Memphis Itinerary

June 26, 2024 by Laura

We had a blast hanging out in the Home of Blues. We saw Elvis Presley, ate incredible barbeque, visited the National Civil Rights Museum, listened to live blues on Beale Street, went to the top of the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, and more!

Laura at top of Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in Memphis

Our Itinerary for Memphis, Tennessee

This trip to Memphis was a part of our 50 States by 50 bucket list! We decided to make our Tennessee state trip a road trip. So we drove from Austin, TX straight up to Memphis which is located right on the edge of Tennessee and is almost in Arkansas. Memphis was our first and last stop in Tennessee, and we ended up loving so much about this city.

Our itinerary below does not list everything there is to do in Memphis. It does, however, list everything that we personally experienced in Memphis. I'll provide all of our firsthand recommendations and tips so that you can also have a great time while visiting the Home of the Blues!

If you are looking for more Tennessee content check out our other travel blogs!: 9-Day Tennessee Itinerary.

Day 1

Elwood's Shack

4523 Summer Avenue
Memphis, TN 38122

☼ 5:30 PM

Our very first stop in Tennessee was Elwood's Shack to get some grub. We had left Austin, TX early, drove through a lot of Texas & all of Arkansas, and were extrememly ready to sit down to some good barbeque.

Elwood's Shack is this tiny little restaurant that is located practically inside of a Lowe's parking lot. There's a few tables inside to eat & some picnic tables if you want to sit outside. We showed up a little after 5PM on a Friday and had our choice of a table.

Elwood's Shack in Memphis Tennessee

When searching for good places to eat in Tennessee, almost everybody suggests Elwood's Shack, and now we know why. I imagine that you really just couldn't go wrong with anything listed on their menu. I ordered the Elwood's BBQ Pizza which is topped with pulled pork and mozzarella. This pizza was incredibly good. Their dough was fluffy and the pulled pork was crispy and so flavorful. My only sadness comes from the fact that I wasn't physically able to eat the entire thing (but I came really close!).

BBQ Pizza and Red Headed Step Child from Elwood's Shack

Brian ordered the Red Headed Step Child which is beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage, two kinds of bbq sauce, and slaw served on a bun. Yes, it tastes as incredible as it sounds! It is very messy to eat, but once you taste how good it is, you won't worry about that bbq stain on your shirt. Trust us!

→ Find out more on Elwood's Shack!

Courtyard Memphis East/Park Avenue

6015 Park Avenue
Memphis, TN 38119

☼ 6:30 PM

To save a little bit of money, we decided not to stay in downtown Memphis. We found this Courtyard hotel that was in East Tennessee. It was about a 20 minute drive from downtown Memphis and a 20 minute drive from Graceland. We felt very safe and comfortable here during our stay.

→ Find out more on Marriott!

Gibson's Donuts

760 Mount Moriah Road
Memphis, TN 38117

☼ 6:30 AM

If you lookup where to eat breakfast in Memphis, you'll find a lot of different delicious places, but I guarantee that Gibson's Donuts will be somewhere on that list.

On the outside, Gibson's display is retro featuring blinking red neon lights and a spinning sign. It's super cute. On the inside, you'll find a great variety of donuts displayed in the donut case.

Gibson's Donuts in Memphis Tennessee

We ordered two blueberry cake donuts, a donut-of-the-month which was salted caramel, and a red velvet donut. The blueberry cake donut was my favorite as they almost always are. It had very strong and delicious blueberry flavor. The salted caramel donut tasted just like fall. The red velvet donut was pretty much just cake with a hole in the center and piled high with delicious frosting.

All these donuts were super good, and I'd gladly eat them any day of the week. They are super sweet so make sure you get some coffee to wash them down. This is the best and tastiest way to get a sugar rush first thing in the morning!

Blueberry Cake, Salted Caramel, and Red Velvet Donuts

→ Find out more on Gibson's Donuts!

Graceland

Elvis Presley Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38116

☼ 7:30 AM

Would a trip to Memphis be complete without a visit to the king? I don't think so! When we visited in April 2024, they were not offering a tour option of just the mansion, unfortunately. Since we were only in Memphis for a day, we did not want to spend all of it at Graceland. So we opted to visit just the Meditation Garden.

