January 4, 2014
Nashville to Memphis
We said our goodbyes with Alex & Mike and headed west to Memphis. We noted there were still a whole lot of “-ville”‘s and some other interesting names along the I-40…. We contemplated moving to Bucksnort but quickly changed our mind and figured we may as well continue to JT’s hometown instead….After a short three hour drive, we arrived in Memphis, at Sun Studio. This is such an iconic and amazing place and it was totally inspiring, get your groove on, be in the same space as the greats, fantastic! We saw the studio that such greats as Elvis, BB King, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and U2 have recorded in. The studio is still in its original condition and is used as a working studio on a regular basis. We touched the same mic as many of the greats. It was so incredible to experience!
Though there is free parking at Sun Studio and a free shuttle from there to Rock n Soul Museum and Graceland, we decided to drive with the little time we had to complete the most things possible in Memphis. Graceland costs $10 for parking plus about $34 each for tickets. We were so excited to experience this place and it was as incredible as I thought it would be. The decor is unbelievable, very old-school, but totally representative of the times and the King. The upstairs is not accessible to the public, perhaps fueling the suspicion that Elvis lives?! What an excellent performer though.
After Graceland, we went to the car wash and vaccuumed and washed the car, as per Houston (as we have taken to calling Jeramy) and his instructions. The car looked rather spiffy after it’s bath, although it is close to turning over 9,000kms already!
With that over with, we headed down to explore downtown Memphis and Beale St. It is really fun down there and we enjoyed the experience even in the winter, with live music flowing out into the streets. Our dinner consisted of seafood gumbo cheese fries and catfish, with green beans, Texas toast, and coleslaw. It was SO delicious!! We partook in this amazingness at the Blues City Cafe.
Our final stop was the Rock n Soul Museum. We were the ONLY two people there, which was great, as it was an hour until closing. The museum is affiliated with the Smithsonian and it is just as amazing as that would suggest. The audio tour was wonderful and there were many interesting items on display. We concluded the evening by going by the hotel where Martin Luther King Jr was shot, which is now the National Civil Rights Museum. Powerful place indeed.
We stayed the night with the interesting, hospitable, and generous John and Brucia. Our way there was slightly detoured by a visit to the pyramid of Memphis….yes…you read that right. There is a pyramid in Memphis. Apparently it is being turned into a Bass pro shop….
Anyhow, our hosts! They were so sweet and had many fascinating stories to share. We were impressed with their charming house and the very comfy bed they provided for the night. Thank you so much for a wonderful home away from home during a busy and tiring trip.
tRNscontinental 