Hubby had a conference for work in Memphis earlier in the month. I joined him for a quick little getaway.
I arrived on a Thursday night. He waited for me to have dinner, and we ate at 10:00 p.m. (the latest I think I’ve ever eaten dinner) at the Blues City Café on Beale Street. Then we went to the BB King Blues Club for a drink and some live music. I’m not normally a big fan of blues, but hearing it live was awesome!
The next day we packed up, checked out of our hotel and drove to Nashville. We checked into a hotel downtown and immediately went to a Predators game. It was a full house. The Predators have some VERY faithful fans. We got end seats, because of Watson (he came with us everywhere). He did REALLY well, except for when the goalie horn sounded. We tried to cover his ears, but it happens REALLY quickly. Fortunately it only happened 3 times. When it happens he basically wants to bolt. But of course he can’t, so we just hang onto him and his leash.
After the Predators game we walked around downtown a bit and went back to the hotel. The next morning, we attempted to go to TWO different places for breakfast, but both had lines out the door. Then we tried to go drive by the Grand Ole Opry and there was something going on (on a Saturday morning?) and the traffic was horrendous so we skipped it. We got the heck out of Nashville. I realize we were only there for less than 24 hours, but we were not fans of Nashville. The hockey game was fun, but everything else was kind of a letdown (the prices of everything, parking, the traffic, the pace, the people). We headed back to Memphis.
Sunday we ate breakfast at our hotel, then went to the National Civil Rights Museum. It is at the Loraine Motel, where Martin Luther King was shot. It was….super depressing. But also amazing. There are 25+ exhibits (rooms) full of videos, photos, facts, etc. It’s self-guided. The last place you go is upstairs, where you can see into MLKs hotel room and onto the balcony. After that, you can then go across the street and tour the building where the shooter made his shot. Also….very depressing. But…amazing.
It’s just one of those places that I wish everyone could go see. I learned so much. And I’m still thinking about it.
We were already downtown on Beale Street, so we had dinner and then walked to the Mississippi and took a stroll. Then it was time for the theater!
We went to the Phantom of the Opera. I’ve seen it twice before, but it was really cool to see it again. However, we had to leave in the middle of the 2nd part (about ¾ of the way through). I knew there were a couple of dramatic scenes that I warned my husband about (so he could cover Watson’s ears). However, this particular production was WAY over the top. I mean….really good…..but lots of pops, fire, guns shooting (not good for hubby either), etc. I told myself beforehand that if we could make it until my favorite song (Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again), then I would be happy. And we did. We left shortly after that song. We just didn’t want to put Watson through any more jumpiness. He did SO GOOD, but we were both distracted making sure he was okay, etc. I was happy we got through ¾ of the play. It was still fantastic.
Monday, we went to Graceland.
We aren’t big Elvis fans, but when in Memphis, you must go to Graceland, right? And we LOVED it. It’s one of those things that you don’t think you’re going to like, but it ends up being super interesting and cool. We were there for like 5 hours!! It’s perfect for dogs too (although only service animals are allowed). We got a Groupon for the VIP tour. Our first stop was the actual mansion. It is kind of self-guided, but they give you iPads and earphones to listen to the tour (so it kind of moves you along). You start off on the first floor (living room, jungle room (green shag carpeting on the floor and the ceiling), kitchen, foyer, master bedroom). Then head downstairs. Downstairs you view the TV room, the pool room (with fabric on the walls and the ceiling), the racquetball court, the lounge (where the piano is that he was playing the morning of his death). Then you head outside and view the ground (the horses, the resting places of Elvis and his family), etc. This portion of the tour takes maybe an hour and a half? Then, the shuttle picked us up and took us across the street to the rest of the museum. This is where his cars are, his clothing (jumpsuits galore!), his awards, and the archive room, where you can view all kinds of stuff. With the VIP pass, you don’t have to view the exhibits in order, you can come and go at will. It was great with Watson, because we could take him out whenever we wanted. There are a few restaurants there and of course tons of gift shops. We enjoyed all of it!
Tuesday we slept in, finished our last-minute packing, and had a LONG breakfast. Then we filled up our rental car with gas and headed to the airport.
In summary, we loved Memphis! It was a great trip!
