memphis Made Brewing.

Afterwards, we strolled through A. Schwab Trading Company, the oldest store on Beale Street. Established in 1876, their motto is, "If you can't find it at Schwab's, you are probably better off without it".

There were isles of trinkets, clothing, souvenirs, and ... who remembers the candy cigarettes??!! Good thing that we also found the old-fashioned soda fountain, as one always needs ice cream!

A Geography Lesson at Mud Island

A trip to the Mississippi River's edge in Memphis lead us onto Mud Island for our geography lesson of the day. There we found a hydraulic model of the lower Mississippi River which allowed us to "walk" down the river as we learned about the history and geography of the area.

From the farmlands of southern Illinois,

... to the twists and turns along
the Tennessee-Arkansas border,

... to the many channels in the
Louisiana delta that releases the
mighty river into the Gulf of Mexico,

... it was a fun way to visualize the
importance of this beautiful natural resource.

A History Lesson at The National Civil Rights Museum

April 4, 1968 ... even "youngsters" like us remember where we were the day that Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The hotel has been preserved and developed into the National Civil Rights Museum. What we thought would be a brief visit turned into a riveting three hour lesson as we learned about the strengths of African Americans as they worked ... and continue to work to secure their civil rights.