Travel By Jury

As a girl who enjoys picking up and leaving town for no obvious reason, I claim Destination: Memphis, TN to be an action-packed road trip adventure. Three friends and I decided taking on Memphis for MLK weekend was one of the greatest ideas we could ever have. We were right. If you decide to go walkin’ in Memphis, be sure to check out Graceland for ceilings covered in fabric and mirrors, indoor waterfalls, ceramic monkeys, and more of a style that could have only belonged to Elvis Presley. If you dig Graceland, go to Sun Studios to see guitars signed by Elvis and pose with a microphone that surely touched his lips. Once you’ve overindulged in the King, I strongly recommend going to B.B. King’s Restaurant and Blues Club on Beale Street. (Be sure to order the macaroni & cheese. If it doesn’t make you want to smack your momma, nothing will.) Take the obligatory pictures of music notes and statues that line the road as you make the trek to The Peabody Hotel on Union Avenue for the Marching of the Ducks. If you’re like us, though, the draw of the city is larger than pampered poultry and music history. Drive towards the Mighty Mississippi. Take in its grandness before heading to The Lorraine Motel on Mulberry Street. The motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated now serves as the National Civil Rights Museum, and standing in its presence forces one to contemplate the cruelty of some and determination of others, undoubtedly bringing on a complex mixture of emotions. Without a doubt, Memphis is a city which brings ghosts of American history out of the shadows so that we have the opportunity to see where we once were and how far we’ve come. It is a must-see for any traveler.

Juror #7, Missy

Filed under: North America | Tagged: B.B. King, Beale Street, Dr. Martin Luther King, Elvis, Graceland, Jr, Juror #7, Lorraine Motel, macaroni and cheese, Martin Luther King, Memphis, Mississippi RIver, MLK, National CIvil Rights Museum, Peabody Hotel, Sun Studios, Tennessee, TN | Leave a Comment »