Road Trip Girl: Beale Street and Memphis
- Jul 21
- 14 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Road Trip! In April, my sister Staci and I loaded up her car and headed to Beale Street for a weekend of fun and adventure.
During our sleepover weekend in late January, we began talking about Graceland. I said, “I’d love to go there,” and my sister replied, “Me, too.”
We booked a hotel, googled Graceland, The Civil Rights Museum and a bus tour and we were set for our Road Trip to Beale Street in April. Yes, it really happened that way. And it was that fast.
I believe I’ve been to Memphis before. On a drive through to the beach and to a baseball tournament years ago. Never spending any real time there, I was looking forward to visiting one of the most famous streets in the United States.
Staci loves history and exploring. I love traveling and adventure. It’s a match made in sister-heaven. We are both good planners, so we took the time to research what we might like and conferred with one another. We like most of the same things and what the other person likes is often fun to learn.
That Thursday in April she picked me up at 9:30am, took a look at my backpack and duffle and laughed. “That’s all you’re bringing?”
She knows me better! I giggled and showed her my suitcase which she then lifted into her car.
We headed out hoping to make it for lunch in Memphis. My friend Dann had supplied a list of ideas and this diner seemed perfect.
On the first leg of the journey we listened to The Jubal Show on 107.7, which made us both laugh.
We stopped for gas at a Love’s and believe it or not, gas prices hadn’t gone up yet.
It was a sunny day and the closer we got to Memphis, the warmer it got.
Staci enjoys driving the speed limit.
As we entered Memphis, we enjoyed the sky-line. And really, who doesn't love a sky-line?
Memphis welcomed us.
Checking in at the Hampton Inn Beale Street was easy and fast. The staff was helpful, polite, and professional. This hotel is located in a perfect place if you are interested in hanging out and exploring Beale Street. There is a concert park across the street, and we were gifted concerts almost every day.
Reaching the room about 2:30, I realized that the diner closed in ten minutes, so we headed to Beale Street to check it out and find a place for lunch.
I’m glad we had the chance to wander through in the daytime when it wasn’t busy and check out all the bars, restaurants, and stores.
We ended up at Dyers, a burger place that claims to have been there a long time as well as the best burgers. Honestly, don’t bother. They tasted like Steak and Shake (which we both love), however. They charged us for glasses of tap water ($1 each), and they added a 20% tip. On the upside, is it was quick and easy. ON the downside, not great customer service and being charged $1 for tap water? Nope.
Walking along Beale Street we stopped in to check out the diving goats that live at Silky’s on the patio and the music schedule.
We wandered into A. Schwab, a dry goods shop that has been there since 1876.
They have a little bit of everything including an ice cream shop. We both ended up buying a fun sticker and giggling at a few of the items inside.
In another funky store we found fun t-shirts.
And this one....
Walking up the street we sat and talked with the Elvis statue for a few minutes.
What's Elvis without a tree?
We walked back reading the history of Beale Street along the way.
We have a radar for chocolate, and we found Beale Sweets Sugar Shack which we loved.
Bulk candy, fudge, and truffles. Need I say more?
In another shop, we giggled over a few fun items.
Peace. Love. Beale Street.
We headed back to the hotel for a quick rest before dinner. I love that my sister incorporates rest into her vacations. I would keep going, however, it’s fun to hang out in a hotel room, too. She always reminds me of that. And I love the downtime. Even if I don’t want to love the down time.
After our rest we walked back to Beale Street. Our list of restaurant suggestions included one at the far end of Beale Street and so we walked that way. Along the way, we noticed big tables set up on Beale Street with a BBQ dinner. We were curious so we asked Joy, a new friend who had wandered over to where we were.
“This is a community dinner for the people who work downtown and are a part of our chamber,” she explained. They had planned this last winter, and it looked like quite a bit of fun.
We ended up at Silky O’Sullivan’s patio for dinner and music.
Silky O’Sullivan was a real person, worth a google.
They boast jumping goats.
Buddy was taking requests as well as rocking out to the hits which was great fun. I love live music and this was easy listening. The ribs were sauced served with fries, bread, and slaw. I asked the waitress, “Do you have anything green?” which made my sister laugh. “No, nothing green…”
This was our first experience with Memphis ribs. We were told many would have a dry rub. Being from St. Louis, we knew dry rub, but honestly, I’m not sure I understood what that really meant. The ribs at Silky O’Sullivan’s were delicious and falling off the bone. I added bbq sauce and enjoyed my first dinner on Beale Street.
