-------------------- BACKGROUND -------------------- Located in the southern part of the state of Tennessee, Memphis is best known to me for its musical history, particularly as being the home (although not the birthplace) of the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley. The population of the city is over 670,000, with a notable increase in the middle of August when a good many Elvis fans travel the world to pay homage to his life and his music. Many Memphians decry these visitors as they think they are mad - August is usually the hottest, most humid time of the year, and is the period when Memphians would rather escape the city, but instead many people come ...  Read the complete review

Memphis was my sixth stop, just after Nashville, on a two week trek around the Eastern Side of America. I had expected to be confronted with a town full of 'hicks' and wannabes singing in doorways. Instead I was greeted by a crowd of totally mental and lovely people who certainly knew how to party. The centre of it all is Beale Street. Lined with bars, souvenir shops and horse-drawn carriages, you'd expect it to be very tacky - but it was very atmospheric, music streams from every bar and restaurant and very drunk people carry plastic cups of liquor through the streetswhilst singing along. As our trek van drove in the pouring rain into ...  Read the complete review

After leaving New Orleans it was getting used to the car and the inter-states, but I must say my partner did great (I’m very proud) I was navigating (I have no sense of direction and was a bit awed by the sheer thought of it) But we managed very well. Our first stop was Graceland simply because we came across Elvis Presley Blvd. as we drove into town. Now we are not country music lovers but I don’t mind old Elvis and didn’t want to miss seeing everything when we were there. It was exactly as I expected Tacksville personified. Now I don’t mean in a bad way just lots of deep pile shag carpet and masses of pleated material on walls. We were ...  Read the complete review