Tennesse - Memphis

Memphis is a music lovers dream and is at the root of all American music. In no other city in the country can you find the very roots of the rhythms that move us so completely, from the funky sounds of soul to the finger-snapping beat of rock.

On a quiet street south of downtown, American soul music was born at Stax, the record label that recorded the songs of neighborhood kids – and what a neighborhood! Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding and Booker T. and his M.G.’s all found their groove at Stax. Visitors are always amazed at those who have recorded at this one-time movie theatre converted to a studio – Aretha Franklin and Richard Pryor, just to name a few.

Closer to downtown, another recording studio – once known as Memphis Recording Service – gained fame as the spot where Elvis

Presley walked in with his cheap guitar and walked out a superstar. Sun Studio is where Presley recorded “That’s All Right, Mama” in 1954, starting a new era of American music. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins also recorded at Sun, and the four combined for a single session that became known as the Million Dollar Quartet. Sun is still an active recording studio.

Finally, the granddaddy of them all – Elvis Presley’s Graceland – is a must-do, even for those who may not be loyal subjects of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. A visit to the mansion gives such an intimate view of Elvis Presley’s life, from his meteoric rise to his deep family connections, that you’ll walk away with both a better understanding of how the shy young man became a superstar as well as how he continues to impact American pop culture decades after his death.

We wanted to take in a day with Elvis and headed over to Graceland and Elvis Presley's Memphis. It was only about 20 mins from where we were staying and very easy to navigate to with the GPS.
We explored the personal side of Elvis Presley with an interactive iPad tour of Graceland Mansion. The tour of the Graceland Mansion includes the living room, his parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, TV room,

pool room, the famous Jungle Room, his father’s office, the newly-enhanced Trophy Building, the Racquetball Building – newly-restored to how it looked in 1977, and Meditation Garden. Elvis and both his parents are laid to rest in the Meditation Garden.

Elvis Presley's Memphis is the largest expansion of Graceland since the Mansion began offering tours in 1984. The 200,000 square-foot, $45 million complex is located across the street from the Mansion and the property's new four-star hotel - The Guest House at Graceland. Graceland says that this new collection of museums, exhibits, restaurants, and shops allows visitors to "follow the path that Elvis took, surround themselves with the things that he loved, and experience the sights and sounds of the city that inspired him".

We headed back for a visit with Roxy and dinner before we headed out again to take in the Trolley Night Festival in South Main Arts District.

South Main Street festival has been celebrated the last Friday of every month since 2000. Galleries and shops are open late, live music fills the street, restaurants have food & drink specials, and there's always something new. We strolled around the area and stumbled across the National Civil Rights Museum.

The National Civil Rights Museum is a complex of museums and historic buildings in Memphis, Tennessee; its exhibits trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present. The museum is built around the former Lorraine Motel, where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Two other buildings and their adjacent property, also connected with the King assassination, have been acquired as part of the museum complex.

Unfortunately the museum was closed when we were there (Sunday), but there was plenty to see and do on the outside. It was a very touching site to attend.