At first, we were at a community table, but then I saw something small run by in the goat enclosure and couldn’t stay there. We moved to a center table, and we could see and hear Buddy much better. We listened to his set and then walked back to our hotel. Beale Street was coming alive and we were exhausted.
We also had a very early morning tomorrow for our visit to Graceland.
On Friday morning we woke up to gray skies. Breakfast was included.
When I travel I never, ever think that I won’t’ have completely amazing weather. So when my sister tried to tell me we might have rain I suggested we not talk about it and take raincoats.
We used google maps and ended up on Elvis Presley Blvd!
Google maps takes you directly to Graceland as if you’ve been invited as a guest.
The planes are right outside the museums near the parking lot. We parked (didn’t love that we had to pay for parking- for the admission price we thought needed to be included) and headed into the museums and entrance.
After confirming our tickets we were led into a movie theatre for a short film about the life of Elvis. Then we had our photo taken and boarded vans for the mansion. It is a very well-oiled machine.
I had no idea what to expect.
Graceland didn’t disappoint. In fact, I absolutely loved Graceland from the moment I saw it as we pulled up in the van. It is stunning, down-to-earth, relatable, and yes, warm. A real, family home.
The mansion was left just as it was when Elvis lived there with a few pictures of family added. Tourists are only allowed on the lower floors. The second floor is still used by the family on holidays.
I loved that. The family still gathers here. In this house where Elvis lived. Along with his parents and grandmother. And at one point Priscilla and Lisa Marie.
One of the first things I noticed was how much Graceland looked like a million other houses I had been in. It’s not that big. The mansion sits on about thirteen acres which also includes a barn for horses which live there, an office that Elvis’ dad used, a swing set for kids, a beautiful patio that I could actually see sitting on and enjoying the afternoon, a pool that Elvis and Priscilla and family used, a racquetball court/house and now it includes a reflection garden where Elvis, his parents, grandson and Lisa Marie are buried.
John Stamos was my audio guide, and I enjoyed listening to him while roaming through the house. The tour never ever felt crowded although we could tell there were many people there.
The home itself has a floor plan like many homes with a dining room and living room/music room in the front of the house, the kitchen near the back and a family area behind that. Elvis closed in a patio to build the Jungle Room where he recorded music and albums.
The furniture in the living room is oversized, and Elvis and his family actually used it!
The baby grand where guests gathered.
A back bedroom which was Elvis’ mom’s sits as it was when she lived there including clothing in the closet.
On the dining room table sits the silver Elvis and Priscilla received for their wedding. There is also a beautiful picture of Priscilla and Lisa Marie.
There is a TV in this room, too. And apparently, Elvis sat so he could see the TV and everyone in the room.
The kitchen looks like any other kitchen. I liked this kitchen and could see how a family would enjoy being in there together. As we listened, Lisa Marie could also be heard talking about how fun the house was and her memories of being there in each room.
I was particularly fascinated by the Jungle Room but that was mostly because of the song and what I had read. It was a perfectly normal-looking room with a big chair that Lisa Marie napped on.
Downstairs there is an entertainment room, with state of the art-at the time stereo’s and a projector.
The backyard is lovely and we wandered around seeing the pool, the horses and grounds and the racquetball courts.
The grounds are home to horses.
And a beautiful swimming pool.
There is also a small museum with Presley family artifacts and original art and furniture. Including Lisa Marie’s nursery.
A beautiful garden outside also serves as the final resting place for the Presley family.
It is a reverent place of quiet and prayer.
Hopping on the van, we headed back to the museums and walked through one that reflected the influence of Elvis on music through the ages.
We also went into the Lisa Marie museum which we both loved.
We stopped for lunch in the café (smart idea) and then Staci ran to the car in her newly purchased rain poncho to retrieve my raincoat. What a great sister!
We both really enjoyed Graceland.
Since it was raining so hard, we drove by the two airplanes parked outside instead of going in on our way to the National Civil Rights Museum.
