Our first night in Memphis was so much fun, that we were looking forward to day two. We slept in just a little and decided we would skip breakfast and just have coffee. The coffee at The Peabody is free, but it’s located in a little sweet shop in the lobby. Walking past the sweet treats was almost impossible, but I knew we had reservations for tea later in the day, and I didn’t want to start my day with a sugar overload. They set it all up so beautifully, with lots of options for add-ins like nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. They even had almond milk in addition to cream. I had the dark roast with almond milk, and it was delicious.
Jeff and I were living it up in Memphis with music, food, and sightseeing. I had so many plans for the trip, but it became clear that if we were really going to sink into this city to fully appreciate it, we wouldn’t be doing that with quick sightseeing trips. So, we slowed down on our second day by eliminating a couple of items on our itinerary. I’ll review the experiences below the table, but here is the original plan compared to what we actually were able to experience:
| Time | Original Plan | Actual Trip |
| 7:30 | Breakfast | Slept in! |
| 9:00 | Civil Rights Museum | Civil Rights Museum |
| 12:00 | Lunch Central BBQ | 11:00 Central BBQ |
| 1:30 | Stax Records | A nap and self-guided tour of The Peabody |
| 3:00 | Tea at Chez Phillip | 2:00 Tea at Chez Phillip Followed by March of the Ducks |
| 6:00 | Dinner at Paulette’s | Dinner – followed by a sunset walk by the river |
| 8:00 | Beale Street bars | Tickets to Gladys Knight! |
The Civil Rights Museum hit us hard and heavy. My personal belief is that every human being should visit this museum. As we moved through the museum, which started with the slave trade triangle and moved through to Dr. King’s death, the weight of racism and oppression grew heavier. They had so many exhibits set up. Jeff and I are educators, so we were fascinated by the schoolroom created to illustrate the education experiences of black children. We were horrified by some of the experiences revealed there. The bus boycott exhibit put us on the bus with Rosa Parks, and then another room detailed the story of the Freedom Riders. The heaviest scene was the motel room where MKL, Jr. spent his last night. It was situated next to a large window so that you could see where Dr. King was shot. The entire morning felt solemn and reverent, but I recommend it as a must-visit place in Memphis.
Switching gears, we hadn’t eaten breakfast, and we were starving, so after a small purchase in the gift shop, we asked the security employees where to eat. We had planned to go to Central BBQ because it was right next to the Civil Rights Museum. However, the employees told us to try Cozy Corner BBQ. Against their recommendation, we decided to try Central because we were so hungry, and afterwards, wished we had gone to Cozy Corner. The meal was just okay, nothing special. We had pulled pork sandwiches with mac and cheese and slaw. It seemed like the meat had been cooked with no flavor, so you had to add a lot of sauce. It was all fresh but we wished we had listened to the security guard and tried something else.
I usually plan our trips with no downtime, just back-to-back adventures. But the more we travel, the more I think about how hard it is to know a place when you’re just covering all the bases. I wanted us to spend time in these activities, so we would feel a part of the rhythm of Memphis. So instead of moving to another museum after lunch, we went for a walk. We strolled along the streets checking out the architecture, landscaping, and the people engaged in their everyday movements. Memphis at first glance feels a little gritty or grimy, and the people seem to live alongside all the tourists, but there’s a slow beautiful vibe happening in this town.
After our walk and a nap, we dressed for afternoon tea at Chez Philipe in The Peabody. I love all things British, so this reservation was the highlight of the trip for me. Entering the restaurant, we saw all the blush table coverings with the tea sets and flowers placed just right. We ordered the three-course tea with champagne for me and Diet Coke for Jeff. Everything was so lovely – the little sandwiches, the scones with clotted cream and jam, and all the petite fours. I ordered the chocolate chai tea, which was so delicious. I love being able to try it several different ways – with cream or honey or both! Jeff loved the chicken salad sandwiches and the scones. This would make a fabulous date or a fun afternoon with friends.
The restaurant opens to the lobby, so as we left, we stopped to see the ducks. Every day at 4:00 p.m., the Duckmaster arrives in the lobby for a little ceremony to round up the ducks and take them back to their roost on the roof. We stayed to watch the ceremony, which gave me an opportunity to order a ducky-drink in the lobby. I ordered the Lucille and asked for it to be made ducky. I sipped my drink as the Duckmaster invited the children in the lobby to roll out the red carpet for the ducks to waddle their way to the elevators. It was all done with such finesse!
We had a dinner reservation at 6:00 p.m. for Paulette’s, which I had read about on a restaurant review site. We were not the least bit hungry after tea, but we decided to go anyway because we had spontaneously purchased Gladys Knight tickets at the Orpheum Theater and thought we might be hungry by 8:00 when the show started. The restaurant was empty, and we didn’t know what to make of that. We shared a wedge salad and a steak, which tasted delicious but not extraordinary. What was memorable was the walk along the river afterward. Paulette’s is located on Mud Island in Harbor Town, directly across from a park along the Mississippi River. This was a beautiful place to just sit and be still with nature. Walking along the park grounds beside the river, we enjoyed watching people, some sprawled on blankets on the ground, others walking dogs, while the sun sank into the Mississippi River.
This would have been the perfect ending to the day, but we did have the Gladys tickets, and I wanted to see the historic Orpheum Theater, so we Ubered over to the show. The theater is absolutely stunning, with a huge crystal chandelier in the grand lobby and gold everything. We headed to the very top floor for our seats and got settled. If you’re fortunate enough to see Gladys, do it! She was rocking a beautiful white pant suit with heals paired with a sleek black leather jacket. Her powerful voice filled the theater with lots of old favorites. At the end of the evening, we walked back to the hotel, enjoying the cool night.
Soul Searching Traveler 
Leave a comment