When I saw that the Brothers Osborne would be playing at the Ryman over Presidents’ Day weekend of 2019, I couldn’t help but start trip planning! I first visited Nashville during the summer of 2017, and I completely fell in love with the city and its music history. And the Ryman? Oh my goodness, I’m obsessed! I remember telling my friend that the perfect “trifecta” weekend would consist of shows at the Ryman and Opry, followed by a Predators game (all accompanied with appropriate amounts of hot chicken, whisky, and Goo Goos, naturally).
As my daydream slowly began evolving into concrete plans, Memphis crossed my mind. It’s a long trip from Alaska to Tennessee, and I wanted to make the most of my long weekend. I’ve been to Nashville before, and I was sure I’d be back, so Memphis seemed the perfect addition to my itinerary!
This year I’m headed to Nashville for Valentine’s Day and my (almost) trifecta weekend! At some point I’m hoping to write more about the awesome road trip that got me to Nashville the first time around. In the meantime, here’s my quick and dirty, must-see guide for a quick stop of things to see, do, and eat in Memphis!
My Itinerary Overview:
Sunday: Drove to Memphis after spending the day in Nashville, checked in to my AirBnB, and ended up grabbing late night donuts at Gibson’s
Monday :
9am-12: Graceland
12-1: Lunch at Central BBQ
1-3: Civil Rights Museum
4:30: Sun Records
Rock N’ Soul Museum: 5:30-6:30
Dinner at Blues City Café
Tuesday, pre-flight excursion: Walk along the Big River Crossing for an awesome view of the Memphis bridge
Amazing Eats: Obviously, barbecue! But there are quite a few foodie gems in Memphis.
Central BBQ
This place was great! The staff was super friendly and fun, the location was right around the corner from the Civil Rights Museum, parking was easy, and most importantly the food was to die for. The pulled pork is served with the cole slaw right in the sandwich (brilliant, yum), and the banana pudding features cookie crumbles from a nearby bakery. Not my favorite banana pudding during my time in Memphis, but still worth ordering if you’re in the mood for something sweet! This is an order-at-the-counter and your food will be brought to you kind of place and they’ve got swag and goodies available should you need a souvenir.
Open 11-9 every day except Saturday (11-10)
147 E Butler Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
Parking: Lot behind the building and on the street
My order: Pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw, Scotch Ale, and banana pudding for dessert, all for about $20 with the tip!
Gibson’s Donuts
Gibson’s was totally a last-minute decision and a yummy late-night option. They’re open 24 hours and feature and old-fashioned style. A late-night visit will leave you with limited flavor options, but they appear to have quite a diverse selection of flavors otherwise. When I visited they had recently been featured on Alton Brown’s show The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
Open 24 hours
760 Mt Moriah Rd, Memphis, TN 38117
Parking: Lot in front of the shop
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gibsons-Donuts/360369561175555
My order: Two glazed donuts and a traditional plain for under $1, even with a little tax this late-night snack was under $5
Blues City Café
I loved the vibe of Blues City Café! It’s right around the corner from the Rock N’ Soul Museum on Beale St. Since it was a Monday night, Beale St. itself was pretty quiet, but the café still had live music and a great atmosphere. I sat at the bar and ordered a little bit of everything thanks to a recommendation from the bartender. So much food, but so worth it for my final night in Memphis!
Open 11am-3am every day, 5 am Friday and Saturday
138 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103
Parking: Meters along the street, $1.50/hr (Monday-Saturday, 8am-10pm)
https://www.bluescitycafe.com/
My order: “The Best Meal on Beale Combination Platter” and a local, Tennessee IPA will cost you about $30 including your tip
Jim Neely’s Interstate BBQ
I saw one of these while I was driving through Memphis, but actually ended up eating at their airport location. The staff was kind of gruff, but the food was absolutely amazing and I grabbed a last-minute bottle of BBQ sauce to bring home. This seemed like the perfect option for one last taste of Memphis and the service was super quick, so I didn’t have to worry about making it to my gate on time.
My order: Louisiana Hot Sausage, cole slaw, baked beans, lemonade, and a bottle of BBQ sauce to go came to about $20 including the tip
Awesome Attractions: History and music reign supreme! So much to see and do.
Graceland
I had absolutely no idea what to expect at Graceland, but I was totally blown away. Tours start at the visitor center, which is located across the street from Elvis’s actual home. There’s a quick video introduction, and then a shuttle bus transports visitors to the front of the house.
Graceland itself is incredible. Talk about style! It’s not as big as I was expecting, but everything about the decor screams statement. Pretty sure I’m going to need to experiment with fabric as wallpaper and definitely convinced that I need a jungle room. As a product of the 90s, I obviously knew the basics about Elvis but I had never really delved into just how amazing he was!
The tour started at the front door and included the ground floor and basement. Everything was done via an iPad at your own pace. The upstairs is off-limits, but you get to tour the grounds, garden, and outer buildings. And here’s the crazy thing…beyond the house back at the visitor center there’s a million mini museums dedicated to different facets of The King’s life, including his time in the military, his daughter, his movie career, and his impact on celebrity fashion. Don’t forget to check out his collection of cars and motorized toys in general! Pro tip: pay the extra $5 and check out his amazingly sweet airplanes! Seriously, every travel junky’s dream.
Parking: Pay to park in the official lot or park for free in the Graceland Crossing shopping center located right near the entrance
Sun Studio
Sun Studio tours start at half past the hour and there’s a cafe downstairs if you have a little time to spare. The studio itself is kind of isolated, but there is so much history to witness and the tour was super informative. Plus, if you’re into music and radio history there are a bunch of artifacts and stories about Sun Studio’s role in the Memphis music scene.
Parking: Lot behind the building
National Civil Rights Museum
I knew little to nothing about the Civil Rights Museum before I visited and ultimately was so glad that I took the time to check it out. The museum is housed in the old Lorraine Hotel, which is the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last days and assassination. The museum itself traces the history of slavery and the civil rights movement throughout the course of our country’s history. In addition, the Young & Morrow Boarding House building across the street is an extension of the museum.
Parking: Free lot and street parking
https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/
Rock N’ Soul Museum
The Rock N’ Soul Museum covered a little bit of everything. I didn’t realize just how extensive their exhibit was and honestly wish I would have given myself a little bit more time. There is so much there that traces the history and influences of Memphis’s role in America’s music history and it’s definitely worth a visit.
Parking: Meter parking on the street
https://www.memphisrocknsoul.org/
If you’ve got some extra time:
Peabody Ducks:.https://www.peabodymemphis.com/ducks-en.html
Big River Crossing Mighty Lights: http://www.bigrivercrossing.com/mightylights
Murals: https://www.downtownmemphis.com/downtown-mural-guide/r
FedEx Forum:https://fedexforum.com/