Walkin' in Memphis with the Family

A November 2004 trip to Memphis by dwsmith78

Fire Museum MonumentMore Photos

Exploring the sights and sounds of Memphis leads to more than Blues and Elvis.

  • 11 reviews
  • 2 photos

Hampton Inn Memphis-I-40 EastBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Hampton Inn: I-240 @ Thousand Oaks"

Your basic Hampton Inn. Nothing flashy, but good accommodations and a nice, hot breakfast buffet in the morning to get you going and cookies at night to satisfy your sweet tooth.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 6, 2005

Hampton Inn Memphis-I-40 East
1585 SYCAMORE VIEW RD Memphis, Tennessee 38134
901 388-4881

El PortonBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is not your tourist spot but a local watering hole for the Hispanic community. It is tucked away in a strip mall on the south side of the road. The food is excellent, the service fast, and the prices cheap.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

El Porton
5959 Winchester Rd Memphis, Tennessee 38115
(901) 366-4534

CupboardBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "The Cupboard"

This restaurant, in what appears to be an old fast-food place in the heart of the hospital district, is the best place to get some good homecooked Southern food in town. The menu is pretty simple. For different prices, you choose a certain number of meats or vegetables. Mix or match however you want. Their greens and cornbread were especially good!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

Cupboard
1495 Union Ave Memphis, Tennessee 38104
+1 901 276 8015

RendezvousBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Everyone from bellhops to busboys at other restaurants recommended this place for its dry-rub ribs, so we were expecting the best! There was an NBA game that night, so it was crowded, but we didn't mind the wait. When we were seated, though, the problems began. First, no one came to serve us after we got our drinks. In fact, I had time to go from the far end of the basement of the restaurant, where we were seated, to the parking lot four blocks away, and no one had as much as come by to take an order or refill drinks. Next, when I asked a waiter to help us, he grunted at me and walked away. The next waiter I saw finally took our order and refilled our drinks only after we asked. We got the rib platter for ourselves and a cheese sandwich platter for our 5-year-old. The food came fairly quickly, but it to was a disappointment. The ribs tasted like they were caked in Old Bay seasoning. It may be their secret recipe, but it wasn't very good. The children's cheese sandwich platter was over $5 and consisted of one slice of American cheese between two pieces of white bread. Oh, and a pickle. I guess that's what made it a platter. Oh, but wait, there's more...

We couldn't get anyone to bring us a check! After asking a few waiters, we ended up leaving enough cash on the table to cover the bill. When we left, I told the hostess what happened, and all she asked was where I was sitting. You can be sure we won't be going back there!

  • Member Rating 1 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

Rendezvous
52 South Second St Memphis, Tennessee 38102
(901) 523-2746

Pink Palace MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Pink Palace"

With a name like the Pink Palace, I didn't know what to expect--maybe some overdone Elvis museum? In fact, it is the mansion of the the founder of Piggly Wiggly, turned into one of the best regional history/culture museums I have ever seen. It starts with an excellent exhibit on the natural history of the mid-South. You get the cultural history, including the real strength of the museum--its many walks through examples of period rooms. Oddly enough, every major figure in Memphis always seemed to have a tragic downfall: the native Americans, the founder of Piggly Wiggly, and Elvis. Interesting.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 6, 2005

Pink Palace Museum
3050 Central Ave (between Goodwyn and Greer) Memphis, Tennessee 38111
(901) 320-6394

Fire Museum of MemphisBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Fire Museum"

Fire Museum Monument
Housed in the old Fire Station #1, this interactive museum gives kids and adults the chance to explore what it's like to be a fireman. The building where you pay was being renovated, so I'm not sure what that's like, but the adjacent building was more than worth the admission. Talking horses, real fire engines, and displays of the worst fires in Memphis's history give something for everyone.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

Fire Museum of Memphis
118 Adams Ave Memphis, Tennessee 28103
+1 901 452 9973

This well-done museum tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States chronologically, through larger-than-life displays, interactive exhibts, and relics (including a burned-out, fire-bombed bus) that can even cause a white Southerner to pause and reflect. It also places the movement in America in the larger context of Civil Rights movements around the world. Since this is at the site of the assassination of MLK, Jr., there is a special emphasis on this, including a walk-through of the room in the hotel where he was killed and a separate exhibition and interpretive area in the boarding house that the fatal shot was fired on. Though it was pricey, it is done in such a way that neither my 5-year-old nor I was bored. In fact, she started asking thought-provoking questions, showing that the museum did teach something about the need for all to be treated fairly.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

National Civil Rights Museum
450 Mulberry Street Memphis, Tennessee 38103
(901) 521-9699

GracelandBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

This is one large, gaudy tourist trap of a shrine to Elvis. Was it worth the money? Yes. Would I do it again? No.

We bought the combo ticket, so we had a tour of the mansion and admission to the car collection, museum, and jets. On the outside, the mansion didn't seem much larger than your average upscale suburban home. However, inside, the decorations were unbelievable. From the jungle room waterfall to the carpeted ceiling, it was incredible. The museums in the main visitors area (across the street from Graceland Mansion) leave something to be desired. Don't bother unless you are a true Elvis fan. Also, be sure to hit the free parking just north of the main entrance. It's actually closer to the entrance than Graceland's paid parking.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

Graceland
3734 Elvis Presley Blvd. Memphis, Tennessee 38116
(901) 322-3322

A. Schwab's Dry Goods StoreBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "A. Schwab"

This is just a fun store to browse. Even though it's for the tourists, there were plenty of locals. And it's true--if they don't have it, you don't need it. I even bought myself a clerical collar there!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store
163 Beale St Memphis, Tennessee 38103
+1 901 523 9782

Memphis Police MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Beale St Police Musuem"

This small museum is set up in a working police station on Beale St. Inside you will find police artifacts tracing the history of police work in Memphis. It also highlights many famous people who have been arrested in the city, as well as their weapons.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

Memphis Police Museum
159 Beale St Memphis, Tennessee 38103
+1 901 525 9800

Peabody HotelBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

When can a hotel be more than a place to stay? When it's a grand Southern hotel. The Peabody fits the "bill." With the way the city is built up in the area, you don't get a true feel for the Southern/French hunting lodge design until you're inside the hotel. We visited during Christmas time, so it was decked out in beautiful classic green and red with a grand tree by the lobby fountain/duck pond. The kids loved watching the ducks swim around. After we had our fill, we took an elevator up to the rooftop home of the ducks. We had the roof to ourselves on a warm November day and were not disappointed. You could see the action of Beale Street, the bustle of downtown, and the new baseball diamond. There were murals, and you could even walk into the duck pen!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by dwsmith78 on January 7, 2005

Peabody Hotel
149 Union Ave. Memphis, Tennessee 38103
(901) 529-4000

About the Writer

dwsmith78
dwsmith78
St. Louis, Missouri

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