We've been in and around our homes … a lot. With pandemic conditions still a factor in the plans we make to see parts unknown, the familiar — the nearby — can sometimes be neglected. In the interest of vacationing safely but fully, we've assembled a collection of “staycation” destinations that will please the yearning to get away, while not requiring airfare or even, in some cases, a car. Memphis has long been a destination for people who need to cross an ocean to get here. Why not make it a destination?
photograph courtesy national civil rights museum
Confront the Past at the National Civil Rights Museum
It is entirely likely that a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel will leave you overwhelmed. This is as it should be. Prepare yourself to be forced to think, to consider, to confront the worst and the best of humanity.
You should expect to shed tears at the stories of unutterable sadness and tragedy, but there is also much to marvel at — oral histories, films, and exhibitions of courage and resolve. The principles of liberty that this nation was built upon were betrayed from the start, but the civil rights movement’s struggle to overcome is powerfully expressed at the museum, which is in its 30th year.
To get the full value of the complex, plan to make a day of it. The permanent exhibitions present the era of slavery, the Freedom Riders, Black Power, and more. The nearby Legacy Building takes a sweeping view of the history of the movement through contemporary global efforts on human rights.
You can bring children — a lot is specifically aimed at youngsters — but first examine the museum’s family guide to understand how best to take them through it. And prepare to be changed. — Jon W. Sparks
450 MULBERRY ST.
photograph courtesy Pworiginals / dreamstime
Visit the Home of the King
I moved to Memphis 30 years ago, and I know people who have lived here longer without visiting Graceland. You know what? They lose some Memphian points. Elvis Presley’s home is an incredible experience, 1977 frozen in time, and in such a way you can feel the King’s presence, and without “Love Me Tender” over the sound system.
The property’s recent expansion makes the mansion itself merely the climax of a pop-culture experience unlike any other in the world. Across Elvis Presley Blvd. you’ll find a gallery devoted to the entertainer’s cars (including one he shot with a pistol), another with a variety of his famous jumpsuits, and yet another devoted to Elvis’ worldwide influence. On display are jackets and suits worn by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Justin Timberlake — even, yes, vintage costumes from 1970s-era KISS. The goose bumps climb atop one another.
When you make your pilgrimage, be sure and devote time to the Meditation Garden, the final resting place for Elvis (and other family members). It’s the most visceral and compassionate reminder that Elvis Presley was just a man, and his time on this planet was too short. What would Memphis be without Graceland? The better question is: What would the planet have been without Elvis? — Frank Murtaugh
3764 ELVIS PRESLEY BLVD.
photograph courtesy wirestock / dreamstime
Go Wild at the Memphis Zoo
Walking through the Egyptian-themed entrance at the Memphis Zoo, with its colorful hieroglyphics and animal statues, can leave you starstruck. The spectacle continues throughout.
Carved stone walkways cut through Cat Country and lead visitors into large viewing areas for lions, jaguars, and leopards. Dusky lighting in Animals of the Night makes you feel as if you are in a cave watching creatures from the shadows. Teton Trek provides wide-open areas that give a great view of the bears, timber wolves, and elk within.
For over a hundred years the zoo’s diverse array of animals has kept it in the national spotlight as one of the best in the country. More than 4,500 animals across 500 different species offer something for everyone.
The zoo is also home to special standouts. Giant Pandas Ya Ya and Le Le steal the show and make Memphis only one of three zoos nationally where Giant Pandas can be found. And make sure to visit baby Winnie and her mother Binti at the Zambezi River Hippo Camp. The pair are worth the trip! — Matthew J. Harris
2000 PRENTISS PLACE (OVERTON PARK)
photograph courtesy Sean Pavone / dreamstime
Believe in the Magic of Beale Street
Cold beer on a hot night with all kinds of different people and music thumping from every bar — fun is the reason Beale Street is Tennessee’s most-visited attraction. Locals deride the iconic strip as a place only for tourists. I’m guilty. Every time friends or family visit, they have to see Beale Street and I have to take them. I roll my eyes.
But some kind of magic happens when my feet hit the street. The neon glows in the twilight and the air smells of barbecue (early in the night, obviously). I grab a Big Ass Beer and I watch the tourists looking at Memphis in wonder. It inspires a gleeful pride that they are discovering and enjoying my city. That’s when I re-discover Beale Street. Before I know it, my inner Snobby Midtowner has melted away and I’ve become a Beale Street fan, again.
Millions of people visit Memphis every year and Beale Street is a big reason why. For them, the street is the heart of Memphis culture. It’s what they take home with them, a soul song stuck in their head and some leftover ribs in a cooler.
Head down to Beale on your staycation. There may be some magic in its re-discovery. And don’t worry. We won’t tell anyone in Midtown.— Toby Sells
BEALE STREET, BETWEEN SOUTH MAIN & FOURTH
Dixon artwork detail by Danny Broadway, Memphis
Enjoy the Energy of Art
In the hushed galleries of two Memphis museums, a pair of exhibits showcase our city’s art, energy, and noise. Perhaps in years past, visiting art museums offered welcome respite — temporary remove from day-to-day concerns. What the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and The Dixon Gallery and Gardens offer now is the chance to reconnect with the very Memphis-ness of our city — to experience new stories about the place we’ve been living all this time.
At the Brooks, “Memphis Artists in Real Time” presents the work of local photojournalists Johnathan “Malik tha Martian” Martin and Andrea Morales. (This magazine’s March issue featured a cover story about Morales and her work.) Focusing on the artists’ 2020 work, the show presents a visual narrative of a time characterized by pandemic, protest, and community resilience. “Memphis Artists in Real Time” is on view now through June 27th.
Opening May 23rd at the Dixon and running through July 21st, “Memphis 2021” celebrates the vibrant range of visual artists working in Memphis today. The exhibit includes more than 50 works representing a diversity of creative genres, from sculpture to fiber arts to painting.
Both exhibitions complement the hundreds of paintings, sculpture, and other artworks that fill the galleries of Brooks and Dixon throughout the year. This spring and summer, rediscover Memphis through local art. — Anna Traverse Fogle
OVERTON PARK AND 4339 PARK AVENUE
photograph by sydnie hammer
Anywhere, Anytime Croquet
Along with a spare tire, jumper cables, and a box of tools, I keep a few other things in the trunk of my car at all times. A Frisbee, inline skates, a bocce set, and, most importantly, a croquet set.
Croquet is the Davis family game — if not the Davis family obsession — so I understand if lugging around a set hasn’t occurred to everyone. One doesn’t have to be a diehard player, though, to enjoy the game. Even better, for casual players and car-trunk-carrying croquet crazies alike, it’s portable by design. Simply find a quiet spot in one of Memphis’ many green spaces, set up your wickets, and proceed to humiliate your friends and loved ones in the most sophisticated way imaginable.
Is there any sound greater, outside of maybe Otis Redding’s magnificent Otis Blue album, than the chok! of wooden ball hitting wooden ball? That sound means you’ve just netted yourself another two swings. This year, as an inoculation against social-distancing-imposed cabin fever, I’ve taken to breaking out the inline skates on the paved paths near Shelby Farms, and taking the croquet set to Audubon or Overton Park. Downtown, the Greenbelt Park gives players the option of winding their way through the wickets with the mighty Mississippi River as a backdrop. It makes for a diverting Sunday afternoon — and a good excuse to pick up dinner from a local restaurant on the way home. How’s that for a Memphis staycation? — Jesse Davis
MAKE YOUR OWN COURT AT ANY PARK IN THE CITY
photograph by frank murtaugh
Play a Round of Disc Golf at Sea Isle Park
You want social distance? How far can you throw a Frisbee? Sea Isle Park in East Memphis has a delightful 18-hole disc golf course. (Okay, the “holes” are baskets mounted on poles. Play along.) It’s leisure activity at its best: outdoors, partially shaded, and you set your own pace.
Every hole is a par-3 and, with distances ranging from 175 feet (sixth hole) to 304 (seventh), a serious disc golfer will find a round challenging, but nowhere near overwhelming. Trees line the perimeter of the park, so players on several fairways must navigate around a trunk or two. There’s also plenty of green space, your target staring you down like the immobile victim it will soon become.
There is a distinctively chill vibe to disc golf. No “playing through!” from the group behind you. A cold beverage is easy enough to carry from hole to hole. (Stay classy. There’s an elementary school on the grounds.) Best of all, disc golf is an outdoor sport that tickles the right emotions. If you find yourself stressed over a missed birdie attempt with a Frisbee in one hand and a cold drink in the other, well, let that disc fly again. And laugh it off. — Frank Murtaugh
5250 SEA ISLE RD.
photograph courtesy metal museum
See Monsters at the Metal Museum
The last thing I expected to find on a humble staycation is a gigantic, razor-toothed Mosasaurus, yet that’s what I was staring at on a recent visit to the Metal Museum. Jeannie Tomlinson Saltmarsh, metals shop coordinator, took me into a workshop where staff artists were hard at work on the beast’s head. Hanging above them were the spine, neck, and ribs, with claws laid out beneath. It’s all part of a collaboration between the Metal Museum and the Memphis Pink Palace Museum, and soon the creature will be arching over the latter’s Central Ave. fence.
Socially distanced views are open to any visitor, thanks to the protective plexiglass in the studio’s foyer. It’s just one stop on any meander through the sculpture garden and campus of the Metal Museum. The landscaping sets off examples of the finest craftsmanship applied to the heaviest of materials, culminating in a catfish-topped gazebo overlooking the Mississippi River. As barges drift past, one can wander idly, or listen to the audio tours available at metalmuseum.org. The exhibits inside the museum proper also make for fascinating viewing. — Alex Greene
374 METAL MUSEUM DR.
photograph by brian groppe
Walk Through History at Elmwood
Our city’s oldest cemetery is beautiful and picturesque, with gentle hills dotted by shade-giving trees and, yes, the markers of Memphians for whom it is the final resting place.
Elmwood was founded in 1852, expanded after the Civil War, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Visitors can learn about the yellow fever epidemic, Memphis “saints and sinners” (a popular tour), and the Bluff City’s movers, shakers, and music-makers of yesteryear. A journey through Elmwood (by car or on foot) is an excellent way to enjoy scenic views without leaving the city and to learn about the origins of the Bluff City at the same time.
Executive director Kim Bearden hopes to bring back private guided tours soon, but self-guided tours make for the ideal socially distanced experience. The staff has also adapted by offering virtual tours, such as March’s “Bold Women Change History,” led by Bearden, and Elmwood’s Read in Peace Book Club, which meets virtually on Tuesday, April 13th, at 5:30 p.m. The book featured this month is Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club. Meeting dues are $5, benefitting Elmwood Cemetery. — Jesse Davis
824 S. DUDLEY ST.
photograph courtesy jaysi / dreamstime
Discover Memphis Naturally
Outdoor adventures may not be top-of-mind in a city famous for blues, booze, and barbecue. But Memphis boasts a trove of natural treasures. To find them, you have to know where to look, and these days it’s easy to discover Memphis naturally.
Information on most of the city’s outdoor pursuits has been organized at memphisadventures.com. The Discover Memphis Naturally campaign launched in October and brought together resources from groups like Memphis Tourism, the Downtown Memphis Commission, and the City of Memphis’ Park Division.
The site is split into activity categories: Bike It, Paddle It, Climb It, and View It. Each category breaks into more detailed information for different experiences. Under Bike It, for example, you can choose “leisure” and the site lets you know our city boasts more than 300 miles of bike paths, and gives you information about the Shelby Farms Greenline, The Hampline, bike lanes, and more. Choose “mountain” and you learn about mountain bike trails at Herb Parsons Lake, Big River Trail, Stanky Creek, and more. Need to rent a bike? That’s covered here, too.
Find a new experience outside in Memphis on your staycation. The Memphis Adventures site will get you there with everything from ideas to gear, and from landmarks to directions. — Toby Sells
photograph by brian mounce
Search for the Secret Beach
After a long, hard, and brutal winter (by Memphis standards, at any rate), sometimes the best tonic is sun and sand. And while the pandemic means travel still might not be on your list, Memphis has its very own “seaside” experience right here in Shelby County.
Visitors can discover a “secret beach” along the Wolf River in Germantown, but it’s not easy to find if you’re not actively looking for it. Located off Shelby Farms’ Yellow Trail, just getting there is an adventure, involving twists, turns, and a wooden bridge crossing through a woodland trail. The short trek is worth it for the reward at the end: a secluded and sunny beach.
The Wolf River beach is great for a family outing or just hanging with some friends. Take a dip in the water, bring along a kayak, or sip on some cool cans of Memphis Sands while working on that tan. And afterwards, it’s only a short jaunt over to Shelby Farms proper for some extra walking or hiking, if there’s energy to spare. — Samuel X. Cicci
photograph courtesy shiloh national military park
Ponder Life and Death at Shiloh
If you go in April, the tranquility of echoing bird calls and flowers in the breeze is made all the more poignant by the history of what transpired on these grounds, 159 years ago. On the fifth and sixth of this month, fighting between Union and Confederate forces at Shiloh Church and Pittsburg Landing led to more than 23,000 casualties. It was the largest engagement in the Mississippi Valley campaign during the Civil War.
