malilungs

We stayed for 3 nights and 2 days, which was great but I’m not sure I’d like to stay any longer.

We asked around about barbeque and we decided that Tops (a chain, we visited the one on Union in Midtown) has our favorite pulled pork and The Bar-B-Q Shop (on Madison in Midtown) has our favorite ribs and beef brisket. The pulled pork sandwich meals at Tops are super-affordable at less than $5 and come with amazing baked beans and cole slaw. The Bar-B-Q Shop was simply amazing. I just kept eating and eating and even took some back to our hotel.

The National Civil Rights Museum and the Sun Studio are very worth it – I wrote reviews on their pages. Peabody Place was really disappointing, we went in expecting a huge mall and came to find hardly anything. Really, all there is is what you can see from outside. Beale Street seems to be all drinking and eating and gift-shopping. We were bored in less than an hour.

We considered going to Graceland, but decided against it because tickets run a minimum of $27 for adults.

Overall, the city can go from well-off to poverty from block to block. Nothing too bad, but something to be aware of. Midtown was our favorite place to be. Downtown just seemed to disappoint us and gave off a touristy vibe.

Very worth it, but it takes a long time. Lots of standing and reading. We didn’t take the audio tour, and I sort of regret it. You not only see the Lorraine Motel, but also the boarding house where James Earl Ray allegedly shot from. The tour has two parts. First you walk through the building attached to the Lorraine and then through a tunnel to the boarding house. Cameras aren’t permitted except outdoors but there is a camera check. Very deep and moving at the parts where you see the balcony where he was assassinated. Absolutely intriguing.

Very interesting and I’d love to go back. Everything (at least in the actual studio) is pretty much completely original and really quite amazing. Our tour guide was great and everyone that worked there seemed to be very pleasant. Tours run on the half hour, so be sure to show up a little bit early but not right before the last tour started.