Memphis & More
CROSWELL’S MEMPHIS & MORE
June 13-16, 2021
Cicadas! Just think, for babies born this year, they will be 17 years old before they meet the next invasion of the cicadas. We had been experiencing this event for a few weeks. Thousands of them had been annoying with their presence and their extremely loud chirping sound. On the morning of this trip, three of these little creatures had to be extricated from the bus! By the time we reached Tennessee, the large front window of the bus was a big mess with the remains of these large flying insects. Thankfully, once we reached our destination of Memphis, there were none to be found (or heard)!
DAY 1: All the Elvis Presley and Grand Ole Opry fans were enjoying a beautiful travel day. Jason and I had the job of finding a lunch location. This proved more difficult that one would expect, simply because restaurants were recovering from closures due to the pandemic. We managed to find a Chipotle and a Burger King side by side, and they were able to accommodate us. After our long travel day and a change to Central Time, we arrived at the Drury Inn near Memphis (actually in Mississippi) in time for their 5:30 Kickback buffet meal, which included a free alcoholic drink!
DAY 2: A day packed with touring, beginning with Elvis’ Graceland. The complex directly across the street from the mansion has grown by leaps and bounds since my last visit about 25 years ago. There are two restaurants named after Elvis’ parents, Vernon’s Smokehouse and Gladys’ Diner, museums, and “The Lisa Marie”, Elvis’s private jet. We had plenty of time here, including time for lunch.
Our next stop was at Sun Studio. This original small recording studio is famous for the many musicians, including Elvis, who created the new sounds of “Rock N Roll.” I found it interesting to learn that the secretary kept promoting Elvis to her boss, Sam Phillips, trying to convince him to give young Elvis a chance. Her desk, photo, and manual typewriter are on display. This studio is the home of the Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins). There’s a photo of the four of them hanging on the wall. We had a fun and interesting tour guide to share this story.
Next we toured the Memphis Rock N Soul Museum on Beale Street and they were open just for our group. This museum was created by the Smithsonian Institution. We were given headsets to listen at our own pace to the story of pioneers who overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create music that shook the entire world, from Blues to Rock N Roll to Soul.
We were within walking distance of our dinner location at the King’s Palace Café. We had entertainment by a single musician while we ate dinner. Once finished, we had an hour’s free time to explore the shops and see the activity on Beale Street. This is one of America’s iconic streets that is a melting pot of Delta Blues, Jazz, Rock N Roll, R&B and Gospel.
DAY 3: This morning we met our guide for a city tour. As we were driving to meet her at the Visitor’s Center, we saw in the distance the Bass Pro Shop Pyramid. The night before, a lady in the hotel dining room told me that seeing this should be part of our tour. I was happy to learn from our guide that yes, indeed, we would be making a stop there. This “pyramid” was originally built as a 20,000 seat sports stadium. It’s not only a store, but there is a 103 room hotel above the store, and the Mississippi Terrace at the top. There is a 28-story elevator that takes you to the glass observation deck. A very fascinating place for sure.
As we drove around the city, we saw Danny Thomas’ St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Research Center, and our guide mentioned several facts about this wonderful organization that provides free services for children with cancer. Our next stop was at the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. A wreath continues to hang near the door on the second floor balcony where he was standing, and two vintage cars sit below the room. This hotel was purchased for the purpose of constructing the National Civil Rights Museum. The last resident of the hotel, Jacqueline Smith, refused to leave and was evicted. She vowed to protest the use of so much money for a museum, instead of using money to further Martin Luther King’s mission. She has spent 30 years protesting on the corner near the museum and has devoted her life to protecting his legacy.
Our next interesting stop was at The Peabody Hotel. The tradition of the Ducks is internationally famous. The story of how it all began is that back in the 1930’s the General Manager and a friend returned from a weekend hunting trip. The men had a little too much Tennessee sippin’ whiskey and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys in the beautiful Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were selected as “guinea pigs.” In 1940 the Bellman offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. The Bellman, Mr. Pembroke, became Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capacity for 50 years! Nearly 90 years after the inaugural march, the ducks still visit the lobby fountain from 11 am to 5 pm each day. Today, the ducks are five American mallards. When off-duty, the ducks live in their Royal Duck Palace on the hotel’s rooftop. The $200,000 structure is made of marble and glass and features its very own fountain with a bronze duck spitting water. It also includes a small house – a replica of the hotel – where the ducks can nest with a soft, grassy front yard. Duck is not served anywhere at The Peabody and has not been seen on the menu since 1981, quite possibly making Chez Philippe the only French restaurant in the world that does not offer duck. The Peabody Marching Ducks have appeared on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “Sesame Street,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” and in People magazine and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Our group did not see the march, however, I snapped a photo of the bellman rolling up the red carpet. I also got a photo of the bellman feeding the ducks from a silver platter. We had time to take photos and ride the beautiful gold plated elevator to the 13th floor for a view of the city and a look at the Duck Palace.
At 11:30, we departed Memphis and were on the road to Nashville. We arrived for our dinner at the Santa Fe Cattle Company. Our evening was spent at the Grand Ole Opry. This was a really good show, and we were told that tonight was the first sell-out crowd since the pandemic began with over 4,000 people. Our overnight was at a Drury Plaza in Franklin, TN.
DAY 4: Our morning included one more fun and interesting event. We had time to explore the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The lobbies and atrium gardens covers a huge amount of space, and every time I visit I warn people that “you can get lost.” I made sure everyone had a map to help direct them. Our time was limited, but worthwhile. Soon we were on our way home after this fast-paced, fun and interesting trip. We made good time and everyone enjoyed having Jason McElfresh as driver.
-From the escort seat of Maxine Harris
