• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Family Travels on a Budget

Travel with kids: theme park family deals, cruise ships for kids and best cruise lines for teens and other cool places to visit, including adult getaways

  • Home
  • Travel guides
  • Cruising
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Alabama
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Carolina
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Virginia
      • Washington, DC
    • World
      • Bahamas/Caribbean
      • Canada
      • China
      • France
      • Mexico
      • Spain
  • Interests
    • Adventure
    • Arts/Culture
    • Beaches
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Girlfriend Getaways
    • History
    • Kid Fun
    • Romantic Escapes
    • Teens and Tweens
    • Theme Parks and Zoos
      • Disney
      • Universal Studios
      • Other Theme Parks
      • Zoos
  • Reviews
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Products
    • Tech
    • Books
  • Travel Tips
    • Air Travel
    • Budget
    • Packing
    • Planning
    • Roadtrips
  • At home
    • Recipes
    • Shopping
    • Staycations

Home » Tennessee » Weekend Getaway: Walkin’ in Memphis

Weekend Getaway: Walkin’ in Memphis

June 29, 2012 by Karen Dawkins 14 Comments

As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pin
Share
Tweet

Walkin in Memphis

She sat across the table from me and declared she was from Nashville. Interested that two Tennesseans were visiting Florida I leaned in closer and smiled. “I’m from Memphis.”

 
“Oh.” It hung in the air like an accusation. “I was born there actually. Spent most of my life there.” But she said she was from Nashville.
 
I’ve lived here less than three years yet I proudly consider myself a Memphian. Maybe you’re like Memphis’ lost daughter and can’t think of a single reason to visit here. I understand. After all, we’re the poorest city in the country. But what we lack in financial fortitude, we
make up for in rich history and current opportunity.
 
And let’s not forget Memphis is home to the four
most beautiful girls this…make that any side of the
Mississippi!
 
Those who do visit Memphis each year often aim for Elvis’ house, barbeque or the blues on Beale. Would you believe we have much more to offer? I’d like to introduce you to my three favorite Memphis treasures.
 
Memphis Zoo
 
We are zoo people. In fact I ran the Zoom Through the Zoo 4 miler in May to support our zoo. The Memphis Zoo is no ordinary peanuts and cotton candy and a couple of animals experience. We have over 2800 animals of over 400 species including pandas.
 
If you live anywhere in the middle of the country Memphis is the closest zoo to house pandas. The others are San Diego, Atlanta and Washington DC. Plan an entire day at the zoo. You won’t be disappointed.
 
The National Civil Rights Museum
 
Few experiences have stirred me like my visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. Built on the site of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, it is a unique showcase of the struggle for civil rights in the United States. From Rosa Parks’ stand by taking a seat on a Montgomery bus to the over 70,000 students who participated in lunch counter sit-ins, you take a journey with some of the most inspiring individuals in American history.
 
I dare you to leave unchanged.
 
Sun Studio
 
In 1953, an 18 year old strolled into then titled Memphis Recording Service with a guitar and a gargantuan dream. He sang a demo but failed to impress the owner, Sam Phillips. This determined young man hung around for another year before he would get a break. His name was Elvis Presley.
 
Sun Studio is considered the birthplace of rock ‘n roll and was the recording home to many artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Ike Turner. A visit here is guaranteed to birth some inspiration in your soul.
 
Why not take a stroll this summer and go Walkin’ in Memphis? You might just find your feet ten feet off of Beale and a community rich with entertainment, history and matchless experiences.
 
Pin
Share
Tweet

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Filed Under: Destinations, Tennessee, Tennessee, Travel guides, USA

Please keep in touch. Our FACEBOOK community is active, and a great place to ask questions. On TWITTER, I share great content from destinations around the world. Follow our adventures on INSTAGRAM — we love to answer questions during trips. And, we’re on PINTEREST saving all sorts of great content from around the web.

