Blues and Beyond...
Rising from bluffs overlooking the massive Mississippi, it is a city named for the long-lost capital of the ancient civilization of Egypt. And yet Memphis, the Mid-South’s earthy, eccentric queen, is quintessentially American. Its history – of horror and hope, of music and madness – is woven into the very fabric of this nation. From its terrible legacy as the site of Dr. King’s assassination, to its unequalled contributions to American music, from the saga of its occupation by Union troops, to its mouth-watering culinary achievements, Memphis has myriad lessons to teach, songs to sing and meals to share. They should not be missed.
Tragedy to Triumph
As much as any U.S. city, Memphis has borne witness to a string of catastrophic events. They include a yellow fever epidemic in the 1870s – so devastating that 75 percent of the population died or fled. But like a phoenix, Memphis has always risen again, overcoming heartbreak with astounding perseverance.
On April 4, 1968, the day after he delivered his prophetic I’ve Been to the Mountaintop address at Memphis’s Mason Temple, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel. Twenty-three years later, the National Civil Rights Museum opened at the site. Featuring 52,800 square feet of exhibitions, it chronicles almost 400 years of the Civil Rights Movement, zeroing in on such events as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington. If the more recently renovated building where James Earl Ray fired the fatal shot chills, prepare to be overwhelmed by Room 306. The chamber where King stayed, it looks exactly as it did on the day of his murder, provoking stunned silence – or outright tears – in many visitors. (901) 521-9699, civilrightsmuseum.org
Built in 1828, the Hunt-Phelan Home once played host to luminaries including President Andrew Jackson and Jefferson Davis. But with the advent of the Civil War, soldiers soon sought shelter in the Federal-style beauty. In the conflict’s early days, Confederate General Leonidas Polk headquartered there; following the Battle of Shiloh, Union General Ulysses S. Grant occupied the mansion, planning the brutal Siege of Vicksburg in its parlor. Reborn as the Inn at Hunt-Phelan, an elegant bed and breakfast, it now also offers four-star dining. (901) 525-8225, huntphelan.com
While there are few ways more relaxing to while away a Bluff City afternoon than on a Memphis Riverboat cruise, travel on the mighty Miss was not always so enjoyable. According to Memphis Riverboat’s knowledgeable crew, over 1,200 steamboats have sunk in the muddy waters. They include the Sultana, which docked in Memphis late on April 26, 1865. Overloaded with just-released Union POWs and operating with a badly patched boiler, it exploded just a few miles from city limits –1,800 passengers died, making it the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history. (800) 221-6197, memphisriverboats.net
The Blues and Beyond
Nashville may be dubbed “Music City,” but no metropolis has changed the face of American music more than Memphis. Blues, rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, soul – they were all born, bred or perfected there.
Just over a century ago, a Memphian bandleader penned a campaign ditty for the city’s infamous mayor, Boss Crump. W.C. Handy’s song would eventually come to be known as The Memphis Blues and as the first blues piece ever written. Today, Beale Street, Handy’s old stomping ground, boasts not only a bronze statue of his likeness, but also over 30 joints that keep jumpin’ well into the wee hours. Home to famed spots such as B.B. King’s Blues Club, this three-block stretch has an energy few places on the planet can equal.
If there never had been anyone quite like Elvis Presley, there never has been anyplace quite like Graceland. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s residence draws over 600,000 visitors annually from around the globe, and with good reason. Purchased with the proceeds from Heartbreak Hotel, this southern-style Colonial mansion is gloriously weird. But if the kitschy interior triggers chuckles, the home is also oddly moving. Elvis, for all his eccentricities, was not only an iconic entertainer, but also a doting father who was notoriously generous to strangers. Graceland tells his story with grace and surprising humility; by the time one reaches Elvis’s graveside, the mood is contemplative. (800) 238-2000, elvis.com
For fans of Elvis specifically or of great American music in general, no visit to Memphis would be complete without a stop at Sun Studio. Sam Philips, Sun’s founder, launched the careers of not only Presley (who recorded his first record, That’s All Right, there in 1954), but also Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and many others. While the upstairs museum is a treat, the still-working studio downstairs, lined with images of the legends who made music within its walls, thrills. Don’t miss the opportunity to have a snapshot taken behind the vintage microphone that, legend has it, Elvis used. (800) 441-6249, sunstudio.com
With so many singular musical styles coming out of Memphis, it can be easy to overlook the city’s involvement in that funkiest of American sounds: soul. But the epic Stax Museum of American Soul Music is out to change that. Opened in 2003 at the site of the legendary Stax Records, it pays homage to Stax artists including Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett as well as performers like Aretha Frankin and Al Green. Among the show-stoppers on exhibit: Hayes’ 1972 Superfly Caddy, resplendent in gold-trim and peacock-blue exterior; Studio A, where classics like Soul Man were recorded; and Phalan Jones’ saxophone, recovered from the plane crash that killed Redding and his backing band. (901) 946-2535, soulsvilleusa.com
Classic Cuisine
Best-known for the finest barbecue on earth, Memphis serves up enough mouth-watering fare to keep visiting foodies in hog heaven. However, that doesn’t mean that a culinary tour shouldn’t begin at The Rendezvous. The massive, subterranean eatery has been dishing out slabs of dry-rubbed ribs – with plenty of fiery dipping sauce – for over 60 years to locals, tourists and the rich and famous. On good days, 4,000 customers can pass through its doors. (901) 523-2746, hogsfly.com
For a more intricately flavored meal, head to Felicia Suzanne’s. Owned and operated by Chef Felicia Suzanne Willet, this elegant eatery offers contemporary southern-style fare made from locally procured ingredients. Among the many pleasures: melt-in-your-mouth grits served in a creamy Creole sauce with shrimp and andouille sausage. (901) 523-0877, feliciasuzanne.com
One of the South’s most beloved contributions to cuisine, fried chicken becomes an art form at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. Crunchy, spicy and served piping hot, it induces happy groans in those eating it. Be sure to leave room for an order of fried pickles. (901) 527-4877
The oldest restaurant in Memphis – and a favorite haunt of the King’s – The Arcade has been in operation since 1919. In the 1950s, the interior got a hip update that now exudes a retro cool. Adventurous eaters might want to try Elvis’s favorite sandwich: fried peanut butter and banana. (901) 526-5757, arcaderestaurant.com
For the finest dining – and grandest accommodations – nowhere can quite compare to the luxurious, historic Peabody Hotel. Built in 1925 in the opulent Italian Renaissance style, the Peabody offers many delights. Among the most distinctive are the renowned Peabody Ducks, five mallards who waddle down a red carpet and into the Grand Lobby’s fountain to the strains of John Philip Sousa. The ducks make their appearance daily at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.; plan on sticking around the gorgeous lobby bar after for a bit of refreshment. (901) 529-4000, peabodymemphis.com
by Jill Gleeson
Harrisburg, PA 56°F
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