Memphis, TN

My husband has a major man crush on Dave Grohl and the band, Foo Fighters, so when I learned they were doing a US tour I knew immediately what I was getting him for his birthday.  Originally, I was trying to score Boston tickets but those sold out in 0.2 seconds so it was on to Plan B: The closest venue that would also be a fun vacation, hence Memphis. {I had to wait 9 months before I could give it to him, torture!}

I presented his gift by making it like a brochure {The pocket, that I photoshopped his face on to, contained the tickets, a seat map, & an IOU for a concert T-Shirt}

TRAVEL FUN

It took 592 miles & a few stops to reach our temporary home in Memphis.  

First Stop: Grandy's!  Oh Glorious Grandy's, as a kid I would eat there every Sunday with my dad- I still remember Patricia and how she would hook me up with extra bacon, but I still dream about their delicious rolls

*This is me in 2011; we drove 3.5 hrs so I could eat lunch at Grandy's for my birthday

Next Stop: JefFURson Dog Park.
​​*Travel Tail Tip: Tire out your dogs the night before a long trip by taking them on a longer walk than usual.  Then, about half way to your destination, stop at a dog park so they can stretch their legs too.  This will help tire them out even more so they can be better passengers, sleep harder in the car & it will reduce their anxiety.

*If you're curious to what's on Diesel's foot- it's a boot.  He cracked the pad of his foot so we were protecting it

WHERE WE STAYED

We found an eclectic house in Midtown Memphis in an historic neighborhood through, of course, Airbnb {click here to view it}.  The house was perfectly located, had a great fenced backyard, & had a Heights vibe {a Houston neighborhood}

​​*Travel Tail Tip: In addition to their own beds, food & food bowls, and favorite toys we also bring our personal comforter & the Febreeze we use at home so the rental house can contain some familiar smells to make the dogs more comfortable {this is more for Diesel, Lashes is down for anything!}

 WHERE WE VISITED {in order}

*This Icon mean, "Elvis was in the building"

• Hoot + Louise - The strap on my dress decided to break 2 hrs into our 1st official day of site-seeing & instead of going home to sew it we popped into this adorable vintage thrift store to snag a safety pin.  It was kismet.  This store is eclectic, charming, & full of whimsical items.   

• Civil rights Museum {MLK} - This is an exhibit that everyone needs to go and see, it's one of the best I've ever been to.  The museum is a beautiful tribute filled with amazing pieces, a lot of them are interactive and all are interesting.  My favorite was a red rotary telephone that you picked up & got to hear an actual conversation between Dr. King & President Lyndon B. Johnson.  Afterwards, make your way across the street to the Legacy Building.  This is dedicated to the research that went into solving Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination.  You get to view state's evidence, the window that's thought to be where the fatal shot came from, a video from the actual trial, & so much more.  

Give yourself 4 hrs for the museum & 2 hrs for the Legacy building.  If you don't have an entire day to dedicate to it, go to the Lorraine Motel and see the balcony & listen to the audio they have available for FREE

We left the exhibit with an entirely different perspective.  It was an experience.

On our way to our car we noticed a random piano on the sidewalk that was too inviting to not try out & snap a few photos with {we even played a very out of tune "Heart & Soul"}.

• Red Velvet - We came to this vintage thrift store after an employee from the Civil Rights Museum noticed my dress.  His wife has the same {awesome} style & they shop there all the time, and he wasn't kidding {about either statement}, they knew him by name.  I did love the clothing, I saw Joan Holloway-Harris everywhere {Mad Men fans will get that reference *sigh* I miss that show}

• Sun Studio - A MUST visit, especially if you're an Elvis fan!  You learn about the stages in his early career, hear some of his gospel music, & you get to hold the actual microphone he used when recording there- It's insane!!  Our tour guide was probably the most adorable funny little thing ever, so much so, that I had to hug her before we left!

**Sun Studio Provides a FREE shuttle to Graceland**

• Graceland - We had a lot of fun touring Graceland.  The amount of memorabilia they have for you to see is impressive.  The grounds where the grave sites are located are gorgeous, and it's a very serene vibe.  Since we purchased the "Platinum Tour + Airplane" we were also able to check out his car collection {Cody really enjoyed this} and his two planes.  Give yourself 3 to 4 hrs to really experience it & John Stamos' voice {which guides your tour}.  If you're on the fence to which package to purchase, download the below file, it helped us decide

Compare Packages
File Size:	9 kb
File Type:	xlsx

Download File

---

On the way back to the house we were trying to see if we could pull off the "Elvis lip curl" on BOTH sides of our mouth.  The answer is no, we can't, but we had fun trying & it entertained our cab driver immensely!  
​{I bet you're trying to see if you can do it right now, aren't you?}