I had heard this was not-to-be-missed and once more we were both impressed with the amount of work and effort that clearly went into this.
The National Civil Rights Museum is housed in the Lorraine Motel, and it is spiritual, historical, and emotional. It reminded us of The 911 Memorial in New York. We were reverent, sad, curious and I came out of there wanting to change the world. I felt the same way here in Memphis.
I also realized that humans can be so horrible to one another. And that if you have the chance to be KIND-be kind.
In addition-make your voice heard. WE are the agents of change.
The museum begins with the story of how Africans became enslaved in Africa and Europe and finally the United States. It is humbling and sad to see this history as the museum displays it. We skipped the movie and moved slowly through time bearing witness to civil rights through time in our country. There is even a bus you can climb on representing the bus Rosa Parks was on. There is also a burned-out bus from the Freedom Riders. Time continues on…. through the sit-ins, the violence, the bravery, and courage of so very many people.
There is also beautiful art, displays about education, work, and riots through time. It’s a lot to take in in one afternoon. And yet, I felt and still feel that every American kid needs to know this and see this. To actually feel it. Staci commented, “It feels so heavy.”
Near the end you walk through the room next to where Martin Luther King, Jr. was staying which is glassed in. There is a wreath on the outside commemorating him as well as cars from the era in the parking lot. It feels as if nothing was touched. And it was so very sad.
I’m glad the museum has this on display. I’m glad that this museum exists. It’s a reminder that many gave their lives for our freedom. And we need to know this history and remember this.
It is OUR history.
We needed to walk around after this and let our thoughts settle, so we headed back to our hotel (which had in/out parking) and walked along Beale Street.
We headed back into Beale Sweets and decided to try a truffle.
It was there. We love chocolate. We were on vacation. No judgement here.
Since Blues City Café came so highly recommended we decided to try it.
And we were both very glad we did. From the moment we walked in, the service was friendly, the atmosphere fun and we could smell something delicious.
We ordered a half slab of their ribs which are sauced and we loved them. They were delicious in all way ribs need to be. You could tell they were cooked slowly and in a yummy sauce that was made in-house. It came with potatoes (we were off fries), exquisite, buttered Texas toast and cold slaw.
Blues City Café ribs were some of the best I’ve ever had. Staci loved them too. We also ordered a salad because we really needed something green. Skipping what looked to be incredible dessert (the next table ordered two to share!) we thanked our server and headed outside for a much-needed walk.
When we were driving out that morning we noticed the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Reflection Park, and knew we wanted to go back to explore.
After our excellent dinner we walked over to the park and explored the tribute to Dr. King. It’s definitely something everyone needs to do.
This was a beautiful place to spend time.
Beale Street was lit up for the evening, and we slowly wandered through it.
After a very long day, we knew we wanted an early evening, so we headed back to our hotel.
Saturday morning we took a Viator tour of the city and ended up with Memphis Best Tours. We wanted to see as much as we could, and this tour included Sun Studio.
First stop was Peabody Place with exquisite murals.
And bigger than life statues of Elvis and BB King.
What a lovely visitors center. We circled around the city and were treated to views of beautiful old historical homes, stories about the people who had lived in them and their significance to Memphis history.
Then hopping on Danny Thomas Blvd, we saw St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Through the bridge we saw painted murals by the kids.
We drove by the Memphis Pyramid and heard the crazy story about how this came to be the indoor adventure destination which includes a hotel, a Bass Pro Shop, an aquarium, observation deck, restaurants and much more.
We were then dropped at the Peabody Hotel for the March of the Ducks. We didn’t’ know what to expect, so Staci stayed by the elevators and I went up to the balcony. Both of us had great views. It’s true.
The ducks really do come walking out of the elevator led by the duck master, Kenon. He is an entertainer and wow, do people love the march of the ducks. The ducks don’t really seem to care.
Once you see this and the hundreds of people who flock to The Peabody daily, google the March of the Ducks history. It’s quite fascinating. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.
Back on our van, we quickly stopped at Beale Street to drop people off and Staci and I ran to Beale Sweets.
Then boarded the bus again for Sun Studio. Having seen the Broadway show, Million-Dollar Quartet at Stages Community Theatre in St. Louis and at the Fox Theatre I was looking forward to this tour. Sun Studio is a working studio and it’s history is rich in folklore. All true!
