Memphis, TN – The Greatest City in the World

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I love Memphis. It all stems from my dad. I titled this post as Memphis, TN – The greatest city in the world because my dad believes it to be the greatest city in the world. We tease him about it only because every time we want to vacation somewhere else, he says, “pfff, why don’t you want to go to Memphis?” and then we add, “We know it’s the greatest place in the world, but sometimes we like to see different things.” He just laughs, but still thinks we are silly for not wanting every vacation there. ha-ha.

To give a little background – My parents grew up in Memphis and both of my parents have many fond memories there. We moved away when I was only a few years old, but because of my father’s job, we were able to visit once or twice a year when growing up. The majority of our close family members still resided in Memphis which led to our annual visits. Memphis holds some of my best memories from childhood and I still love being there for nostalgic reasons.

Now that I am older, I don’t get to visit as often with my own family, but nonetheless, I wanted to share some of our favorite places to go when we visit. I love the history that still resides throughout Memphis and the southern charm. If you ever find yourself near the Memphis area, these are worth checking out.

Here are our top favorite places to visit – Attractions:

• Places
  • The Peabody – This hotel opened in 1869 and it is on the National Register of Historic Places. There are many fabulous things to see at this hotel, but the one thing that brings people to this happening spot is the Mallard ducks that come down the elevator and march through the lobby to the fountain daily at 11am and 5pm. They roll out the red carpet for the ducks every day and anyone is allowed to come view the marching in the lobby, you do not have to be a hotel guest. The ducks stay in the fountain until 5pm when they go back to their home on the rooftop.
    • Other things I love about the Peabody:
      • The rooftop. You can take the elevator to the roof and lookout onto all of downtown Memphis. The ducks living quarters are also on the rooftop which you can visit while you are up there.
      • The hotel has a BALLROOM! (One day I will host a ball in there or find a way to be invited to one :))
      • It also hosts four different restaurants, an indoor pool, spa, a lobby bar, and gift shop.
      • There are ample photo opportunities with telephone booths from the time the hotel opened. You do not have to be a guest at the hotel to visit the rooftop, the restaurants, gift shops, or to watch the ducks marching.
      • During the holiday season, they have a huge gingerbread house display, it makes the lobby look magical. Gosh, I think I should just do a whole post on the Peabody by itself. I just love it; it has such a historical romance feel to it and I eat it up.
  • Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum – This is one of several Victorian homes in Memphis, except that this one allows self-guided tours on a regular basis. Wednesday to Sunday the tours are available from 12pm until 3:30pm. You are able to visit all three floors of the home. My husband and I took a tour of this home several years ago and it was beautiful. They keep up on the grounds and the home so well. We had a tour guide at the time (pre-covid), and they told us that the boys’ rooms were on one floor and the girls were on another floor during the Victorian age. I thought that was so interesting. If you have time, this is definitely worth it if you love Victorian homes.
  • The National Civil Rights Museum/The Lorraine Motel – This is the hotel where Martin Luther King, Jr was shot. The museum is dedicated to the history of the civil rights movement. The wreath on the outside railing indicates where he was standing on that tragic day.
  • Sun Studios – This is where Elvis got his start. The studio is open for tours that last about 40-45 minutes. I grew up loving Elvis and I can still remember taking the tour when I was 15. It was an interesting tour, especially if you love all the guys from the 50s, and at the end you get to take your picture with one of the old microphones.
  • Graceland – If you’re an Elvis fan, a visit to Memphis wouldn’t be the same without touring Elvis’s home. I’ve visited twice, but the last time I was 15 so it’s been quite some time. I can still see the leopard print on the wall and the groovy furniture when I close my eyes. Besides the rooms, there is a record room with all of his jumpsuits encased for everyone to see. It really is an event. Before or after, make sure you write your name on the wall outside the gate… it’s a thing. Reminder: Don’t forget your sharpie for the outside wall!
  • Elmwood Cemetary – If you enjoy walking through old cemeteries, the Elmwood Cemetary is for you. This cemetery is also on the National Register of Historic Places. My dad likes to walk through every once in a while, and read the tombstones. I do too. They date back to 1852 and there is a section that is dedicated to 114 confederate soldiers. If you have a chance to visit, it is an enchanting place. You can truly feel the history of the people that inhabit the grounds.
  • The Memphis Zoo – This zoo is among the best zoos in America. They have animals you would see at a lot of zoos like rhinos or giraffes, but they also have Komodo dragons, giant panda bears, and polar bears! They have penguins and seals too! There is a splash pad, a really cool playground, and a music area where kids can drum their hearts away.
  • The Cotton Museum – This one I have never been to, but I have always wanted to go! For one reason or another, we just can’t ever make it work. If you are in town, check out the website and if you visit, let me know if you like it or not. It looks like a neat place.