On foot, covering the nearly 4,000 acres of Shiloh National Military Park would take days, but the well-paved roads (and 12-mile audio driving tour available in the visitor center) bring you quickly to key historical points, including Shiloh National Cemetery, the last resting place for more than 3,500 soldiers. Or make reservations for the annual battle anniversary hikes and programs, every April 6-8. The harrowing tales of war lend new meaning to every dip and fold in the landscape, dotted with markers noting various divisions’ locations.
In addition to exhibits featuring artifacts from the Civil War, the visitor center can also guide you to the Shiloh Indian Mounds, overlooking the nearby Tennessee River. Once part of the Mississippian Culture, known for its mound-building, the land here bears echoes of civilization dating back over a thousand years. The presence of two such contrasting burial grounds, the native and the wartorn, separated by the centuries, can put our all too human endeavors in perspective. — Alex Greene
1055 PITTSBURG LANDING, SHILOH, TN
photograph courtesy of wilson, ar.
Sip Wine in Wilson
Memphis magazine featured the Wilson Wine Experience in our pages just a few months ago, and everything we said still rings true. Wilson, Arkansas, is a modern Mid-South gem, with the small farming community experiencing a revival built around wine.
And there’s plenty of vino to go around. Sign up for a weekly wine tasting, enjoy multiple courses at a Wilson Wine Dinner, or simply have a glass at the Wilson Café. Want to be more of a participant? The Wilson Café’s mixology classes teach the proper way to mix anything from martinis to more complex infusions.
If you feel guilty sipping on so much red and white, earn your virtue first in Wilson’s half-marathon (April 24). Then, work off all that hunger with a late-April catfish and crawdad festival, and catch a live music performance at the Grange at Wilson Gardens. For something a bit more low-key, pop over to the Hampson Archaeological Museum, which showcases artifacts from those who inhabited the Arkansas delta from 1400 to 1650 AD.
Wilson offers something for almost everyone, and it’s just a 45-minute drive up I-55. So, the next time you’re feeling a little thirsty, you know where to head. — Samuel X. Cicci
2 N. JEFFERSON ST., WILSON, AR
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MCCOY
Explore the Mindfield
Tucked away beside a bayou in Brownsville is West Tennessee’s most monumental piece of folk art. In 1989, metalworker Billy Tripp took an otherwise useless piece of land behind the car wash his family owned and started assembling a sculpture garden. Tripp’s unique vision finds beauty in metal that most people would see as scrap. At first, he was welding together the debris of industrial society, like rusted girders and obsolete power transformers. As his ambitions grew, his sculpture sprawled. In 2002, he reacted to his father’s death by disassembling a water tower in Kentucky and bringing it back to Brownsville, piece by piece, where he reassembled it in what he called the Mindfield.
Now, the Mindfield’s skyline includes two decommissioned fire lookout towers and a soaring central spire. A pair of boats and a bathtub float above the little stream that bisects Brownsville. Like a fractal rendering, the closer you look, the more detail appears. Tripp says the Mindfield, which is dedicated to the memory of his family, will never really be finished.
Brownsville is an easy, one-hour drive from Memphis. Skip I-40 in favor of U.S. Highway 79, which winds through the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge and the rolling fields of Tipton County. — Chris McCoy
photograph courtesy james kirkikis / dreamstime
Feel the Faulkner at Rowan Oak
Writers like to feel the presence of greatness. (At least this writer does.) Rowan Oak delivers such presence — that of its long-deceased resident, William Faulkner — in ways few places in America can. A walk through the Oxford, Mississippi, home itself is nice. (Yes, the eccentric author scribbled prose on one of his walls. That doesn’t count as “presence.”) But strolling the grounds — 29 acres known as Bailey’s Woods — around Rowan Oak is about as spiritual as a literary mind can go, at least without stained glass in the mix.
The University of Mississippi has owned and managed the property since 1972. (A certain path brings you into a clearing with a view of the Ole Miss baseball stadium. Again, for the right person, a spiritual exercise.) One academic institution cares for — and promotes — another. Some Faulkner loyalists find their way to the writer’s resting place in Oxford Memorial Cemetery. But for me, it’s always the short drive down Old Taylor Rd., less than four miles south of the acclaimed Square Books on the town square. The grounds of Rowan Oak are almost too accessible. How can such presence be so easy to channel? — Frank Murtaugh
916 OLD TAYLOR RD., OXFORD, MS
