30 hours in Memphis, TN

Before I get too old, one of my goals is to travel to each well known city in the US. Last weekend my friend and I decided take a last minute trip to Memphis, TN. Since I live in Nashville this is now the perfect opportunity to visit some of the surrounding cities and Memphis was at the top of our list. We didn’t have very long in Memphis but we took advantage of the short time we had.

On Saturday we arrived at about 1pm, checked into the hotel and went to eat. The receptionist recommended City BBQ since BBQ is very popular in Memphis. After doing some research, we were amazed with the history we found about the Mississippi River and decided to find a boat tour.

The Memphis Riverboat tour, cruised up and down the Mississippi River even crossing into Arkansa. There were many historical facts about the river but some things weren’t mentioned. One thing I learned from my research was that this was a destination for slave trade and in Louisiana on that same River, slaves would try to swim across about one mile to freedom.

That night we went to Beale Street. If you’ve visited Nashville, it’s about the same as Broadway except they play blues, hip hop, and pop music. We didn’t do much there because entry on the street was $5 and the bars on the street had a cover charge… but we still had a fun time.

Finally Sunday, our last hours in Memphis, we decided to visit the National Civil Rights Museum. I don’t want to spoil your experience but this 4+ hour self guided tour was amazing and very information. If you don’t know Martin Luther King Jr, was assassinated in Memphis, TN at the Lorraine Motel which is now the National Civil Rights Museum. Then ended the trip with some soul food at 99cent Soul Food Express.

In my opinion you don’t need much time in Memphis to experience everything but I really recommend visiting the Museum. What city should I visit next?