A couple of weeks before Mardi Gras break, the conversation went like this:
SETH: Remember how we went to San Antonio a couple of years ago because you wanted some good Mexican food to eat?
ME: Yes . . .
SETH: Can we go to Memphis for some BBQ?
ME: Absolutely!
And not because I wanted BBQ. But Memphis is a city the kids hadn't been to, and I'm always up for a road trip. So we did.
We spent the first full day at the National Civil Rights Museum, walking Beale Street, visiting the Bass Pro Shop at the Pyramid, going to a Grizzlies basketball game and, of course, eating BBQ.
I love a good museum, and the National Civil Rights Museum is definitely one of the most impressive ones I've been to. Growing up in the Deep South, I know what I was always taught regarding the civil rights movement. In recent years, my perspective has changed a bit, and I think I was taught only certain parts of the story. The true story is hard and heartbreaking and unimaginable. This museum was so beautifully done. We all enjoyed it.
The Lorraine Motel is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in 1968, and it's now been transformed into the museum. The entire experience was somber but especially as we walked around the corner of the hotel and into the room where Dr. King was that day.
I think we'd all agree that Dr. King's most famous and well-known speech is "I Have a Dream." And we're probably all familiar with some of the other quotes he made about darkness and light, love and hate. But I heard at speech that day that I'd never heard before, and I haven't forgotten it. Maybe it's because of my current work with an organization whose mission involves giving those in the cycle of generational poverty the tools, education and methodology to get and maintain stable employment, housing, financial and family stability. But I knew I was on to something when Seth looked at me later that afternoon and asked me about the exact same speech that kept playing over and over in my mind.
It's the whole reason Dr. King was in Memphis to begin with. The city's sanitation workers were on strike because of low wages and dangerous working conditions. Two men had recently lost their lives because of malfunctioning equipment. Here's the part of Dr. King's speech that nearly left me speechless:
"You are demanding that this city will respect the dignity of labor. So often we overlook the work and the significance of those who are not in professional jobs, of those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth. One day our society must come to see this. One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive, for the person who picks up our garbage, in the final analysis, is as significant as the physician, for if he doesn't do his job, diseases are rampant. All labor has dignity."
After we finished touring the museum, we went across the street for lunch at Central BBQ. Everyone definitely enjoyed their lunch.We were just around the corner from the Arcade Restaurant, made popular by Elvis Presley. So we walked around the block for a quick picture.Speaking of walking, we spent the first part of our afternoon walking and touring the Beale Street area.
Our next stop was at the Bass Pro Shop. If there is such a thing as having a favorite Bass Pro Shop, this one would definitely be at the top of the list. And, speaking of top, we rode the world's tallest free-standing elevator to the tip of the Pyramid.
We went back to the downtown area and walked around a bit more before eating more BBQ.We didn't eat here (for obvious reasons), but Dyers claims to fry their hamburgers in 100-year old grease.
But we did eat here.When we were walking around Beale Street earlier in the day, we noticed at the FedEx Forum that there was a basketball game that night. I had no idea that one of the hottest players at the time was a Memphis Grizzlie or that my son was keeping up with said player. On a whim, I went to the ticket window and asked if they had any tickets available for the game. They did! So we spent the rest of our evening at what ended up being a very exciting basketball game.
The next morning we went for a tour at Sun Studio. It's considered to the the "Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll." Some of the most iconic names in blues and rock 'n' roll were discovered at Sun, including BB King, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. This didn't mean very much to my kids, but I felt like it was a "when in Memphis" moment.And this microphone is the very one Elvis used to record "That's All Right" for the first time in this very spot in this very studio.And here's the piano where the Million Dollar Quartet spent a day making music history.We ate lunch at the dive-iest dive I've ever been to, and it did not disappoint.After lunch we spent the afternoon at the Memphis Zoo. It's definitely one of the nicest zoos I've ever been to. There were so many animals, and the exhibits were very nice.
I'm not one to go to a zoo and take a lot of animal pictures, but these were my favorites that day. And did you know?!? I had no idea and thought this absolutely fascinating.And, speaking of animals, these are my favorite!After the zoo, it was time for supper. And, you guessed it. More BBQ. I also had the best salad I've ever had from a BBQ joint. I don't have any pictures this time.
The next morning we headed back home. It was the perfect little trip.
