Memphis My Trip (follow up to my last post)

My previous report was the tale of one night in Memphis last September, this is my opinion of the rest of that trip.

I arrived at my Hotel (Comfort Inn, Downtown) about 6pm on the Thursday a little tired and hungry after almost 15hours travelling. The weather was hot and very humid. The hotel and staff were great and I wouldn't hesitate staying there again. Although I was travelling alone I was given a large room with two double beds. Exploring the hotel I found the swimming Pool on the roof with a great view of the Mississippi.

After a shower and change of clothes I asked at the desk if there was anywhere close I could grab a bite to eat. The girl suggested I caught the trolley which stopped close to the hotel down to Beale Street. I decided to walk as I had spent so much time seated on a aircraft. I though the walk was a litlle bit iffy as the only people about where street beggars, I wouldn't fancy this walk late at night.

When I arrived at Beale Street it was a hive of activity with live music everywhere. I was thinking of where to try for food when I walked passed a beer garden where a group was playing some great songs. I thought I would have a beer first listen to the group then go for a meal.
No sooner had I got served a group of people from near New Orleans asked me about my accent. Upon hearing I was English they befriended me and I spent the rest of the evening with them, the funny part was I could hardly understand their southern accent and they struggled with my Yorkshire talk. At an interval the singer with the group called Bill came over and chatted with us, people were friendly.

After 11pm I was very tired and decided to catch the trolly back to my hotel thinking it would be busy. When I got to the stop there was only me and a couple from Kansas they where nice and showed me where to get off for my hotel (I had drunk a fair bit). I then realised I had so much fun that I hadn't eaten so it was chocolate and biscuits from the hotel vending machine (my first Memphis meal).

The following morning I got up refreshed and after my hotel complementry breakfast I went for a walk along the banks of the river. I find walking is the best way to explore a city. It was quite deserted except for the odd jogger. I later that day found out that people don't leave Beale Street until the sun comes up and sleep all morning. In fact a typical Memphis day is sleep until midday, laze around the swimming pool all afternoon, Out all night partying, grap the odd BBQ rips in between these activities. I did my best for the rest of the time I was there to keep up with the locals.

Beale Street was great especially after dark when the police closed the road and you could walk from bar to bar with your beer. Music was everywhere, Blues, Rock, Jazz, Elvis, etc. I liked the idea of paying to get in one club entitled you to go in them all, they stapled a coloured band on your wrist.

Two of the best most entertaining acts I saw in Memphis was a lady Pianist/singer Marcia Ball who played in BBKings club on the Saturday and The Dempseys a rockabilly trio in Blues Cafe.

Check them out -

http://www.marciaball.com/

http://www.thedempseys.net/

While in Memphis I visited the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel where Martin Luthor King was assasinated. It was very interesting.

I also visited the Rock and Soul Museum which told the story of the areas music history it was good.

I also spent one afternoon on Mud island where there is a scale model of the Mississippi that you can walk along, the entrance was close to my hotel.

Conclusion Memphis is a great place to visit for a long weekend if you like having fun, much longer you may get bored as there is not a lot to do or see during the day. I will definately visit again one day just for the music.

Memphis - I should have got her number

Last year while I was in Memphis this happend on the Sunday night.

I made my way to Beale Street about 6pm with the intention of getting a meal while it was quiet, then take in some live music and possibly meet some new people.
When I arrived I didn't feel ready to eat so I made the decision to go in "The Tap Room" which was the only place with no live music, my intention to see if any of the locals would play me at Pool. The place was virtually empty with the exception of two blokes on a Pool table and the pretty young girl serving behind the bar.
I got a beer from the girl, she told me she was bored, she had been working all day and finished soon. I was about to go ask the blokes if I could get a game of Pool when the Girl asked "Do you want to play with me ?". I replied why not assuming she played Pool. She climbed over the bar sat down at side of me and spun a VDU screen around. She wanted to play a computer game, I hate computer games but I obliged.
After a short while I was saved when another customer, a 32year old blond girl who was really attractive came in the bar and sat down at the bar. She looked totally out of place in that bar but we started chatting and I found out she was from Kansas and was in Memphis on business.
I stayed with her untill around 9pm when she said she was going back to her Hotel to catch up on some work ready for a meeting the morning. I wasn't too dissapointed I was starving (I did asked her earlier if she wanted to go for something to eat but she had already done so).
So I went and dined on my own at a restaurant called "Pig" which is actually quite good.
After my meal I thought I'll go into a club "Blues Hall" for some live music. As I went to the bar to get a drink the singer was taking a bucket around the audience for tips. He came up to me and I put a couple of dollars in his bucket and he asked where I was from, I replied Yorkshire, England, he announced this to the audience.
As I got to the bar a lady (40ish) said your from England so am I. We got in conversation, she was from Bournmouth at the opposite end of England to me. She told me she was recently divorced and had treated herself to this vacation. It was on an organised tour and she was moving on to Nashville the following morning.
We talked for ages and had a lot in common, in fact I spent the rest of the night with her, we had a good laugh.

Anyway here is the point, I don't normally swap details with people I meet on vacation.
Confession - The following day when this lady had moved on to Nashville I realised I really liked her a lot and was gutted I hadn't swapped details (I can't even remember her name).
My gut feeling is she was a potential "Perfect Ten" (see my post dated 8th March).
This was a total mistake on my part, I often wonder if she felt the same, I doubt it but will never know for sure.