Memphis; home of soul, blues, rock and roll and one hell of a party. Beale Street, is a 1.8 mile strip in downtown Memphis lined with blues clubs, bars and buskers. Blocked off from traffic, the street becomes one large outdoor bar, with establishments selling take out cups of beer or frozen daiquiris that you could buy and roam the street with. Most bars had bands and performers playing day and night, and in the evening the street became crowded with people and an electric party vibe.
In between rounds of beer, we found time to watch a baseball game. It took almost the entire length of the game (quite a long time, baseball isn`t a fast game) to understand the rules, but in the end I decided that as watching sports go, it wasn`t too bad. Of course, because nothing is done in halves here, the end of the game was marked with a large, long, loud fireworks display.
Day two in Memphis was a little less merry, as we got to know a little more about the city’s history, and the struggle for civil rights. The Civil Rights Museum is an extensive collection of artifacts and stories from the 17th century to present day, housed in the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. It was a wonderful museum, and I’m sure it would take a good two days to read all the information on display.
Other highlights included A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store and the Beale Street Flippers. The Beale Street Flippers are a group of buskers that flip and cartwheel down the street, often drawing large crowds of onlookers. A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store has been open since 1876 and sells everything from hats, to ice cream or voodoo powders. It is sprawled over 3 floors, and was a great way to while away the hours.
We also bravely ordered 2 large portions of ribs at Interstate BBQ. When I saw the smirk on the face of the waitress, I knew we were in trouble. 1o minutes later, a gigantic pile of tender, delicious ribs arrived at the table. Once we were both stuffed full, it didn’t even look like we had touched the plate. The ``large`` portion was definitely overkill, as we had enough leftovers to last for 3 more meals.
In between rounds of beer, we found time to watch a baseball game. It took almost the entire length of the game (quite a long time, baseball isn`t a fast game) to understand the rules, but in the end I decided that as watching sports go, it wasn`t too bad. Of course, because nothing is done in halves here, the end of the game was marked with a large, long, loud fireworks display.
Day two in Memphis was a little less merry, as we got to know a little more about the city’s history, and the struggle for civil rights. The Civil Rights Museum is an extensive collection of artifacts and stories from the 17th century to present day, housed in the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. It was a wonderful museum, and I’m sure it would take a good two days to read all the information on display.
Other highlights included A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store and the Beale Street Flippers. The Beale Street Flippers are a group of buskers that flip and cartwheel down the street, often drawing large crowds of onlookers. A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store has been open since 1876 and sells everything from hats, to ice cream or voodoo powders. It is sprawled over 3 floors, and was a great way to while away the hours.
We also bravely ordered 2 large portions of ribs at Interstate BBQ. When I saw the smirk on the face of the waitress, I knew we were in trouble. 1o minutes later, a gigantic pile of tender, delicious ribs arrived at the table. Once we were both stuffed full, it didn’t even look like we had touched the plate. The ``large`` portion was definitely overkill, as we had enough leftovers to last for 3 more meals.