An overnight stop in Memphis is just enough time to enjoy this wonderful city’s sights and sounds. In one jam packed day, our family enjoyed time at the National Civil Rights Museum, watched the Peabody Ducks make their daily march and savored the city’s BBQ and music scene. Here are a few of our favorite sites in Memphis.
Historic Trolley Ride to The Arcade
We started our Memphis adventure with a big breakfast at The Arcade. The Arcade is the oldest cafe in Memphis where Elvis Presley was reportedly a regular. He routinely ordered the fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We passed on the PB&J and instead opted for the sweet potato pancakes and deep fried French toast. Delish. The food at The Arcade was great and so was the historic trolley ride to get there. For just $1 per rider, we clickety-clacked our way down main street from our hotel in a vintage restored 1940’s style streetcar.
I AM A MAN Plaza
After breakfast, we walked to I AM A MAN Plaza. The plaza is next to Clayborn Temple, a staging ground for the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike. The strike and subsequent protests for workers’ rights was the reason Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis in April 1968. Just before his death, Dr. King gave a rousing and memorable speech at Clayborn Temple where he spoke of “having been to the mountaintop” and looking out over the “promised land.” Dr. King would be assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel one day later.
National Civil Rights Museum
From the plaza we made our way to the Lorraine Motel and the site of the National Civil Rights Museum. With 26 exhibits, a person could spend most of a day exploring the museum. We enjoyed the introductory film and then spent the next two hours learning about the Civil Rights Movement. Exhibit highlights included a replica Montgomery City Bus with a statue of Rosa Parks, a sanitation truck and sanitation worker protest exhibit and a glimpse inside the hotel rooms Dr. Martin Luther King and his family occupied on the day of his assassination.
Peabody Hotel Duck March
Just before going out to dinner, we stopped by the Peabody Hotel to see the nightly march of the ducks across the lobby and up the elevator to their penthouse accommodations. For over ninety years, ducks have occupied the marble fountain at the Peabody Hotel and each day they march through the lobby to the delight of onlookers. You can read more about this super goofy tradition here. If you decide to make the trip to see the duck waddle, arrive at least thirty minutes early. It’s a popular event and the best seats fill quickly.
Beale Street
No trip to Memphis is complete without a walk down Beale Street. Since we were in town on a weeknight, it wasn’t very crowded. We were able to make a quick stroll up and down Beale to take in the murals and ambiance before grabbing a tasty bar-b-que dinner while listening to some blues at BB Kings. It was the perfect ending to a delightful and short stay in Memphis.
For more fun, family adventures see our posts on San Antonio, Seattle and Chicago.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle