Suggestions for Memphis, Nashville, and Little Rock -- what to do and where to stay..

October 29, 2008 10:22 AM

My wife and I are taking a trip to Memphis, Nashville, and Little Rock next week.. Need help on what to do and where to stay..

Planning on flying into Memphis and heading straight to Nashville for 1-2 nights.. On Sunday, head back to Memphis. Spend Monday in Little Rock, at the Clinton Library and perhaps other suggested places, and then spend Tuesday in Memphis before returning home that evening.

Comments? What should we do besides the obvious -- Graceland, seeing the Grand 'ole Oprey..? Where should we stay? Is it worth spending the money to be downtown so we can enjoy the nightlife and have a few drinks and not worry about driving? Wife and I -- we're in our 20s.. Friday - Tuesday.

Thank you!

posted by seinfeld to travel & transportation (16 comments total)

Memphis tips:

1. Downtown Memphis is kinda shitty. Beale Street is nothing but tourist traps packed with drunk rednecks and panhandlers. Graceland is worth doing just to say you've been, but Graceland Too is, uh, infinitely more rewarding.

The Cooper-Young district and Madison Ave. east of Cooper are where you'll find about 90 percent of our worthwhile destinations.

2. BBQ is the one thing Memphis does better than anyone. Avoid Corky's and The Rendezvous. Try Payne's or Central BBQ. If you go to Payne's, get the rib sandwich.

3. If you want your jaw to drop in astonishment at what a backwards cesspool your plane landed in, be sure to drive past the Statue of Liberation!
posted by bunnytricks at 10:52 AM on October 29, 2008

Little Rock tips:

As long as you're near the Clinton Presidential Library (this part of downtown is known as the River Market district), you might want to eat something. Boscos if you like beer, Flying Fish or Vermillion Water Grille if you like fish, Sonny Williams' Steakhouse or Doe's Eat Place if you like steak... I could go on like this.

Besides restaurants, I think the Arkansas Arts Center is worth a visit. Maybe some other stuff, too. What kinds of destinations and activities and whatnot do you usually enjoy?
posted by box at 11:04 AM on October 29, 2008

I very much enjoyed a tour of Sun Studio in Memphis.

Didn't take long, and you get to stand in the spot where rock 'n roll was (arguably) invented.
posted by OilPull at 11:18 AM on October 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

In Memphis, I like the National Ornamental Metal Museum.
posted by box at 11:32 AM on October 29, 2008

I also enjoy driving past the Pyramid.
posted by box at 11:34 AM on October 29, 2008

You'll need to rent a car in Memphis, public transportation is just not our thang. Same for Nashville and Little Rock.

Disagree with bunnytricks concerning Beale St and downtown Memphis. Tourist season is over, and Sunday nights will be pretty quiet and laid back, with local musicians playing the bars, whereas not much happening in Cooper Young on a Sunday night. It depends on how much you're in to music. You might be bored to tears.

Check our free weekly, The Memphis Flyer, for more info. (The editor's son is part of MGMT, fwiw.) Looks like there's a Farmers Market festival downtown on Sunday afternoon.

I like Graceland, if nothing else it reinforces your own sanity after seeing the crazed fans. Nothing like rubbing elbows with people from all over the world, crying at the candlelight vigil during Death Week (which you missed by about six weeks.) Although I do consider it a cultural icon, it is very expensive.
posted by raisingsand at 11:56 AM on October 29, 2008

Thank you.. We love rollerblading through cities.. Or wandering around by foot and seeing historic sites.. Typical stuff.. We'll probably never be back to Tennessee or Little Rock for a while -- so what should we not miss?

And help with hotels would be great too.. It sounds like it's not worth staying downtown in Memphis.. So where should we stay?

Thanks
posted by seinfeld at 3:17 PM on October 29, 2008

Agreeing with raisingsand that renting a car is a necessity for Nashville, too. However, if you stay in downtown, you can walk to the honky-tonks, tour the Ryman Auditorium and visit museums, our big fancy library, all within manageable walking distance. It's best to have a car if you want to go out and visit the Opryland Hotel (I really enjoy walking around it with visiting guests) and if you go watch the Opry (which I'm pretty sure is playing out in the theatre near the Opryland hotel right now). It's a bit hilly, but you could probably blade over the ped bridge downtown and near the stadium (provided there aren't any big goings on the weekend you are here. LINK to some greenway maps). Another good place for music, beside the honkytonks downtown, is The Station Inn (bluegrass music, see website for scheudle) -- close to downtown, but you'll likely want to cab it/drive there. Have fun (and feel free to mefimail me if you have Qs).
posted by NikitaNikita at 5:48 PM on October 29, 2008

Just picked up this week's Flyer, and the River Arts Fest continues through Sunday, which I didn't know when I posted earlier. We're going Saturday, the music will be better that day IMHO. Check it at riverartsfest.org. Last year was fun, you can stay at any of the downtown hotels as the venue is on the trolley line just south of there. 180 artists at the market. Lots of music but it will be kinda cheesy on Sunday, but on the other hand will have lots of local flavor. Mix it with rollerblading by the river (there's a great park there very well suited for this) and Beale at night, also right off the trolley line, and you have a pretty good taste of downtown Memphis. You can blade at the arts fest, too, no problem. You can pick up a free Flyer just about anywhere in town for Tuesday suggestions, just don't buy one from the panhandlers for a buck.
posted by raisingsand at 7:20 PM on October 29, 2008

In Memphis, the Stax Museum is a must-see. My wife and I visited there earlier this year, and it was one of the most affecting experiences of our entire nationwide road trip.
posted by mister barnacles at 8:28 PM on October 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Seconding the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis. We were there this summer and the front gates alone are worth a visit. Stroll the grounds and visit with the very friendly Smiths in the back.
posted by jvilter at 11:15 PM on October 29, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Can you post when you return and let us know what you enjoyed the most?
posted by raisingsand at 12:15 PM on October 30, 2008

More in LR: rollerblade the River Trail. Not the whole thing, probably (it's about 15 miles, some of them over roads), although the Big Dam Bridge is pretty neat--go over the pedestrian bridge to the North Little Rock side, then go a couple miles and turn around. You'll see the newish baseball stadium, some nice parks, get some very pretty views of the river, like that. You'll also pass a skateboard park, on the off chance that you're into that kind of inline skating.

And the Arkansas Arts Center, in addition to their usual collections, has a big traveling Warhol exhibit going right now, including some stuff that will only be shown in LR.

Free internet computers and free wifi at the downtown public library, which also operates one of the best used-book stores in the state on the same site. Best coffee downtown is a tossup between Andina or Boulevard, both in the River Market. (Likewise, let me know if you have any other questions.)
posted by box at 12:39 PM on October 30, 2008

If I could only offer one piece of advice it would be: In Memphis, you should totally go to the Stax Museum. Really really. It's the only tourist-y thing I genuinely love here.

...But I can ramble on and on about things to do and places to eat, so I will!

(Everything I'm talking about is in Memphis, by the way, since that's where I am!)

FOOD TO EAT (we are, after all, one of the fattest cities in America):

Brother Juniper's near the U of M campus is hands down the best breakfast in town. You have to be willing to get up early though; they keep morning hours. The place is run by an Eastern Orthodox collective, so they have all these icons of the old church fathers and whatnot and give off a kind of luddite vibe. Their baked goods and omelette-y dishes are delicious, and they're very nice. They were featured on, I know I know, Rachael Ray's show once.

Downtown, the Arcade is also a really good place for breakfast. Their food will stick to your ribs more than Brother Juniper's. They have sweet potato pancakes that are delicious.

Jerry's Sno-Cones in Nutbush is a secret gem and I highly recommend you take the effort to find it...I normally hate Sno-Cones but these are amazing ones, with way more flavor than ice, and they offer like 50 billion flavors including "John Deere" (don't ask me what the heck it tastes like; no idea), Black Orchid Creme, kiwi, passion fruit, and some Elvis-themed one.

Gus' World Famous Fried Chicken downtown is great. Their chicken is spicy and has the perfect crispiness--you can tell they brine it in batches beforehand. The service there is horrendous, and it's a super popular spot, but it's worth it.

Hephzibah's is a quirky place too, because it's run by a religious community into "greaseless" cooking. They have this gigantic, impressive smokehouse out back, and the food really is good--their pizza is awesome, and they have some unusual items on their menu like lamb soup.

Best cheap ethnic food (read: lunch buffets that rule) are Abyssinia Ethiopian on Poplar Avenue, Pho Hua Binh Vietnamese on Madison (their lemongrass tofu is awesome), and India Palace on Poplar Avenue.

Bogie's Deli (there's one in Midtown and one in East Memphis off Poplar; both are good) has great Southern-y cakes and, if you're missing real deli food, the only reputable Northeastern-style deli sandwiches around. I love it.

Muddy's Bake Shop in East Memphis is a little DIY-feeling cupcake joint with lots of etsy-like charm and board games, so you can play Apples to Apples while you munch cupcakes and drink coffee. Nice non-Starbucks place to rewind mid-day. Their peanut butter banana cupcakes are delicious, and they make neat concoctions like watermelon or root beer float cakes.

Crumpets is a fancy schmancy shop that does high tea as well as tea lunch, and they serve pasties as well as lapsang souchong or "smoke" tea--my very favorite kind, and rather hard to find usually.

Jimmy's Hot Dogs out in the suburb of Bartlett serves all kinds of interesting hot dogs and Chicago-style pizza. They're like a grubbier version of Chicago's famed Hot Doug's. Their Ditka dog, which has sauer kraut and hot peppers, is my favorite.

Chang's Bubble Tea Cafe in the suburb of Cordova on Macon Road serves, duh, bubble tea, as well as decent Asian food. I like their avocado tea. They're also one of the only spots in Memphis that serves kim chi, and it's really good kim chi.

Fresh Slices Cafe is also good in a generic sort of way for sandwiches and burgers, albeit a little yuppie-ish.

As for our much celebrated barbecue, I suggest you go to Central Barbecue or Payne's. Get ribs or pulled pork sandwiches. Interstate/Neely's is also good, and was featured on Food Network too (don't they have their own show or something?). Their sausage and ribs in particular are great.

Huey's in Midtown is a go-to spot for late night cheap, delicious burgers and fries and relaxed atmosphere. Their Madison Avenue burger is one of my favorites, and their cheese fries are excellent when you've got the drunk munchies. I think it was featured on Food TV at some point...

The Memphis Pizza Cafe in midtown is full of hipsters, but their jukebox (at least last I went) is pretty great and the pizza is the best in town.

We also have a ton of Tex-Mex if that's your thing (if it is, I recommend Los Compadres, La Playita, El Mezcal, and Deli Mexicana), and authentic if that's more your style (there's a string of cafes on Summer Avenue...La Guadulapana and its sister bakery which inexplicably sells porn are my favorites, and ridiculously cheap). I also hear we have a Hawaiian bakery downtown, but I have yet to check it out.

As for high end stuff, my yuppie foodie friends recommend Tsunami (probably the best high end food in Memphis, and somewhat famous), Cafe 1912, Bari, Do, and the Beauty Shop (which I personally think is interesting but overpriced). They also like Bosco's, which is the only pathetic answer we have for a microbrewery tavern here. It's meh.

We used to have a KICK ASS Persian restaurant and hookah lounge called Caspian, but it closed recently. Damn.