Comments

  1. Kim says

    July 15, 2014 at 8:34 pm

    We are taking our first family trip there we leave thursday morning headead that direction! can’t wait! ive been to Libertyland (before they closed it down). me and fiancee are taking our son to the zoo and tyring to figure out what to do friday since its suppose to rain

    Reply
  2. marisafrank says

    July 3, 2012 at 6:43 pm

    I want to go to Memphis! It sounds like fun city. Some of my dearest friends moved there a year ago. They really like it.

    Reply
  3. Shannon Milholland says

    July 2, 2012 at 12:48 am

    Oh Kathy you should definitely come! We'd have super fun!

    Reply
  4. Kathy Radigan says

    June 29, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    Shannon I loved this piece! I have never been to Memphis either but it is one of those places that I've always wanted to go. Love the picture of your 4 beautiful daugters!! Karen, thanks for sharing Shannon with us!

    Reply
  5. Familytravelsonabudget says

    June 29, 2012 at 10:13 pm

    Can I come too? Presley IS my maiden name 🙂

    Reply
  6. Shannon Milholland says

    June 29, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    That's what I say, Courtney. And the bonus is if you come we get to have coffee!!! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Courtney G says

    June 29, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    I have always wanted to visit Memphis! It has so much history. I loved Nashville, and thought Memphis must be just as interesting. How can you not like Elvis and Johnny Cash, c'mon;)

    Reply
  8. Shannon Milholland says

    June 29, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    I should know that, Rosann because so many of my friends here are from there believe it or not. They of course prefer the blue skies here…lol!

    What I do know is that it's drivable because they all drive not fly.

    Reply
  9. Rosann says

    June 29, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    I so want to take my daughters to Memphis. I remember walking through Elvis' mansion when I was about 7yrs old and even at that age, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. And I love country music…and southern food… One day, we'll road trip there. 🙂 I wonder how long the drive would be from Western PA…

    Reply
  10. Shannon Milholland says

    June 29, 2012 at 3:31 pm

    @Detox Diva, so thankful you enjoyed Memphis! Come back soon!

    @Tanya, it really is a history rich city. Did you know that the famous Gibson guitars are also made here and you can tour the factory? Very interesting!

    @Carla, you are so sweet. I sure do love those four little faces that's for sure! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Carla Karam says

    June 29, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    Karen and Shannon…I have always wanted to go to Memphis for those exact same reasons! Shannon, your daughters are as beautiful as you are!!

    Reply
  12. tanya says

    June 29, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    I've never been to Memphis, but honestly it's place a really would love to visit. While Graceland would not be my fist stop, I'd love BBQ and Beale St. of course. But would LOVE to see Sun Studio, oh my gosh, the history! Thanks for the travel tips! The zoo would be perfect for my kids!

    Reply
  13. The Detox Diva says

    June 29, 2012 at 1:32 pm

    I LOVE Memphis. Loved walking Beale street, the barbecue, the diversity, everything. Nashville was always so false to me but Memphis had a reality that is, was, and will always be, priceless!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 5 Fun Things to do in Memphis - Family Travels on a Budget says:
    May 9, 2013 at 9:33 am

    […] more on Memphis with families, read this post: Walkin’ in Memphis, written by my dear friend, Shannon […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Meet Karen Dawkins

An avid traveler, I enjoy discovering new places: history, culture, and adventure. I love it all! Well, not bugs. I don’t like bugs very much, so I probably won’t visit a bug museum.

Read More

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

**This site may contain affiliate links and sponsored posts for which I earn a small commission to help cover the costs of running a blog.**

We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme Theme URI: http://my.studiopress.com/themes/news/ Description: A mobile responsive and HTML5 theme built for the Genesis Framework. Author: StudioPress Author URI: http://www.studiopress.com/ Version: 3.0.2 Tags: black, red, white, one-column, two-columns, three-columns, responsive-layout, custom-menu, full-width-template, sticky-post, theme-options, threaded-comments, translation-ready, premise-landing-page Template: genesis Template Version: 2.0.1 License: GPL-2.0+ License URI: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-license.php on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in