• Midtown Nursery - For the past 2 years, Cody & I have hosted Thanksgiving {we have 30 people at our house on average} so we like to spruce up our porch decoration game.  We were trying to find corn stalks in Houston but no luck, so when we saw a sign at this nursery advertising them, we had to stop in and buy some.  Granted, it was a interesting getting them home, but I think it was worth it >>

• A. Schwab - To kill some time before our tour at Gibson Guitar Factory, we walked around on Beale street and headed for "A. Schwab."  We met the most interesting man {Steve-Ann} the night before at dinner who gave us a list of places we "had to go to," but you'll read more about that later on.  One of the places was this historical little store and the Soda Jerks that work there.  Don't know what a soda jerk is, neither did we!  A Soda Jerk is a person who create custom flavored soda, not sure how that makes him a jerk, but any who, it was really cute {and delicious}.

• Gibson Guitar - I wish I could tell you that Dave Grohl stopped in to say hi & pick up a new guitar, but sadly, I would be lying, it was a real possibility though.  We did get to see one of his guitars {see photo to the right, Cody snapped a picture of it as we whisked by}.  It was interesting to see how they handcrafted each guitar, they're truly pieces of art, but that's about all I can tell you because this place was so loud that we heard absolutely nothing our tour guy was saying.  Cody was able to find the tour on YouTube, but we have yet to watch it

• FedEx Forum - The day has finally come, the reason why we came to Memphis, the FOO FIGHTERS CONCERT!!!  A lot happened between us being dropped off at the FedEx Forum & when Dave Grohl sang his first note.  We were turned away at the door and had to go all the way home to drop off my camera b/c the evil ticket lady said my camera wasn't allowed even though I called prior to check AND I spoke to someone there in person that said my lens length was appropriate- this caused us to miss the opening act, Gary Clark Jr.  which was frustrating, but luckily he came out and played with the band for a song.  Next, Cody spotted Zach Myers from the band Shinedown, who not only has great taste in music but is a super nice guy; he didn't hesitate when we requested a photo op.  The show was amazing; Dave rocked our faces off while sitting in his custom made thrown {due to him breaking his leg}!!  At one point he told a story about him losing a Battle of the Bands contest in high school to a guy that was in the audience, so he brought him up on stage to sing a song with the band.   The set was a good mixture of new, classic, vintage, & covers.  They closed the show with "Best of You."  But the night wasn't over for us yet, we decided to act like we were in high school and found where the tour buses would be exiting and we stood there waiting & hoping that the band would stop & say hi and 2 hrs later.... nothing happened so we called Uber and went home, but it was a GREAT night regardless

• I <3 Memphis sign - We passed this graffiti wall on our way to dinner one night and it caught our eye.  We knew we had to stop there before leaving Memphis.  This mural is located in the very artsy Cooper-Young district and is part of the ʺI Love Memphisʺ murals series commissioned for the city of Memphis by the UrbanArt Commission, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Beureau, and the City of Memphis.  It was painted by Brandon Marshall.  We didn't learn about the murals until this moment when I googled searched it.  If we would have know, we definitely would've drove around and took photos with the other 8 murals around the city

• Hot Springs, AR -  We're halfway home & we're all restless, like I knew we would be, so we planned a stop in Hot Springs to see the bath houses & natural streams that are 134 degrees hot.  Then we went for a short hike to stretch our legs & tire out the puppies, this is also when Diesel decided to pee on Lashes.  Yep, all over her back, shortly into our hike, and there was an audience, it was hilarious.  Luckily they have restrooms there {no showers} so I was able to wash her using the sink- At least she smelled delicious while sitting in my lap for the duration of our trip

*Apparently this is my "hiking dress" because I wore it at the Grand Canyon too*

 WHERE WE WINED & DINED {In Order}

Central BBQ – This was literally our first stop in Memphis, we drove straight here, skipping our rental house, we were starving.  This place is extremely dog friendly {one of the wait staff brought out a bowl of water for Lashes} but the food wasn’t as good as we were anticipating.  Almost every blog I read suggested this as a top BBQ place, but we personally think our BBQ back home is better: 
We ordered:

• Pork Sandwiches {Slow smoked, pulled, shoulder, served on a bun}
• Onion Rings
• Mac N' Cheese​

The Arcade - This is Memphis' oldest cafe and a place Elvis would frequent!  It was a great way to start day 2 in Memphis, not only was the food delicious but we got to sit in Elvis' booth.  {This is walking distance from the Civil Rights Museum}
What we ordered:

