Our Nascar event is over and now we get to head West! Memphis is our next stop. We have been to Memphis before (in 2009) but we only saw Graceland and ate some barbeque, so this trip I am getting to see Beale Street and take a ride on the Mississippi.
Memphis definitely has issues with trash and people dumping belongings anywhere along the countryside. There are millions of tires discarded into the woods. We are staying at a T.O. Fuller State Park which was a small state park within the city limits of Memphis. The park is nice, quiet and litter free however the surrounding area is riddled with garbage. The location is close to enjoy downtown but getting any groceries was a challenge.
Memphis is definitely about Beale Street. We took a tour that showed us a bus ride thru the highlights. Probably the best was to see things quickly as driving in a city gets challenging unless you just want the highlights.
This building front must be really important because they are going the distance to preserve it. We didn’t learn anything about it.
Beale Street: Yes we did walk it and yes we did have bbq! We ate lunch at Blue City Cafe. Right on the corner of
Beale Street and definitely the Memphis vibe. Paul had a rack of ribs that were fall off the bone. I had a chicken strip! We were warned by the bus driver that the chicken strip lunch was big and really good so I just ordered one as an add on to Pauls lunch! The chicken was delicious and very juicy. We also really liked the beans however neither of us ate the slice of Texas Toast. Not sure why they have to add white bread to each meal but we also had bbq at Cozy Corner and got a single slice of white bread, untoasted and dry!
Of the two bbq’s we think Cozy Corner was a bit better!
On the tour we also stopped at the Peabody Hotel and enjoyed the parade of the ducks!
The ducks are cute, even stopping to pose for photos. We chose to watch from upstairs so we didn’t get a great video but we did get to see them!
The hotel also has the Lansky Bros. Department Store which is one that Elvis exclusively shopped.
Elvis’ coat is one of the main attractions! They have lots of beautiful clothing however I did not purchase anything!
Lots of guitars are also hanging on the walls of the mens department
The tiger statues are all around town. We saw 3
During our tour I noticed lots of Murals which for some reason the guide did not point out. So the next day we took a drive and found a few. Based on a website for Memphis there are lots of local artists and lots of murals.
A few I found and thought were worthy:
Amazing artwork. Much better than Graffiti. These pieces were on walls on all types of buildings and very eye catching.
When we visit a new place we try to find things that are not just for tourists. We found a Metal Museum that many local artist display and work. We talked to a young man that was doing foundry work and the Blacksmith Shop. This was a very interesting Museum.
Some of the art I wasn’t sure why it was art. I love the Orange monster.
We also had a river boat tour as part of our day. It was freezing cold so we stayed inside the paddleboat. The guide had lots of local history (none of which I remember!) We rode the Mississippi River under the bridges and learned about the rich people that have or had homes on Mud Island. There is a bridge that you can walk across the Mississippi onto the island but all of this is closed now as the park is under renovation which no one knows when that will be done. You can drive onto the island and there is where we saw where the “rich” live. A beautiful area with nice parks and a long walking path along the river. We enjoyed the sun and warm temps while we watched barges on the river.
After looking for murals and watching barges we finally found a “legal parking spot so we could enjoy the riverfront park. It was our best day of weather so there were lots of people out walking, playing and just enjoying the day at Tom Lee Park.
Tom Lee was passing by and saved 32 passengers of a capsized boat even though he could not swim. A park was named for his heroism and bravery. It’s a beautiful park and no litter!
I’ve enjoyed our time here and now we can check that off my bucket list! I did find a jacket at the Lansky Bros. but didn’t buy it, now I’m looking online to find it! Hindsight!
Branson is our next stop! I think we are trying to relive 2009. Our first year of full time RV life. When we moved into our RV our first real Workamping job was in Branson at Branson Lakeside Park. And now we are back. In Fact that same time was when we went to our first NASCAR race which was Tallagega, and on the way we stopped in Memphis to see Graceland! Hmmmm.
Branson, Fried Foods, Entertainment
Branson has changed a lot since 2009, mostly a good thing as there is a bustling economy or it appears as such compared to when we were last here. This trip we splurged and got to a lake view site. In 2009 we stayed here free while we worked 2 days a week in the office.
While in Branson we will do some of the things we really enjoyed however this time we have to pay to see the shows! Not nearly as much fun as when we went for free. I think that is probably a good thing as we really didn’t appreciate the “Free” part. We saw the Dolly Parton Stampede complete with dinner . The show was fun although I wanted to see more horse riding. Dinner was disappointing as it wasn’t a great meal. The glass of wine for $12 was the best deal! I think they gave me a ½ bottle of chardonnay. It wasn’t the best Chard, but very drinkable.
We also went to see The New Jersey Boys, a tribute which was fun. Not the best singers but fun. A little pricey for what they had but everyone is trying to breakout so we will just say it was a fun night.
On our way home that evening Paul loves donuts and found a place called Hurt’s Donut. He goes in and comes out with
Are you kidding me! And he didn’t even share it. He did eat it for 2 days. But then I decided two days later that I wanted one and we went back! While in the store Paul has to play the trick on me about “Hurts Donut?” OUCH! I have a bruise on my arm now. I am too slow or just don’t remember being a kid. And the apple fritter was not even that good.
And of Course we have to revisit Lamberts Thrown Rolls Paul didn’t even get an entree, he went for only sides because he knew he wanted extra rolls, black eyed peas, fried okra, potatoes, macaroni and tomatoes! Actually he passed on the okra and Mac & Tomatoes. I had the chicken and dumplings but had to send them back and get the fried chicken. The dumplings in the south are just dough cooked up, its not light and fluffy like my moms. The chicken was delicious.
The other thing we did on this trip was Golf! It is expensive to golf in Branson and they have some very fancy golf courses. This time I found a deal at Holiday Hills Resort and Golf so we got to play 18 holes. I was whooped after as they give you a golf cart but then you had to stay on the path. Apparently they have Cart Path only all winter while the bermuda grass is dormant! A nice course but the fairways are brown this time of year. The greens were all very nice.
Not sure when we will ever be back to Branson but we did enjoy our time here each time we have been here.
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