by Brady Bryan

Created on: February 13, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Maybe I am just biased because my memories of Memphis are tied with my college boyfriend, since that was where he was from. Perhaps what we did really wasnt that great or special, but at the time there was nothing better in the world.

Honestly, Memphis is overall a dirty spread-out city with huge racial divisions, but if you stick to the historic destinations and the newer attractions you can have a really good weekend worth of fun. (Note that I said weekend worth, because you will run out of things pretty quickly if you stay much longer than that!)

Downtown Memphis is where all the fun of visiting this city is located. Stay at the famous Peabody, if you can afford to, and you will be within walking distance of everything worth seeing.

I would recommend going the first weekend of May for MusicFest. Its a three day concert that is on the banks of the Mississippi River just under the main bridge. Its a great mix of classic bands and newer bands. Any age will have a great time, and you can come and go as you please. So, if you arent interested in any of the bands playing you can walk up a block or two to the legendary Beale Street and grab some dry rub barbecue and a drink till you are ready to head back.

But if its barbecue that you are wanting, head on over the Rendez-Vous. The back alley joint is a legend in the city of Memphis. The waitstaff is seasoned with years of experience and will give you every bit of "Memphis" that you were looking for.

The new Fed-Ex forum is also nestled downtown, and hosts the NBA Memphis Grizzlies. The arena is really nice and I would recommend people to see a game if they are playing during your visit.

What would a trip to Memphis be without a trip to see Graceland? The home of Elvis Presley welcomes visitors year round. Check with their website, www.graceland.com for exact times just to make sure that when you go falls within their hours. If you are in for a drive, you can cross the Mississippi border and head to Graceland II. This place is open 24 hours, and you will never see anything like it in your life. A man has devoted his life, house, and body to honor Elvis and he for 5 dollars will give you a tour of his memorabilia laden home at any hour of the night. It slightly looks like a garage sale exploded on every surface of the house, but its entertaining to say the least.

Memphis is a place full of soul. Its worth seeing, but dont stay long enough for it to loose its charm.

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