Graceland Mansion

If you show up to Graceland between 7:30-8:30AM, you can go into the Meditation Garden for free. We got there early, and were able to park right in front of the gate. At 7:30AM, they let us in. You are able to walk past the mansion and the swimming pool into the garden. In the garden, you will find the graves of Elvis and his family members.

Graceland Meditation Garden

Most people are solemn while visiting the gravesites. Lots of people bring flowers, teddy bears, and even wear Elvis clothes! It's definitely an experience, and we highly recommend including Graceland into your Memphis itinerary. Even if it's just to see the garden!

→ Find out more on Graceland!

National Civil Rights Museum

450 Mulberry Street
Memphis, TN 38103

☼ 9:00 AM

An important and absolute must-stop in Memphis is the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is self-guided, and takes you on a journey through an important time of our nation's history. Every exhibit in the museum is incredibly well done and detailed offering you insight on the struggles of reaching equality and justice.

Civil Rights Museum Memphis

The musuem ends at the Lorraine Motel where you can see the room where Martin Luther King, Jr. was staying when he was assissinated. We spent three hours at the museum in order to read everything and fully immerse ourselves into the exhibits. It was a very emotional experience, and we cannot recommend you visit this informative and powerful museum enough.

Civil Rights Museum Memphis Tennnessee

→ Find out more on National Civil Rights Museum!

Payne's Bar-B-Q

1762 Lamar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38114

☼ 12:00 PM

One of our 'must-eat' foods from our 50 States Food List was pulled pork in Tennessee. After lots of research, I decided we would meet that accomplishment by having ourselves a Payne's pulled pork sandwich.

Payne's BBQ Memphis Tennnessee

Payne's is only open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday. They don't have much on their menu, but they are experts at what they do have on the menu. Their pulled pork sandwich was incredible. The meat was perfectly cooked and flavored. The pork is then topped with a delicious mustard slaw, and it is all piled high on top of a bun. This is definitely a sandwich you want to pull out the knife and fork. They don't skimp on the meat! I couldn't believe how good this sandwich was, and I hope to return to Memphis one day to eat it again.

Payne's BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

→ Find out more on Payne's BBQ!

Beale Street

Memphis, TN 38114

☼ 1:00 PM

After lunch, we stopped by Beale Street to hang out for a bit. Beale Street is a bustling little part of town that is filled with many shops, restaurants, and bars. I loved walking down the street and hearing all the blues music coming out of the bars.

Beale Street in Memphis Tennessee

Along the street, you will also find many signs talking about the history of Beale Street and Memphis. Also don't forget to visit the Elvis statue!

We first stopped at A. Schwab which is an old building and is now filled with lots of cool merchandise. It is fun to just stroll through everything! Also don't pass up getting some ice cream or old-fashioned sodas from the soda bar!

A. Schwab in Memphis Tennessee

We then walked down to B.B. King's Blues Club where we listened to live blues, sipped some cocktails, and enjoyed a big plate of fried pickles. It was such a vibe! Just be prepared to pay a cover charge ($10/person) everywhere that has live music.

B.B. King's Blues Club

→ Find out more on Beale Street!

Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid

1 Bass Pro Drive
Memphis, TN 38105

☼ 4:30 PM

I was hesitant to spend time at a Bass Pro Shops during one of trips where we already felt short on time. However, I am so glad we stopped at this Bass Pro Shops!

Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in Memphis

This store is located in a huge pyramid (8th largest pyramid in the world, in fact). You can pay $8/person and ride up to the top of the pyramid where you will see an incredible view of Memphis and the Mississippi River. It is more than worth it, in my opinion! And if it fancies you, you can eat at the top of the pyramid while you admire that view.

Bass Pro Shop Memphis Tennessee

You'll also see live gators, huge fish in the ponds, and aquariums. Of course, there is also tons of amazing outdoor merchandise to browse through.

→ Find out more on Bass Pro Shops!

The Bar-B-Q Shop

1782 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104

☼ 5:30 PM

For dinner, we had one thing in mind- ribs. A lot of people online recommended The Bar-B-Q Shop when it came to ribs, and I am so glad we listened. We ordered the dry rub ribs, glazed ribs, and a plate of BBQ spaghetti. First things first, the dry rub ribs were so dang good. I can't express this enough! They had tons of flavor and fell right off the bone. The glazed ribs were good too, but the dry rub were hands-down my favorite.

