Dining
in Memphis
Huey’s Downtown
Blues, Brews and Burgers
A “Best Burger” winner
77 S. Second St.
(901) 527-2700
Blues City Café
Put some south
in your mouth
138 Beale St.
(901) 526-3637
The Gray Canary
Sunset Sail
A gourmet delight
301 S. Front St.
(901) 249-2932
Vernon’s Smokehouse
Dine at Graceland
3466 Elvis Presley Blvd.
(901) 332-3322
Majestic Grille
Beaux arts décor,
classic dining
145 S. Main St.
(901) 522-8555
The collection of jade
and other Qing Dynasty
objects at the Belz Museum
of Asian and Judaic Art
features treasures from
the last Imperial Dynasty
of China.
MAY/JUNE 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 155
site of the original Stax Records, where soul music icons such
as Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin
began their careers. After a dinner of ribs and catfish at the
Blue’s City Cafe on Beale Street, while listening to the blues
by Earl the Pearl and his group, we wandered across the street
to B.B. King’s and strolled down Beale Street, where music
blared from within the clubs along this three-block tribute to
the music scene.
The following day, we visited the National Civil Rights
Museum at the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was
assassinated. Its interactive exhibits, historic collections and
dynamic storytelling walked us through history, as we learned
more about this inspiring but painstakingly long period of
change and suffering. The National Civil Rights Museum is
the only museum of its kind in the country and is profoundly
moving with its message of equality.
At the Memphis Botanic Garden, we found 96 acres of
beauty and nature that ranged from a Japanese garden with
huge koi to a stunning children’s garden filled with creative
plantings. Relatively close by is the Memphis Zoo with more
than 3,500 animals from 500 species that range from giant
pandas to baby hippos. You can see theses animals up close,
as they live their lives in natural settings that are designed
especially for them.
At the Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art, the displays
of massive but intricate jade and ivory sculptures along with
historical Asian art overwhelmed us with its beauty. Likewise,
the art in the Judaic Gallery was beautiful and emotional.
Despite all this culture surrounding us, we hurried over to
the Peabody Hotel to watch the fabled march of its Mallard
ducks from the fountain in the lobby up the elevator to their
duck palace on the hotel’s roof. Jack Belz, who restored this
1925 hotel in 1981, is the benefactor of the Museum of Asian
and Judaic Art we had just left. Small world, isn’t it?
Our time was limited, yet we found so much to see and do
in Memphis that we look forward to returning to discover
even more of its many offerings and surprises. Memphis is
a city full of history and stories that are both fascinating and
meaningful. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about Memphis,
contact the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development at
(615) 741-9000, tnvacation.com; or the Memphis Convention
& Visitors Bureau at (901) 543-5350, memphistravel.com.
These bridges at the Japanese
gardens in the Memphis
Botanic Garden cross a
lake full of large koi.
GRAM AND NORAA
GRAM AND NORAA
TRAVEL