Memphis, Tennessee

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The RV park that I stayed in was right behind Heartbreak Hotel and it was the last week that the hotel was open as they had built a big new hotel across the street called the Guest House. It was just a short walk over to the beginning of Graceland where you get tickets and set up for a tour time of the house. They give everyone a tablet and headphones that narrate the house tour which gives lots of information on Elvis and his life and career. All the exhibits were very interesting especially the automobile museum and the Tupelo exhibit which gave information on Elvis' early life in Mississippi. You can even get a peanut butter and banana sandwich in the café which was Elvis' signature sandwich.

The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel was a worth while exhibit. It is the place the Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated and they have preserved the motel to look like it did that day. The museum chronicles the key episodes of the Civil Rights Movement but it also does a wonderful job of portraying what slavery was like from the beginning to current time. It examines today's civil and human rights issues to hopefully elicit debate and positive change in attitudes which we so need in our world today. It is a must see attraction if you are in the area.

I took a tour of the city to see the other sites. Took a short walk down Beale street (during the day) to see where all the great jazz musicians have played. I took in the Rock N Soul Museum which is just a block from Beale street. The museum was very well done and gives the history of American music. They give you an audio device so you actually get to here samples of the music at different times in history. It is located next to the Fed Ex Forum and there is a Starbucks across the street that I definitely visited while I waited for the shuttle to pick me up. I also visited Sun Studios which was opened in 1950 by Sam Phillips and was where the first rock n roll single was recorded by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats Rocket 88, Many of the greats like Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison recorded there in the 1950's. It is just a small building but is jam packed with memorability. We stopped at the St Jude Hospital and toured the visitor center and memorial park.

My last adventure in Memphis was a ride in a pink limo to Marlowe's Ribs on Elvis Presley Boulevard for some of the best ribs I have eaten. It is a free service that the restaurant offers so enjoy the ride if you get the chance. Now off to Branson for some good shows and visit with my sister Vonda and brother-in-law Dave.

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