Let's be honest.
Traveling with kids isn't always easy.
And it certainly isn't cheap.
But I love to kids. And I have kids and will travel. I will get in the car and road trip anywhere. When people ask me where my favorite place I've been is I always answer "someplace I have yet to visit!" (Followed by Paris. I LOVE Paris).
So I decided to start with easy-to-tackle weekend trips with my girls. Places that were driveable and offered a change of scenery.
When a quick Apple Maps search of Memphis showed me that Justin Timberlake's old stomping grounds were a mere seven hours from Arlington, I couldn't wait to hop in the car and just go!
Memphis, here we come!
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| Memphis! |
Fast Facts About Memphis:
-Memphis is in the southwest corner of Tennessee, just across the Mighty Mississippi from Arkansas.
-Memphis has a population of 1.3 million people, making it Tennessee's second most populous city.
-Memphis, TN, was named after Memphis, Egypt.
-Memphis is home to Elvis' famed Graceland and the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 assassination.
-Memphis is best known for it's music scene. It is well-known for the Blues, shaped by a mix of musical influences including country, rock and roll, soul and hip hop.
-Memphis is home to Beale Street, a street well-versed in musical history.
Planning a Weekend in the Home of the Blues with Kids!
I worked with Memphis Tourism to plan my weekend away in this fun city in Tennessee's southwest corner. The Tourism Board suggested I check the zoo, the Civil Rights Museum, the Peabody Ducks, Sun Studios, Beale Street and, of course, Graceland! We also checked out Shelby Farms and the Bass Pro shop located inside the Memphis Pyramid, which is home to the country's largest free-standing elevator (how is that for random-fact Friday?). We feasted on Memphis barbeque and brunched at Memphis' oldest café, Arcade, and stayed at the fabulous Hotel Napoleon downtown. The views of the Mighty Mississippi from downtown were pretty fabulous. Memphis is a fun city!
Places to Visit in Memphis
The Memphis Zoo is gorgeous and located on 76 acres in Memphis' Overton Park. It has more than 3500 animals and opened in 1906. We loved that the zoo incorporated so many animals, from farm animals (donkeys, chickens) to cold-weather animals (penguins, polar bears), and so many more. Our favorites were the playful hippo and the sneaky red panda, who spent our whole visit high up in a tree above us (and took us forever to find!). This time of year, the zoo also does a big Zoo Lights display to celebrate the holidays.
The National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum is one of those places you visit and it changes your world view. I got a perspective on the history of the US that I wasn't necessarily taught in school. I was engaged from the time I walked through the doors of this museum, and I wish every person in the US could spend time here learning about our nation's past. The museum is built around the Lorraine Motel, the spot where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. My kids were fascinated by this fact because they have studied MLK so much in school. The next time you're in Memphis, don't skip this museum.
Honestly, I'm not a huge music buff. Although my dad is a big fan of Johnny Cash and Elvis, I grew up loving typically 80s and 90s music. Sun Studios wasn't a spot I was just dying to see. It sits on an unassuming corner, and we visited on a cold, rainy day. Immediately inside the doors to the studio is gift shop with loads of memorabilia from the studio that put Elvis on the map. The tour, however, was so very worth it... Even my kids loved it (although kids younger than 5 are not allowed). The entire tour is about an hour and gives you the history of how Elvis was discovered and some insight into the recordings of the Million-Dollar Quarter in the 50s. The girls walked away with guitar picks, stickers and a lot of knowledge about Elvis for kids their age!
"Walking in Memphis. Walking with my feet 10 feet off of Beale." Marc Cohn, Walking in Memphis
Beale Street is one of those American walkways famous for its history and its party ways. Grab a drink and see the famous goat at Silky O'Sullivans. Shop for souvenirs and enjoy some ice cream at A. Schwab's, Beale Street's longest-operating business. Take a walking tour with BackBeat Tours to learn all about the people and stories that put Beale Street on the map. Fun fact- did you know that B.B. King, who got his start in Memphis, was born Riley King, and B.B. stood for the Beale Street Blues Boy, shortened to B.B.?
This simple tradition will delight your children! Stop by the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis daily at 11 am or 5 pm to see the Duck Master march the ducks to and from the elevator that goes to and from the ducks' rooftop sanctuary. It's a fun tradition to behold. Then shop for souvenirs at the shops within the hotel. They have cute non-glass wine glasses, just sayin'...
Visiting the Bass Pro Shop in Memphis was honestly a spur-of-the-moment decision. You see the big glass pyramid that is now home to Bass Pro on the banks of the Mississippi as you drive into Memphis from the west, and you initially think- huh? It turns out the pyramid wasn't built to be a Bass Pro Shop but, well, here we are! Bass Pro opened its doors there in 2016, and this location is so unique! Kids can see alligators and fish, as well as Santa in the winter. There is also a hotel built into the pyramid, as well as the country's highest free-standing elevator. We took the elevator up and walked out on the glass overlook, modeled after the overlook at the Grand Canyon. The views of Memphis were stunning! We recommend a stop here for the sheer oddness of it!
Where to Eat in Memphis
You can't visit Memphis and not eat barbeque! But honestly, the city has so many great places to eat it's hard to know where to start! Here are a few of our favorite places.
Casual BBQ with multiple locations. I had the pulled chicken and baked beans and loved it! Very yummy. I also had a Wiseacre Beer, from a local brewery in Memphis, and thought it was just what my Saturday night needed!
This spot came highly recommended by multiple friends so I knew we had to check it out. I haven't eaten beef in decades, but I was the only person in my party of five who didn't eat the beef, and there wasn't a scrap left after the meal if that tells you anything! Everyone is my party gave their sandwiches two thumbs up. I can attest that the pulled chicken was amazing!
We actually didn't visit Rendezvous on this trip- we ran out of time! I ate there years ago, though, and loved it. The restaurant is tucked away downtown and truly a Memphis staple. Yum!
Memphis' oldest café was as charming as it was delicious! We had brunch on a busy Sunday and loved the ambiance and busyness of the joint. The food was typical diner fare and the coffee bottomless- my favorite kind of brunch spot! This spot is a Memphis icon and a place you must visit when you roadtrip to Memphis!
There were so many more spots we never made it to in Memphis... The Children's Museum came recommended by friends. And Shelby Farms Park has lots of outdoor activities to partake, although the playground was closed during our visit because of Covid. The Pink Palace Museum was also on our list of places to visit before we ran out of time!
Memphis is a great, easy spot to drive to from DFW to teach your kids about American history. There is plenty to do for a long weekend away that will leave you happy you decided to travel to Tennessee!
*please note- Memphis Tourism hosted me for my trip. Parts of my trip were paid for by the tourism board although all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
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