Ribs from The BBQ Shop in Memphis

The BBQ spaghetti was definitely interesting, but I really liked it. According to the internet, BBQ spaghetti was a favorite of Elvis, and I can see why he liked it so much. It's weird but you just gotta try it!

→ Find out more on The Bar-B-Q Shop!

Sunrise Memphis

5469 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38119

☼ 7:15 AM

Before we headed out of Memphis the next morning, we just had to get some biscuits from Sunrise Memphis! My parents had visited Memphis a few months before us and went on and on about the biscuits. We had to try them for ourselves!

Biscuits from Sunrise Memphis

We were not disappointed. Their biscuits are so buttery and fluffy. It is the best way to start a morning. I ordered the Dirty South which was a biscuit filled with pimento cheese, fried green tomato, pepper relish, and an egg. Brian got the McBetter which was a biscuit with sausage, egg, and cheese. We would recommend both!

Sunrise also is just a cozy place where you want to spend a vacation morning. Coffee is served in mismatched cups and the decor inside is so cute. I do recommend getting there early (like when they open) so you don't have to worry about the crowds!

→ Find out more on Sunrise Memphis!

Natchez Trace State Park (Wildersville, TN)

22390 Natchez Trace Road
Wildersville, TN 38351

☼ 10:00 AM

So Natchez Trace State Park is not in Memphis, but I thought I would include it in this blog post in case anybody else was continuing their Tennessee vaction towards Nashville.

Natchez Trace State Park Tennessee

This state park is about 2 hours east of Memphis. We decided to stop here last minute on our way to Nashville, and I am so glad we did! Despite it being a Sunday, this park was so quiet and we had the trails practically to ourselves! We went on a short hike called Fern Loop Trail. We saw so many different kinds of plants, a few small animals, and got to walk across the long bridge. It was so pretty!

Natchez Trace State Park in Tennessee

This is a great place to stop and stretch your legs for a bit or spend an entire day. Plus, all the state parks in Tennessee are free to get into!

→ Find out more on Tennessee State Parks!

Log Cabin Restaurant (Hurricane Mills, TN)

15530 TN-13
Hurricane Mills, TN 37078

☼ 12:00PM

Another good stop if you are headed from Memphis to Nashville is Log Cabin Restaurant which is about 2 1/2 hours east of Memphis. Log Cabin will serve you up some good Southern food! Their decor is cute and country which makes you feel right at home when you walk in.

Log Cabin Restaurant in Tennessee

We ordered catfish, chicken fried steak, cold ice tea, and a slice of coconut pie with mile-high meringue. Everything was good, but our favorite thing was that pie. I wish I had a piece of it right now!

Southern Food at Log Cabin Restaurant in Tennessee

→ Find out more on Log Cabin Restaurant!

Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken

3633 Millbranch Road
Memphis, TN 38116

At the end of our road trip we looped back around to Memphis so the very last stop we made in Tennesse was Uncle Lou's. It was the perfect last hoorah for our trip!

Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken Memphis

Uncle Lou's has some of the best fried chicken. It is perfectly cooked and extremely tasty. The Sweet Spicy Love sauce is incredible. It got its name because that is what Guy Fieri said the first time he tried it! The fried chicken drenched in that sauce is absolute perfection. Then pair all of this with those honey biscuits. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken in Memphis Tennessee

→ Find out more on Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken!

50 States by 50

Tennessee was our fourth state to visit for our 50 states by 50 challenge. My husband, Brian, and I are planning to visit all the states in the United States before we turn 50 years old. We draw which state we go to next randomly!

For each state, we will spend at least 4 days there and visit the state capitol, state museum, staet park, and eat whatever food that state is most known for. We will document all of our travels on our blog and making vlogs as well which will be posted on YouTube. Read more about our 50 States by 50 Bucket List.

__________________________________

Thank you for reading about our trip to Memphis. We hope this itinerary was helpful in planning your own Memphis vacation! If you have any questions or just want to share your must-see Memphis places please leave a comment down below.

Category: Tennessee, State Itineraries
Keywords: cheyenne wyoming itinerary, what to do in cheyenne, best things to do in cheyenne

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Bon Voyage!

June 26, 2024 by Laura Ehlers