Elvis Adventure in Memphis
3 DAYS IN MEMPHIS
DAY 1:
Mum and I met at Memphis airport around 2:30PM
I got a 6AM flight out of LA then flow into Austin Texas and got a connecting flight to Memphis, all up it took about 6 and half hours.
Explored Beale St which is full of bars and music venues
It’s located in downtown Memphis
Renowned for its deep roots in blue music
Then we headed to Blue City Cafe which is known for its famous ribs, which naturally I had to try, they came with coleslaw and spies beans, so yum!
Mum got the seafood gumbo (which comes with okra) and she got “Larry’s greens” which was more like collard greens and absolutely delis.
I had a Tennessee whiskey and mum had a Pino Grigio from California
DAY 2:
Sun Studio tour, ok this was incred, its $20 and you legit get to stand where Elvis and Johnny Cash wrote so much magic
So its a rock-n-roll recording studio and it’s legit still there, the sound proof tiles in the ceiling and walls, the same piano with a cigar burn in it.
Sam Phillips created Sun Studio and built it up to be what it became.
They even have one of the microphones Elvis used
This has been the place so many iconic artists have written music; Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash started their careers
Fun fact: its also a coffee shop and the coffee is delis (local roasters called French Truck Coffee)
In this arvo mum and I split up, she really wanted to head to the Civil Rights museum and its also the location where Martin Luther King was shot.
I went to the STAX museum of American Soul music its where Otis Redding recorded a bunch of music. It was an old movie theatre converted into a recording studio.
Isaac Hayes also wrote his famous Shaft theme song here, and this museum houses both his Oscar and Grammy, oh and don’t forget his Cadillac.
I’m so glad I visited this museum, it felt really special
Then I met mum for dinner at Flyway brewery and I had a really nice local whiskey called “Old Dominique” I got a bowl of Brussels sprouts, then mum and I shared a plate of pickles and she got some cheesy dip situation.
DAY 3:
It’s Graceland Day! Hands down my fave day, if you’re an Elvis fan then this is a must!!
We pre-booked our tickets for an 11AM start time, now if you’re staying downtown like us then you’ll def need to uber to this location. Also pre booking saves you lots of time at the start, no lining up, just get your tickets scanned and straight onto the bus.
We met for a coffee first, went to a little cafe called French Truck Coffee (local roasters)
Then we headed to Graceland, straight out of the gate its HUGE! It’s like an Elvis Disneyland and they’ve thought of absolutely everything. There’s 6 different gift shops and 10 museums outside of the the Graceland house.
We spent the whole day here, legit didn’t leave until it closed at 5PM so my first tip is plan to spend the day if you want to see everything.
It started with an audio guided tour of Graceland and the mansion is as you would imagine it, exactly how he would have had it. The dinning room is complete with silverware that was gifted to Elvis and Pricilla from their wedding.
My two favourite areas were his “jungle room” which was green and inspired by his time in Hawaii, and complete with an indoor waterfall.
I also loved his meditation area which is also where he’s been buried, along with his parents, great grandmother, daughter and grandson. I found the memorial meditation area really emotional. I popped my hands on the grass where his grave is and thanked him, I also made a secret wish.
If you’re an Elvis fan then this place is an absolute must!
Then we went to dinner at an Elvis inspired diner called “Marlowe’s” just down the road, I of course had to try the ribs, they were insanely good, I tried a Kentucky whisky this time. It was $5.50 and the brand was Kentucky Deluxe.
The ribs, beans and coleslaw were all 10/10
Then we headed home and mum packed for Chicago while I packed up for my Nashville adventure tomorrow. Thanks for having us Memphis!
