Memphis "Momsoon"

We usually brainstorm a family event hashtag prior to our leaving, but it wasn't until we were in the car with our first Instagram post primed and ready that we realized we didn't one! A little discussion was had and it was actually dad who came up with the clever pun of "Memphis Momsoon;" a play on the purpose of the trip (to celebrate mom a bit early for Mother's Day) and a tribute to the gloomy weather predicted during our stay (rain, rain and so much more rain). However, it was quickly brought to our attention that when combined and lower-capitalized in the standard hashtag formatting, the message might imply we would be having a Memphis Mom Soon! Not the case...to clarify.

We left Bolivar early Friday morning and, although it was pretty rainy, enjoyed the beautifully green, winding road to Memphis. I had been anticipating this trip for quite some time as I love Instagram captions that are lyrics and "Walking in Memphis," Marc Cohen is just TOO EASY. There had to be one silver lining to all this anticipated rain...and it was the first use of a "Walking in Memphis" lyric:

"Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues, in the middle of the pouring rain."

Upon hungrily arriving in Memphis, we voted to eat at this burger joint called Huey's in Midtown. The burgers were phenomenal, we all took one look at the long list of burger options and had our hearts set on what would ultimately be a uniquely great burger: Sunshine Burger (Mom and Bex), West Coast Burger (Dad), xxx Burger (Sam) and Bluff City Burger (Kait, pictured below).

So, the rain put a bit of a damper on our plans. Initially we had planned to eat at Dixon Gallery & Garden where food trucks would be gathered. Instead we lucked out on Huey's, grabbed a picture at a mural nearby and checked into the hotel for a quick snooze.

The nap was actually very necessary because the evening plans were to attend the Beale Street Music Festival. Another happy accident, because when we planned this shindig, we had no idea this was going on. It wasn't until a co-worker mentioned it was the same weekend that we even realized why it had been so dang hard to find a hotel. The festival wasn't actually on Beale Street, it was at a little park along the river - which was better. We saw Gin Blossoms / Trampled by Turtles (my favorite), Grace Potter / Panic at the Disco and Neil Young / Weezer. We had a great time and although it didn't actually rain while we were there, the early storms and high foot traffic made the park a dreadfully muddy mess.

Saturday morning, we woke up and ventured to a quirky little coffee place called Otherlands Coffee Bar. It was a good wake-me-up before our tour of Sun Studios. It was a cool experience, but definitely a one-time deal. The building is a snug little space with an upstairs room of memorabilia and a downstairs recording studio. Our tour guide was great, and it was fun to hear stories about some of the artists who recorded there. We even got to sing from the same spot and microphone where Elvis, Johnny Cash, BB King, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Petty, Paul Simon and countless others had sang.

After the tour, we made our way to Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken...where the "line" consisted of about thirty people waiting around outside. Yikes. We put our name in and were told it would be about an hour wait. Luckily the restaurant was in a very walkable area, so we wandered around and took pictures before returning for a beer while we waited.

The chicken was delicious - maybe because we had never been hungrier in our lives? Or maybe because the spicy breading was just too good? Either way, we annihilated our food when it arrived.

After lunch, we popped into the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks. It was cute, but more suited to children than for our group. What was suited for our group was where we went next: Beale Street. Very cool vibe, as I'm sure you can image (or know). Being able to take your drinks into the street and between bars really just creates a whole new kind of atmosphere. Here, I claimed my second Instagram with a caption from "Walking in Memphis"...

"With my feet ten feet off of Beale."

We settled in at a place called Silky O'Sullivan's because, surprisingly, it was a BEAUTIFUL day and there's was the most clearly visible patio. Also, they let Sam (18-year-old) in until 8:00 p.m. It was the BEST. There was a live band who played fun covers and we ordered beer after local beer (Memphis Made Fireside, delightful). I think we were blinded by our happiness there in the Silky sunshine because we completely forgot to eat until it was too late! So, for dinner we popped next door to the closest BBQ we could find, Pig on Beale. It was pretty good - they had an interesting seasoning that wasn't really a rub, so much as add after the smoking process. We visited another bar after dinner before deciding we were tired and headed back to the hotel.

Sunday morning we toured the National Civil Rights Museum, which is built into the hotel where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. It was a very emotional museum experience, as you walked through the history of slavery in the United States. Definitely one of the better history museums I've been to.

Our final stop in Memphis was for brunch at the Arcade Restaurant - no Sam, there aren't any arcade games there. It was a classic, all-American breakfast and, damn, it was good. The menu was extremely limited (only seven or so items), but everything was reasonably priced and came with a side of biscuits and gravy, so no one complained. Then we loaded up and were back on the winding road home again. It was such a fun trip and I anticipate going back again! On the next trip, I want to be sure to...

1. Spend more time on Beale Street

2. Try a couple different BBQ joints

3. Tour Graceland

4. Wear my blue suede shoes

Until next time, see ya Memphis!