FUN BARS:

Molly Fontaine's in the Victorian Village/medical district is very hip right now. It's this bar located in an old old house with a crazy back story about Molly Fontaine, who supposedly committed suicide there and haunts the place. The whole area is really beautiful, especially this time of year...lots of foliage and great views from the second story of the bar. They also serve fancy drinks like Pimm's Cups. I recommend it.

The Majestic Grille downtown serves good booze n' french fries and plays David Lynch stuff on the walls, if that's your kind of thing. It's a nice date spot.

Ernestine and Hazel's bar, also downtown, has a free jazz night, but I don't remember which day of the week. They also make an excellent hamburger.

Most of the other good bars can be found in Midtown. The Cove is in the middle of nowhere on Broad Street, cutting between Sam Cooper/I-40 and Summer Ave. They're trying to revitalize this one weird strip, and the Cove is the most successful thing there so far. The decor is kitschy New England/sea captain, and the drinks are old fashioned and strong. They also have oysters on the half shell.

There may be fun shows at the Hi-Tone (standard hipster bar, Elvis' old domo!), Murphy's, or the Young Avenue Deli (the atmosphere leaves a LOT to be desired these days, but the food and on tap beer selection is great).

My favorite hole in the wall is the Lamplighter bar in midtown. Sherry, the owner, is very down to earth. They only serve PBR, but it's a fun place for regulars...we play the silly erotic photo hunt, split pitchers, attempt to play on her uneven pool table, and chat all night. If you go, bring cash only and no expectations--it's as bare bones as it gets. But we locals like that.

Trax, near U of M, is really fratty but the food is good. They serve sweet potato fries and lots of good sandwiches.


THINGS TO DO:

Our zoo is actually really good, surprisingly. I recommend it. The Big Cat area, the hippo, the ostrich, the red pandas (!), and the pandas are great.

The Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art downtown is not very big, but I love it.

If you can manage to get up there, the roof of the Peabody Hotel downtown is fun. There's an artificial duck habitat thing in a cage there, complete with ducks, and the view of the city is the best you'll find. The hotel itself is also fun to poke around in. And Texas de Brazil, which is nearby, is a chain, but if you don't have a chance to go to one elsewhere, it's a lot of fun. Endless meat! A salad bar to die for! The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium is also a franchise, but if you don't have one nearby it's a nice place to check out. They have a million beers on tap.

Other lame chain stuff, but not so lame if you've wanted to go and can't in other cities, include LUSH and Sephora.

Xanadu in Midtown is a used book store-slash-music shop. They sell weird homemade cigar-box lowbow guitars. Kind of neat.

We have a roller derby and burlesque troop, but they're doing a lot of stuff for Halloween so I'm not sure if they'll be recovering the next week or not...for more ideas about stuff to do, pick up a free weekly Flyer in any of the bars or around town. Or tune into WEVL 90 FM maybe.

Not that it matters really, but Black Lodge Video in Midtown is kind of kooky. It's a rental place full of cult and counter culture videos. It's one of the nerdiest places ever, and can be kind of fun just to browse.

And I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree about checking out that Liberation Through Christ monument. If you do, you should also find the house nearby with the gigantic Buddha statue in the front yard. Awesome. And check out the three gigantic crosses on the interstate, erected by the Bellevue Baptists. Ah.
posted by ifjuly at 7:47 PM on October 30, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

I appreciate all the help.. My wife and I had a great time.. We saw the Peabody Hotel in both Memphis and Little Rock, went to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, visited President Clinton's Library, Little Rock Central High School, the River Market district, Sun Records, Beale Street, Opry, Honky Tonk bars, Graceland, etc etc.. The list goes on.

Seeing where Dr. King was assassinated was very special.. as was Little Rock Central High.. Not sure what my favorite spot is, but it was a nice 5-day trip. Thanks for all the help.
posted by seinfeld at 5:54 AM on November 14, 2008

So glad you had a good time--sorry I couldn't be of more help with the hotel thing! Y'all come back and see us again real soon, ya hear? ;)
posted by ifjuly at 7:10 AM on November 14, 2008