“Hey Dan, I’m driving through Memphis on Monday night, want to meet up with me there?”… said my sister, Stephanie, on the phone.

“Um. One sec. I’m not sure… wait. What the heck?! Yes! What time will you be there”.

Cut to: Landing in Memphis at 5pm on Monday for a fun evening, staying up too late, a great brunch, lots of laughs, some scooter riding through Memphis and then jumping back on a plane to Philadelphia by Tuesday afternoon.

A Quick Covid Note: I was surprised at how “covid conscious” Memphis was… I saw lots of cleaning and the staff of the restaurants we ate at were all very respectful and very enforcing of the mask rules. I felt totally safe and really appreciated that.

This was my first time visiting Memphis, and I wanted to make sure to visit the Loraine Motel at the Civil Rights Museum. The Loraine Motel is where MLK Jr was shot (right outside room 306, April 4, 1968… not that long ago…)

*Gets on soap box… hey… this is my blog and I’ll write what I want to* I say this with so much love and desire for inclusion and unity, not with an angry tone or anything: As a white American I have realized how easy it is to ignore the demand for justice and equal treatment for Black Americans (and all people of color, but specifically Black Americans). It’s easy to ignore because it doesn’t directly effect ME because I’m white and truly believe as much as I try… I really don’t know what it’s like to be black, but I have been convicted to do what I can to relate to and empathize with Black Americans, and urge our country to realize there is a major problem and to do their part to change the system while I do my part. I’m not going to write an angry blog post about it, though the injustice makes me sick. I have come a long way to realizing that Black Lives MUST Matter and All lives can’t matter until Black lives do. PLEASE DON’T STOP READING YET 🙂 Oh Reader, you are most likely a content white American and I beg you to take just a moment to reflect on how you can contribute to the conversation and make sure all members of this country feel valued and included. Deep down can you see the inequality? We are all on our own journey of understanding this, and it is uncomfortable to be challenged, consider this a gentle nudge to really consider what you can do, or if there is a thought process you can adjust.

*Gets off soap box…*

I don’t think you can actually talk about Memphis without talking about it’s cultural importance on so many levels: civil rights, social justice, hello MUSIC?!

*Gets on trolly*

We had a great time, riding the trolly, walking on Beale Street and seeing all the historic places… It was a bit empty compared to the stories I’ve heard from pre-covid times (back in those olden days) but it was awe inspiring to think about all the greats that came from this city.

Of course I had to eat a rack of ribs at the Blues City Cafe – expectations were fully met and my stomach was FULL.

After the ribs we needed to walk it off and make room for another adventure, oh yeah, and get some great Instagram pictures (Follow me HERE).

I had made a reservation at The Beauty Shop knowing it should be a cool experience… let me tell you – if you ever go to Memphis this is a MUST GO. Below on the left is a shot of me sitting in the very chair where Priscilla Presley (yes, the one that was married to Elvis Presley) used to get her hair done… I thought that was a cool bit of history. The food is unique and very tasty and they have a great custom cocktail list.

And as quickly as the trip started, just like that it was over. My sister gave me a big bag of fresh Michigan Blueberries (omg – favorite food in the world). I jumped on a plane headed back to Philly, and Stephanie continued her road trip back home to Texas.

I have nothing but good things to say about Memphis, get out there and check it out!