My best friend (well she was til she decided to go to USA without me :giggle: ) is planning on going to Memphis this Spring - any tips and ideas?

Oh Daelith and Dancing-dog live in Memphis! They will be perfect people to help out. Although I think your friend needs to go to Graceland and the Pyramid. ;)

I knew someone from here was in Memphis :grin:

Be very careful in certain areas!! I went there once (to Graceland) and went to Pizza Hut down the road from Graceland and noticed this guy walking around with a gun.. I was like WTH.. so the guy I was dating at the time went to ask why the guy had a gun and they said OH thats our security guard we get robbed alot.. I got a to go box and was gone (the security guard came up to us and told us to not get out of our car til we hit the highway and WE DIDNT)

Graceland was really neat though!!

I'm going to Memphis in May :) we've got our family holiday to the USA in April (Hawaii, LA, Maryland, Memphis and back again). I'm surprising my mum by taking her to Graceland (and sun studios). Not my thing but she's wanted to go forever.

I'm more interested in the Civil Rights Museum and the Native American Uni (museum). I've read that the area around Graceland isn't that great to stay in and that anywhere downtown is better (safer) and closer to the action.

I'm still looking for the cheapest accommodation and flights to Memphis but everything else is booked. Giz tell your mate to check out Trip Advisor it's my one stop go to shop for any travel advice/info .. and the forums are great :D

Cheesy - what's the Pyramid?

The Civil Rights Museum is fabulous - very moving. Of course, you'll need to spend an evening on Beale Street, bar hopping and listening to fine music!

Thanks Nursie and cosmic :) Yeah I always check trip adviser Jo, it's good.

Definitely want to have Graceland on your schedule, but pack your Kevlar vest. Holly is absolutely right about that area of town. It’s okay in the daylight hours in and around Graceland but you DO NOT want to be in that area after dark.

The Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel would be a good one as mentioned. As would Beale Street to take in some true Memphis Blues. And don’t forget our world renown barbeque. You can’t come to Memphis without having some barbeque.

As for the Pyramid. What is it? To Memphians at this time…a joke and a pain in the ass. At one time it was built as an arena for concerts, sports events, etc. Since the FedEx Forum was completed it is sitting empty serving no purpose other than to line Memphis city officials’ pockets while they waste time trying to decide what to do with it and costing the tax payers more money in the mean time. Bass Pro has been stringing us along for several years now about doing something with it, but they won’t commit to anything. As you might can tell, the Pyramid is a bit of a sore topic with most Memphians right now.

Try to visit the Peabody Hotel downtown. Fun to watch the ducks parade through the lobby. It’s a tradition. Also downtown is Mud Island. Not sure if you’ve ever seen the movie or read the book, The Firm, by John Grisham, but this place was featured in the film and book. It has the River Walk in which you can trace the twists and turns of the Mississippi River. It will be open in the spring. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Memphis Belle, a historic WWII airplane, is there any more. I think it was moved to a museum in Ohio.

Ya’ll also might want to check into have a riverboat tour. I think they even have some where you can have lunch or dinner.

We’ve got the Pink Palace Museum. This museum is housed in the Georgian marble home built in the 1920s by Clarence Sanders, founder of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain. There's Memphis Botanic Garden, Dixon Gallery and Gardens and a lot more. Might want to do a search on Memphis tourist attractions to see what other things ya'll might be interested in.

Well okay it's a sports arena but it's neat to look at.



The W.C. Handy House Museum is there. But guess what? He was born here where I live in Florence, AL. Which is just 2 1/2 hours southeast of Memphis. :whistle: Do you know that Helen Keller's birthplace is just 20 mins from me too. :whistle:

Just saw this thread - don't know how I missed it earlier.

What Daelith said! And other important info:

Best bookstore - IMHO is Davis-Kidd which is not near Graceland or downtown but more in the central Eastern part of town at Perkins & Poplar. If you rent a car and happen to get out that way, it's worth the trip.

And of course BBQ is a Memphis tradition - be sure to try some. Even if you're vegetarian, there are some great BBQ beans out there. Downtown there's the Rendevous (within walking distance of the Peabody Hotel). Other popular BBQ spots are Interstate, Central, Corky's & Leonard's, but there are so many!

And please! anyone who visits, let us know when you're coming - our Meet-Up group is pretty flexible and we might just want to plan a Meet-Up around your visit!
We met Firegirl when she visited and it was a lot of fun!

And do feel free to PM me all you want!

Thanks so much for that - I've copied all of this over to my friend - she is lovepurple1 on BC

I'm really grateful to you all :hug: I just wish I was coming to visit too :(

She wants to know about a particular hotel:

Is Residence Inn, 110 Monroe Ave a good place to stay?

I will PM daelith and DD to ask them too :)

Great timing!

My husband and I are coming to Memphis from Mar. 7-9 (arriving late on Mar. 6). Don't know yet where we're staying or what our plans are, but if folks are around, a meet up might be fun -- maybe over BBQ?

Another question - food. L is a veggie is there plenty of non meat options about?

Well, then she might want to skip the BBQ places. They usually even put the pork in their beans. Not being a vegetarian, I don't think I'd be much help here. I'm sure most of the restaurants offer vegetarian meals. I've just never paid them much attention. :unsure: She will need to be careful if she goes to one the home cooking type place for traditional Southern food because we have a bad habit of adding meat products to all sorts of stuff for flavoring...especially vegetables.
I'm betting they could call ahead to places and find out their options.

Maybe :shrug: I tell you what though the southern U.S. definitely has a lot of meat eaters. That and everything has to be fried. But veggies are a must here too.

Maybe I can round up a few folks - that normally would be our meet-up Sat but we're meeting on the 1st because there's a library sale. It would be great to meet you & your DH over lunch or coffee :D

PM me when you know where you're staying ....

Oh I forgot about the pork & bacon in the veggies here, LOL I'm not a native Memphian so I'm not completely southernized yet I guess!

Thanks guys - next question (this will all be useful for anyone wanting to visit - we could start a BookObs tourist thread LOL)

She is thinking to stay in the East part of town by Interstate 240 - will she need to hire a car or is public transport good / an option or are cabs cheap?

I'd suggest renting a car. I only see taxis in the airport area and I don't know much about the bus system but I wouldn't want to depend on it.

Thanks Dae xxxxx I am passing all your info onto L she is so grateful :kiss:

You're very welcome.