While Sun Studio is the home of many famous singers, Elvis also recorded here. Studio assistant Marion Keisker noted who he was and a year later Sam Phillips contacted him.
For more of the history google Sun Studio. Although, our tour leader brought this story to life with her storytelling…so better yet, plan a visit to Memphis and Sun Studio.
Inside the recording studio, we stood in the exact spot Elvis stood.
Sang in a working microphone-
And I drummed at the drum set U2 used when they were there.
Our tour guide Alexis Grace is a singer-performer and even gave us a tune. She was quite fun, energetic, informed and very sweet. Everyone on this tour was a fan. Either of Elvis, Sun Studio, other recording artists, or a favorite song.
The studio is small, yet mighty. I felt as if I was on sacred land!
Sun Studio was one of my favorite parts of our road trip.
After getting dropped at Beale Street, we made our way to Arcade Restaurant. Two friends suggested it and we were looking forward to the diner. And though we wanted to love it, we didn’t. It was okay, maybe it was an off day, however, neither of us was impressed with the food and certainly not the service.
We parked our car and took a walk through Beale Street. We noticed a street we hadn’t explored and a number of people coming out of the theatre. They had seen SIX one of our favorite shows and were stopping in Dinstuhl’s, Fine Candies Since 1902.
We didn’t even have to think about it. Stepping in, I realized that the truffles we had been enjoying very possibly came from this shop. There was a sale rack-sale on chocolate?!-and while we were in the truffle shop, they said everything was 20% off. OH!
We stocked up.
We also asked if they supplied truffles to other candy shops and while they didn’t say yes, they didn’t say no.
We sat right outside and tried a wedding cake truffle. Beyond good!
We continued walking around and found our way back to our Beale Sweets and stocked up on bulk treats. Because we don’t have any of that here. (really?!)
Then to our hotel to rest before dinner. Another unplanned break that re-energized us for the evening.
Again, listening to friends suggestions, we went to Rendezvous. It’s a little tricky to find, but we did. The murals along the alleys were fun to see too.
The ribs were incredible and the pickles and slaw were good, too. Our waiter was very helpful and we enjoyed our evening.
Getting back to the hotel we shared a truffle. I believe it was lemon.
I had half and then never saw any of the lemon truffles. Ask my sister. I’m pretty sure she took them!
We are pretty sure Saturday was the day of four visits to Beale Sweets! And the corvette club show.
On Sunday, we planned to have breakfast and head out.
Missouri welcomed her daughters back.
We had googled a bakery/deli and hoped to make it for lunch. Hoeckele’s Bakery and Deli located in Perryville on our way home was everything you could ask for in a road trip lunch. Healthy, tasty and the bakery treats were so good!
We had sandwiches and then this incredible brownie that cost $1.50.
And because we bought lunch first, we had store bonus money, so the brownie was actually free.
Worth the stop!
Heading to St. Genevieve my sister knew of an antique mall which we thought would be a fun stop. The Antique Mall of Ste. Genevieve yielded an afternoon of wandering around, laughing, and finding gifts.
My sister fell in love with a little salt and pepper shaker. In fact, I had never seen so many salt and pepper shakers!
Street murals were everywhere.
We got back on the road and made it home sometime in the afternoon.
What a fun, engaging, enlightening road trip we had! My sister and I travel really well together and laughed and chatted almost the entire time. Walking in Memphis is as fun as Marc Cohn sings.
I LOVED Graceland and learning more about Elvis, and the Civil Rights Museum moved me to continue to empower myself and others to find and use our voices, Sun Studio felt like a piece of living music history and Beale Street lived up to its reputation. The music was fun, the BBQ was delicious, the truffles other-worldly. We walked miles and miles and enjoyed the experience.
My favorite part of this road trip?
Being with my sister.
Just being. Doing what we wanted, collaborating on ideas, laughing, people watching and hearing music. Meeting people and exploring a new place together making memories.
Stay tuned for more Road Trips.
Expect Good. Defy Gravity. Sparkle ON! Road trips with the Wilson Sisters!
For more St. Louis Girl Storytelling blogs and St. Louis Girl Podcasts and Interviews and to find out how I empower people to discover and use their voice through storytelling:
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