Memphis Travel Guide
For details of what to do and see in Memphis check out our Memphis guide to car hire in Memphis.
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For many visitors to the city, a trip to Memphis, Tennessee is not so much a holiday as it is a pilgrimage to the home of Elvis Presley the King of Rock and Roll. Indeed, every year, of the millions of travellers who make their way to this pleasant southern city a significant number come simply to pay their respects at his tomb in the grounds of Graceland, or to visit the many sights that influenced the man as he grew into the worldwide superstar that he remains to this day. At Graceland, his palatial home, you can see a veritable museum of kitsch, including the famous Jungle Room, and of course the garden grave and shrine to the "slim-line" singer who almost certainly sang his last ballad back in 1977, (although I am convinced that I saw him working in my local chip shop last Thursday).
Of course there is far more to the city than just the monuments to just one man: travellers to Memphis can also visit the sight where Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered by assassin James Earl Ray in one of the most significant events in modern American history. You can see the place where it happened at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4th 1968, when Rev Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated. The motel has now been converted into the Civil rights Museum, which celebrates the man and his work in making equality a right rather than a privilege.
Other attractions include the Full Gospel Tabernacle, where you can see the renowned preacher Reverend Al Green give a sermon (up to 2 hours), and get down with the Baptist sound as the choir "Praise da Lord." Beale Street claims to be the home of the Blues - not the raw urban electric blues of Chicago, but the down home dirty Mississippi blues of the south, and for a stretch between 2nd and 3rd Street, there is a walk of fame honouring Memphis' most famous citizens, as well as several blues bars, and the area is the place to go to sample the nightlife of the city.
Memphis lies on the east bank of the mighty Mississippi river, and Mud Island in the centre of the water is a popular spot to relax in the large park on sunny days, or to hear music during the many summer music and cultural festivals that the city hosts.
