My favorite Memphis weekend: Graceland, Sun Studio, and Stax in the morning, the National Civil Rights Museum in the afternoon, dry-rub ribs at the Rendezvous, and blues on Beale Street at night. These are the spots I send every friend visiting the B...
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I tour Graceland every time I'm in town, from the Jungle Room to the jumpsuits across the street at Elvis Presley's Memphis.
Graceland Mansion
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The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is the most powerful museum I've ever walked through, and I give it a full afternoon.
National Civil Rights Museum
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I take the Sun Studio tour and stand on the X where Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Howlin' Wolf recorded.
Sun Studio
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At the Stax Museum I always linger at Isaac Hayes' gold-trimmed Cadillac and the dance floor upstairs.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
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I pop into the Blues Hall of Fame across from the Civil Rights Museum to listen my way through the inductees.
Blues Hall of Fame Museum
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My Beale Street night starts at B.B. King's Blues Club with a live band and a plate of catfish.
B.B. King's Blues Club
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I browse A. Schwab, the last original business on Beale, for voodoo candles, hats, and a root beer float at the soda fountain.
A. Schwab
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I grab a burger at Dyer's on Beale, fried in grease they say has been strained daily since 1912.
Dyer's Burgers
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I time my visit to the Peabody lobby for the 11 a.m. Duck March down the red carpet to the fountain.
The Peabody Memphis
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I head down the alley to the Rendezvous for dry-rub ribs in that basement that's been smoking since 1948.
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
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I order the spicy fried chicken at Gus's on Front Street, crackly, hot, and worth every napkin.
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
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I book Majestic Grille before a show at the Orpheum, a gorgeous old silent movie house turned restaurant.
The Majestic Grille
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I catch a touring Broadway show at the Orpheum, the grand 1928 theater at the end of Beale.
Orpheum Theatre
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I eat breakfast at the Arcade, Memphis' oldest cafe, in the booth where Elvis used to sit.
The Arcade Restaurant
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I end the night at Earnestine & Hazel's for a Soul Burger and live music in a famously haunted former brothel.
Earnestine & Hazel's
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I ride the elevator to the Lookout at the top of the Pyramid for a huge view of the Mississippi.
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid
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I walk the redesigned Tom Lee Park along the river, and it's my favorite place to watch the sun set over Arkansas.
Tom Lee Park
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I walk or bike across the Mississippi on Big River Crossing and watch the bridge light show after dark.
Big River Crossing - Memphis
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I visit Slave Haven to see the hidden cellar and trapdoors in a house believed to be an Underground Railroad stop.
Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
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I go to Cozy Corner for smoked Cornish hen and BBQ bologna, the order that makes it different from every other joint.
Cozy Corner Restaurant
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I wander Crosstown Concourse, an old Sears building reborn as a vertical village of shops, art, and food.
Crosstown Concourse
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I walk the Old Forest trails in Overton Park, a rare old-growth forest right in the middle of Midtown.
Overton Park
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I bring a blanket to a free concert at the Levitt Shell, where Elvis played his first paid show.
Overton Park Shell
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I spend a morning at the Memphis Zoo, and the Egyptian-style entrance and Teton Trek are my favorite parts.
Memphis Zoo
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My go-to pulled pork plate is at Central BBQ, with a side of their BBQ nachos for the table.
Central BBQ - Midtown
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I grab fried pickles and a beer at Young Avenue Deli and stay for whatever band is playing.
Young Avenue Deli
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I make the trip to Payne's for a chopped pork sandwich with their yellow mustard slaw, the best sandwich in Memphis to me.
Payne's Bar-B-Que
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I drink a Tiny Bomb pilsner at Wiseacre's big HQ taproom near Broad Avenue.
WISEACRE Brewing Company HQ
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I stroll the gardens at the Dixon and see their French Impressionist paintings in a beautiful old estate.
Dixon Gallery & Gardens
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I wander the Japanese garden at the Memphis Botanic Garden, especially when the azaleas are blooming.
Memphis Botanic Garden
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I order the wood-fired pizzas at Hog & Hominy, where Southern ingredients meet Italian cooking.
Hog & Hominy
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I stop at the original Corky's on Poplar for a slab of wet ribs and a pile of onion loaf.
Corky's Ribs & BBQ
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I rent a bike at Shelby Farms Park, one of the biggest urban parks in the country, and look for the bison herd.