Top parks to visit:

• Parks
  • Shelby Farms Park – This 4500-acre park has so many fun things to do. There is a huge playground for the kiddos and a splash pad. The splash pad is small and the last time we were there we had to pay to go into the splash pad, so double check if you are interested in doing that. There are trails throughout the whole park that can be ran, walked, or biked. They have paddle boats and paddleboards for rent to use on the lakes. There is also an adventure course with a zipline, this also is an extra cost. You may also get a glimpse of some deer if you are lucky. One walked right in front of us on one of the trails and we saw some fawns off in the trees.
  • Mississippi River – You can venture down to Mud Island near downtown if you want to visit the museum and take the trolley ride. There are also sidewalks that run alongside the river near the downtown area of Memphis. We usually walk along the sidewalks to watch the barges and enjoy the view of the river.

Top Restaurants to Check Out In and Near Memphis, TN:

• Restaurants
  • Gus’s Fried Chicken – Always great fried chicken at this one. They have locations across the country now, but they started out in downtown Memphis, the original location is still there. We love to get the wings with coleslaw and fried okra. Don’t forget to add an order of fried pickles as an appetizer.
  • Central BBQ – My parents grew up with Tops BBQ, which was great back in the day. My husband and I enjoy Central now, and it’s mmm mmm good. All the BBQ plates and pork BBQ nachos are delicious, but sometimes I just want their sausage and cheese platter. They also have a fried bologna sandwich which is pretty darn good. I grew up with southern parents, and you ate bologna sandwiches. I used to love to pull the red ring off the Oscar Meyer bologna when I was a kid, but Central’s bologna is nothing like that, it’s much better. There are several locations throughout the Memphis area. Oh, and if you get the pulled pork sandwich, you gotta try it with the coleslaw on it, that’s the Memphis style.
  • Abbay’s – Traditional southern food in a fast-food environment. You pick your main meat and then decide from the many southern side items. I love their hushpuppies, even my husband does, and he normally hates hushpuppies.
  • Southwind Fish – If you don’t go anywhere else while in Memphis, you must go to Southwind Fish. It is a small joint, family owned, but it is the best food in town. My parents go there a lot, and it has become our family’s #1 place when we visit. The fish is battered, but light, the hushpuppies are to die for, and the service is incredible. The people that work there are so friendly. My brother and my husband like to get the wings and fish special that comes with, well, chicken wings and fried catfish. Oh! and the fried okra, boy do I love me some fried okra.
  • Avelino’s – This one isn’t located in Memphis, but about 20 minutes outside the city in Southaven, MS. It’s totally worth the drive for their bbq pizza. It’s not bbq chicken pizza, it’s shredded bbq pork pizza and the thing we crave the most.
  • Catfish Country – This one is also not in the Memphis area, but if you are fine with driving a bit to get some dinner, then check out Catfish Country. It’s a small place located in Hernando, MS. The best service, very friendly, and the food is amazing. This is an ode to my aunt that passed last year, she loved this place. The catfish is fried, of course, but it’s so light and flaky. They add corn to the hushpuppies which really ups the flavor. Fried okra, of course. When I’m in town I try to get all the fried okra I can because it just doesn’t exist where we live. Anyway, they also have mini corn dogs for the kiddos, I only add this because my kids love it.

I hope you found a few things worth trying when you are in the Memphis area. It definitely has a lot of historical status mixed with modern parks and restaurants. The southern style food is still there, so be sure to get a good fill of it. Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed any of these or if you have another favorite.

Thanks for reading!

For more vacation ideas, check out my other travel posts here.