• Sweet potato pancakes - I'd been craving something potato for a while and these satisfied it
• Redneck – Biscuits & gravy... Yes.
• Mimosas - The only way to start off a vacay

Huey’s - It was the end of a very long day and we couldn't fathom going out, so Cody picked up Huey's To-go.  Their burgers are big & scrumptious 

What we ordered:

• ​​World Famous Huey Burger {mayo, lettuce, tomato, mustard, pickle, onion & cheddar or Swiss cheese on a buttered, toasted sesame seed bun}
• Onion Rings & Ranch {Our Huey’s signature hand breaded onion rings…second to none}
• Señor Huey {Topped with spicy jalapeño cheese, muy bueno! Choose from mayo, lettuce, tomato, mustard, pickle & onion}
• Fried Pickles {A hearty portion of golden fried pickle chips served with ranch dressing}

Babalu Tapas & Tacos - Day 3 started with brunch & cocktails.  Diesel needed a break so we left him at home to rest but Lashes was ready to kiss the town.
what we ordered:

• GUACAMOLE MADE TABLE SIDE {avocado, sun-dried tomato, red & green onion, Kosher salt, cilantro, bacon, fresh jalapenos, & lime juice, with house chips} - So good, but oddly enough, bacon didn't add anything to it.
• MEXICAN STREET CORN ON THE COB - Not so good.  I ended up rinsing it off and giving it to the dogs
• CARNITAS {Citrus braised pulled pork, roasted peanut slaw, salsa roja, pickled red onions}
• POLLO {House smoked Joyce Farms chicken, mole sauce, smoked corn pico de gallo, cotija cheese, goat cheese crema}
• CARNE DE CERDO {Smoked Comport Farms pork belly, chipotle-citrus BBQ sauce, roasted peanut slaw, cotija cheese}
• Grilled Chicken - We got this for Lashes.  Hey, she was hungry too!
• CHAMPARITA {One Hope sparkling wine, agave nectar, fresh-squeezed sour mix, triple sec}
• Craft Beer on tap {can’t remember, sorry!}

The Beauty Shop - Guys, this place is flipping rad - it's A MUST VISIT!  This restaurant was once a beauty salon, but not just any salon- It was where Priscilla Presley got that amazing bouffant she rocked so well {you can sit in a booth where her station was located and also in her actual dryer}!  The bar still utilizes the original shampoo sinks & the old school drying chairs act as actual seating.  If that's not reason enough to go there, then go for their food & cocktails because they're worth it.  One of the best things about this place though is Steve Anne, one of the waiters who sat down with us and wrote a list of things we MUST see & eat.  He told us stories, made us laugh, and was just an awesome person all around. It was a great punctuation to our day. 

Food we ordered:

• Tabacco o’ Rings smoky aioli dipping sauce {homemade}
• Fresh Fig & Shaved Serrano Ham {greens, candied citrus zest, spiced pecans, shiso, Moroccan olives, arbequina, toast w/mango butter}
• DOUBLE DUTCH BRUSCHETTA {grilled bread, daily special}
• Maple Glazed Benton’s Bacon wrapped STEAK FRITES {Filet mignon, peppercorn mustard seed crust, truffle oil parmesan pepper house-made fries}

Cocktails & Beer we ordered:

• BEAUTINI {pineapple vanilla bean or orange blackberry infused vodka martini}
• Yazoo Hop Project American IPA

Bar DKDC - Stand for "Don't Know, Don't Care," and is attached to The Beauty Shop.  Like everything else in Cooper-Young it was artsy & eclectic.  I really enjoyed their Moscow Mules {we can't remember what Cody ordered but it was given to him in a mason jar}

 The BBQ Shop {Dancing Pig} - This was one of the places on Steve Anne's list and he was right, this place does have the best dry rubbed ribs I've ever tasted {granted, we haven't been to Kilian's yet}.  If you go here, make sure you buy some of their rub for later- you'll regret it if you don't

​What we ordered:

• Dry rubbed ribs
• Pork sandwiches
• Onion rings
• Potato salad
• Toast

 TRAVEL TOOLS & TIPS

Follow JEANNiE's board Travel: Memphis, TN on Pinterest.

Memphis Attractions & Itinerary
File Size:	76 kb
File Type:	xls

Download File

---

If You only have 3 days in Memphis, this would be our suggested itinerary:
​Day 1: Elvis Theme

• Eat: Arcade - Sit at Elvis’ booth {this is also the oldest restaurant in Memphis}
• Visit: Sun Studio – learn about his early years & hold HIS ACTUAL microphone
• Visit: Graceland – walk where he’s walked & see his grave
• Eat: The Beauty Shop – salon turned restaurant, and it’s delicious!  You can eat at Priscilla Presley’s “booth” {it’s the spot she sat at when she would get her bouffant hair}; ask for Steve Anne, he’s AMAZING!  He sat down with us and told us stories- he then wrote down all the places we needed to eat & visit
• Drink: DKDC – for some after dinner drinks- it stands for “Don’t Know, Don’t Care” and you can access it by walking through The Beauty Shop.

