Things to do in Memphis

[Frogacuda]

I'm going to Memphis for a few days. It doesn't matter why, and I don't really have an answer, but I should make the most of it. What are some of the spots I should hit, with a particular emphasis on anything unique to the area? Also, anything worth stopping at along the way?

[ChaoofNee]

My girlfriend's mother is unique to the area, but you'd be wise to stay as FAR the fuck away as possible.

Isn't Dollywood there?

[BerringerX]

Graceland.

[bbobb]

Head over to Beale Street and hit up a ton of bars while catching some good music.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

[Seik]

Hmmm, Memphis, ehhhh. I'm really not a fan of it, and I would never go back. But I suppose I would still reccomend people check it out once. I went there because I'm a huge fan of rock and roll, and I wanted to see what was basically the birthplace of it. Also, I guess it's possible things could have changed since I was there a few years ago.

First, Beale street. It's cool and all (good music and food), just be aware to STAY ON BEALE STREET. When I went to Memphis a few years ago, we wandered off Beale street (not very far at all) and wound up in very undesirable neighborhood. And then we wandered a little north of Beale street and wound up in another undesirable area full of shitty dive bars.

It seems like Memphis has a very narrow "tourist" area, surrounded on most sides by shitty "local" areas. And even touristy areas that are ok during the day, like Graceland, get bad at night.

When I was there, a local told me to avoid Lamar street MLK Jr Drive. For some reason I remember that. He also said there's a lot of crime in downtown Memphis (especially North side and South side), which is easy to believe when you drive down there. My rental car got it's rear window broken in when we were away doing something downtown. The reason why? They wanted my leather jacket I guess. That has never happened to me anywhere else I've ever been, and I've parked my car several times near the south side of Chicago. That got me pissed and left a bad taste in my mouth.

Still, if you're a fan of rock and roll, or interesetd in the early history of it, here's what I checked out and what I would reccomend:

1.) Sun Studios (where Elvis/Johnny Cash/Carl Perkins/Roy Orbison/Etc recorded)
2.) Gibson Guitar Factory
3.) Graceland (If you're a fan of Elvis, obviously, or you want to pick up 65 yr old women)
4.) Beale Street

They also have a Civil Rights Museum there, which is interesting. And there's also the Lorraine Motel, which is where Martin Luther King Jr was assasinated (they have a memorial set up there which is nice/touching).

So sorry this post was so long, but I guess I just wanted to realistically tell you what to expect. I had a good time when I went, and saw a lot of really cool stuff, but I was there with my girlfriend and we were really turned off a lot by all the shitty areas. Maybe the bad parts of the city aren't so bad if you're there with your buddies or by yourself, but for us, we were well dressed and clearly tourists so we stuck out and felt like it.

EDIT: Also, Tennessee has some of the prettiest countryside in the United States of God Bless America, and if you can, check out some of it. There are a lot of really great driving roads in Tennessee, that wind in and around the mountains and valleys. Absolutely goregous. I would rate the state of Tennessee an 8/10, and Memphis a 6/10, although there really aren't any other cities in Tennesee (that I've been to) that rate much higher than that. It seems the whole of Tenesee is much greater than any of it's individual parts, if that makes any sense. Chicago, for example, I would rate a 10/10, but the state of Illinois itself gets somewhere around a 4/10.

[icarusfall]

Walk in the rain.

[jyoung]

Isn't Dollywood there?

Nah, it's in Gatlinburg, which is up in the Smokey Mountains on the other (eastern) end of the state.

Maybe the bad parts of the city aren't so bad if you're there with your buddies or by yourself.

Nah, it's just a crime-laden city, and it'd be extra bad if you were there by yourself.

An old teacher I had in high school used to tell all kinds of stories about when he was going to school and bartending part time in Memphis and people would get robbed or have their cars broken into in broad daylight.

[Type Ryan]

Whatever you do, don't go to the Cooper Young area. My brother got mugged at gunpoint there nearly two years ago.

[Frogacuda]

I'm going with a buddy of mine, road tripping so I won't be alone. We're both from shitty neighborhoods and know how to not be retarded, so I'm not too worried about that. I'm sure no place in Memphis is as dangerous as going to his house in west philly.