Both of my parents are from Tennessee and they liked to go home often, so I spent hundreds of hours in the car heading toward Lawrence County and Chattanooga.
Memphis has always been the entry way, the gate leading "home." I love everything about the town; the history, the blues, the soul. Mud Island, Tom Lee Park, the Lorraine Motel. The names of the cross streets of Riverfront that I know by heart: Poplar, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Union, and then of course, Beale Street.
So, we went for a whirlwind 24 hour no-kids vacation, and I snapped some fun photos.
(Oh yeah, my best friend and I screamed our heads off at a John Mayer concert, too.)
The historic Kress Building (next door to our hotel)
Jeremy, contemplating the selection at The Peanut Shop.
A row of "house phones" at The Peabody Hotel.
Above and below; scenes from the rooftop terrace at the Peabody.Not everyone knows you can go to the Duck Palace on the roof, but I love it there. The doors to the ballroom have been unlocked every time I've ventured to the top floor, and I took Jeremy into the secret place.
Above: The wall behind the stage at (the best place on Beale) the Rum Boogie Cafe, and the dining area at the Rum Boogie.
The Beale Street scene. In the middle of the picture, on the left side, you'll see a black sign for the A. Schwab store. This place is 2 and a half stories of awesome weirdness. The next five pictures are from inside Schwab.
This is what I love about the city- you can listen to a man play his trumpet, and listen to him sing about being a Mannish Boy.*
...And at the end of an long, lovely day, we hopped the trolley and headed home.
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*The real Muddy Waters died 5 months before I was born. This guy is just blowin' his horn.
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