*Note: there is usually a shuttle that will take you from Sun Studio to Graceland
*Try to fit in STAX Museum too if you can
 
Day 2: Civil Rights Museum

• Eat: Sleep in & eat an early lunch at Huey’s.  Their burgers are delicious
• Visit: Civil Rights Museum – Give yourself the entire day, this was truly one of the best exhibits we’ve ever seen.  The amount of information and how they choose to share it is remarkable!  If you’ll need AT LEAST 4 hrs, but I’m being serious when I tell you to dedicate an entire day, we could’ve easily spent 6 hours
• Shop: There are a lot of thrift stores & vintage shops in this area
• Eat: Earnestine & Hazel's: A very interesting place to visit. Today a burger bar serving soul burgers for $5, Earnestine's used to be a brothel up to the 70's and has not been touched since. Visit the 2nd floor, that’s where the brothel was and is remained untouched. Many people say it’s haunted

 
Day 3: Beale Street

• ​Eat: The BBQ Shoppe {Dancing Pig} - Order the dry rubbed ribs! {your welcome}
• Visit: Peabody Duck March - The Peabody Ducks march to and from the Grand Lobby daily in a time-honored tradition dating back to 1933; Afterwards, catch an elevator to the rooftop, where you can visit the duck “palace” and admire a stunning 360-degree view of the city.
• Visit: Gibson Guitar Factory
• Visit: Walk Beale street- Voted the most iconic street in the US has shops, restaurants, bars, & clubs.  Make sure you stop in to A. Schwab and get a custom drink from the Soda Jerks
• Eat: Babalu Tapas & Tacos, DeJavu, or Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken in downtown Memphis
• Drink: Mollie Fontaine Lounge - Antique filled Victorian house lounge offering martinis, tapas & sing-along piano plus DJs & bands.

WE WISH WE'D

There were so many places we wish we could've experienced {and a few we could've skipped}.  Hopefully you get to have them on your adventure to Memphis, and if you do, please share them with us!

-VISITED:

• Full Gospel Tabernacle: Al Green's church, {he’s the pastor & Al sings with his choir}
• Stax Museum - "The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of American soul music"
• Peabody hotel – Duck march& rooftop
• Mollie Fontaine Lounge: Antiques-filled Victorian house lounge offering martinis, tapas & sing-along piano plus DJs & bands.

 ATE AT:

• Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken: World famous Memphis fried chicken. Go to the downtown location on South Front Street.
• Gibson's Donuts: For some amazing family-owned home-cooked donuts, go to Gibson's in East Memphis. It's 6 donuts for $1 between 11 and 1 PM, and they start baking at 3am. Open 24/7.
• Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous: Historic Memphis BBQ and one of the best in town. Get the pork ribs and a Rendezvous Special Plate! our house.
• Alex's Tavern: Best burgers in town! They’re Greek burgers, and it’s one of the only late night places that serve food in town.
• Peggy's Just Heavenly: Peggy's is a real deal southern soul food home cooking restaurant. Get a good local Memphis experience at this place. If you like healthy food, go for the grilled catfish. We eat here regularly
• Earnestine & Hazel's: A very interesting place to visit. Today a burger bar serving soul burgers for $5, Earnestine's used to be a brothel up to the 70's and has not been touched since. Visit the 2nd floor, that’s where the brothel was and is remained untouched. Many people say it’s haunted.

 SKIPPED:

• Central BBQ
• The locksmith - We locked our keys in our truck while we were packing it up to leave!

---TRIP NOTES------------------------

10/04/2015

DAY 1

• Grandy's
• JefFurson Dog Park
• Central BBQ
• Memphis House

10/05/2015

DAY 2

• Arcade Restaurant
• Hoot + Louise
• Lorraine Motel
• Civil Rights Museum
• Legacy Building
• Red Velvet
• Home {we got Huey's to-go}

10/06/2015

DAY 3

• Babalu Tapas & Tacos
• Sun Studio
  
• Graceland
  
• The Beauty Shop
• DKDC

10/07/2015

DAY 4

• BBQ Shop
• Beale Street
• Gibson Guitar
• Foo Fighters Concert

10/08/2015

DAY 5

• Locksmith {locked our keys in the car
• I <3 Memphis Sign
• Hot Springs, AR
• Sonic
• Home!