Day 12 - Memphis

Ok, we've got 2 days in Memphis so where do we start?

Only one choice and that's where it all began for rock'n'roll.

Sun Studios.

What a great tour. For such a small studio the tour is superbly organised and guided by a young girl whose name we've forgotten. Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and many others all started out here. It's been kept as a time capsule with some of the original instruments as well, including the mike that the all used.

Amazing to think that so much of what we love started here.

Next stop is lunch (again) at The Young Ave Deli in Cooper Young district.

Another very trendy up and coming area with great food and mood.

Now we're off to visit the home if a little known local boy by the name of ELVIS PRESLEY!!

I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee!

Really surprisingly enjoyable tour. Expected something really tacky and it wasn't that bad. Very 70's obviously but also clearly very expensive stuff.

When Elvis bought the house he paid $100,000 for it and it was in the middle of the country. Now there's a 6 lane highway running past it and the whole Graceland money hoovering operation is opposite it.

The most impressive part of the place is the gold record gallery, jaw dropping.

One interesting thing I noticed was that to thank him for selling 20 million records RCA gave Elvis a television! Not even colour.

All knackered after a full day so ate in tonight.

Day 13 Memphis and Stax of History

More museums today, starting with the Civil Rights Museum which is based around the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was shot.

The museum isn't just about this but gives you the whole history of the slave trade, civil war and American civil rights fight.

Very interesting and moving, we spent 3 hours there but you could take all day easily.

Across the street is one of the city's institutions, Central BBQ. Great lunch of pulled pork sandwich and iced tea.

Next up is the Stax museum of soul music. Another great and interesting trip.

When we think back 50 years to when we used to bop around to the likes of Otis Redding and Sam & Dave we couldn't have imagined that one day we would be standing in the room where they recorded so much great stuff.'

Any soul fans, I'd recommend trying to read up some of the history of Stax records and how much of a ground breaking place it was.

Just time to get to The Peabody for The March of The Ducks (google it) then round the corner for a blast of Memphis Jones at BB Kings.

Nice and sunny when we went in but as we sat ther the wind picked up and the next thing is we're in the land of the delta blues in the middle of the pouring rain and have to make a dash back to the apartment.

Mind you it's still about 92 degrees out there.

Well, that's Memphis done for us.

We arrived not sure how safe the place was after hearing some rumours and left in love with it, warts and all.

Memphis rocks.