Urban Adventures: Memphis Tennessee
Memphis no doubt, is a large city but it feels unique and eclectic because of its musical charms. With the backdrop of the Mississippi River and some cool music playing in the background, what could be sweeter? The city also sports the Graceland, the mansion where Elvis Presley lived during his later years. Some consider Memphis as the home of blues music.
Before you think about hopping to the next fastest jet, be sure to prepare your ESTA Visa for your smooth US travel experience. Once you get to the city, the quickest and best way to move around is to rent a car. This way, you can cover more ground but there are taxis available too for those pub crawling nights.
If you want to soak in the Memphis nightlife, the downtown area is the way to go. After work hours, the streets are well lighted, perfect for late night strolls whilst grabbing a bite from the local restaurants and bars. The Main Street Promenade or the riverfront at sunset is the place where many “downtowners” gather to enjoy their neighborhood.
Pub-crawling has never been fun combined with the soothing effect of Blues music, it simply becomes magical to say the least. The famous Beale Street sports several bars and clubs with live music performance. Don’t be surprised if you see plenty of locals and tourists mingling on the street whilst drinking their favorite concoctions, with “drinks to go” you can practically drink anywhere on the street. This is kind of perfect if you want to go bar hopping. Beale Street also has some of the city’s oldest buildings giving it a historic feel. Other attractions in the street include the famous Memphis Farmer’s Market and the National Civil Rights Museum.
You don’t necessarily have to sweat to experience great outdoors, because with the Mississippi River tour, you’ll see breathtaking scenery whilst cruising the splendid river. There are also parks overlooking the river such as the Tom Lee Park and the newly constructed Beale Street Landing offering not only breathtaking river views but also allows you to play on the playground and drink and dine on the restaurant and bar.
We all know how mighty the Mississippi river is, and to be able to really see it all, a scale model has been built to aid for seeing the big picture. You can head straight to Mud Island River Park/Harbor Town on 125 North Front St to see a miniature replica of the whole river. If you’ve seen the movie “The Firm,” you’ll immediately get that classic feel when you board the monorail that gets there. You can even wade through the fake river for fun.
Looking for the best souvenir? Why not buy a genuine Gibson guitar sold at the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum on 191 Beale St? Famous musicians come here to pick up their custom guitars since the museum is housed in the Gibson guitar factory. Try to play some amazing guitars on the Gibson Lounge, it’s located on the building’s west end.
Your Memphis travel of course won’t be complete without visiting the Graceland, the home of the famous Elvis Presley. You can join the fans of the “Rock n Roll King” whilst roaming around his house, although you won’t be able to see the intimate parts like his bedroom and Lisa Marie’s nursery.
You can culminate your Memphis travel by attending the May International Festival. Festivities include the Beale Street Music Festival which exhibits live music from different musicians. If you get hungry, you can grab the best barbecue made by champions who participated in the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
This is participated by hundreds of teams who are excellent in cooking the best barbecue. The festivities end with the Sunset Symphony, where local musicians play on the banks of the river complimented with air display of vintage and concept aircrafts. In the end, the awesome fireworks let you etch the memory deep in your travel journal. Have fun.