We really enjoyed our trip to Memphis over Spring Break. I was surprised how downtown Memphis had been revitalized since I last visited fifteen years ago. They built a beautiful minor league baseball park right downtown along with the new FedEx Forum which is home to the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. Everything is connected by open plazas and ampitheaters. There are live jazz and blues performers everywhere which really provide a real cool atmosphere.Speaking of jazz and blues...the heart of this area is legendary Beale Street. Blues and jazz clubs abound. We went to the world famous B.B. King's Blues Club where we heard some great Memphis blues. Parking is easy to locate and everything felt safe and relaxed. Everywhere you went you heard jazz and blues both inside the clubs and on the sidewalks. I remember playing "Beale Street Blues" for a high school jazz audition. Beale Street is a must for music aficianados.
Beale Street runs into Peabody Place which is a giant indoor and outdoor shopping center. The mall lies adjacent to the Peobody Hotel which is home to the world famous Peabody Ducks. For eighty years, ducks (who live on the roof) ride the elevator down to the main lobby. A red carpet is rolled out and they walk down it to a large fountain in the center of the lobby. They swim in the fountain from 10 am to 5 pm. At 5 pm they roll out the red carpet, play a Sousa march, and the ducks waddle back to the elevator.
We happened to visit the Peabody lobby at the same time as the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. It was interesting to see sheep and ducks in the same lobby. I did see an old friend from college there. He was wearing a button that said "Frist is my leader." Another one bites the dust. I can say that at least the Republicans shower and dress nice. Democrats tend to be a bit more native in their hygiene habits.
The next day we went to Graceland of course. I even put Paul Simon's Graceland in the CD player in the truck as we drove over there. "I'm going to Graceland. Graceland. Memphis, Tennessee." Kimberly had never been. Now it's national landmark. They have changed a few things (the jungle room shag carpet ceiling had been vacuumed). They now have a nice headphone walking tour instead of the tour guides who always seemed to have partaken of too much Elvis Kool-aid.
Graceland is an interesting place. Everyone should go at least once in their life...an Elvis hajj. I did find it interesting that Mr. Presley had a copy of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha on his desk the day he died. Maybe he really is still with us. His body is in the back yard...but his soul...who knows?
Because of the Conference USA Basketball Tournament (which Memphis won) and the NASCAR GOP'ers we couldn't stay downtown. We stayed near the airport at the Marriot...where I had stayed 15 years before. The hotel was nice except a fire alarm woke us at 1:30 am and we had to evacuate. Seven flights of stairs with drunken prom kids, partying basketball collegians, and representatives from all levels of society was a fun experience.
Anyway. Memphis is a happening town. Try the pulled pork sandwhich at B.B. Kings. Eat at the Rockabilly Cafe at Graceland and sing the blues. We missed Sun Records and only saw the Gibson Guitar Headquarters from outside...but we got the gist. I would recommend Memphis anytime.
