Walkin' In Memphis (Kentucky Trip Day 5)

"Dirty soul, Bootleg Version of Nashville"

That quote is brought to you by my brother Ryan (how many siblings does she HAVE?!), in reference to.... Which USA city? 

Memphis, Tennesse! 

Saturday morning'a adventures involved chilling, enjoying the World Cup, and discovering my brother's hidden talents for nail art. Yes, that is an intricate palm tree against a gradient sunset. 

After a nice lazy morning Ryan and Jen drove us (across state lines) to Memphis. 

Jen suggested a pit stop at a Nike outlet and Ryan and Kyle, having grown up with sisters, kindly said they didn't mind. I was super glad I went cos I got these amazing pants/ tights that have already changed my life. 

Next we headed to Graceland, and keeping in line with our baller on a budget mantra, just peeped around the wall towards the house. I'm not an Elvis fanatic so I was okay with not selling my soul to take the deluxe tour.

We drove around the city, I saw where Jen works and Ryan goes to school. And we passed some cool historic places like Sun Studios where Elvis did his first recording. 

We went to a park by the Mississippi where all I could think of was whether I would take my wagon on a ferry, ford the river, or hire and Indian to help you cross #oregontrail.

We were walking for just a few minutes when it started sprinkling and we decided a moment too soon it was time to head back. 

After our poor Widdison wisp-thin hair got rained on, we re-couped, re-grouped, and headed to the Civil Rights museum which is next to the motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It was a weird feeling to be in a place with such history. When I learned about this stuff in school it always seemed a bit abstract and distance. Yet here I was. 

After that we went to the pinky-out Peabody Hotel, with plenty of history. The WORLD FAMOUS Peabody ducks (don't tell anyone I haven't heard of them).

There's a story about whiskey and duck decoys and circus masters but it boils down to everyday the duck guests at the Hotel march down from their rooms at 11am, hang out in the fountain, then march back to their roof rooms at 5pm. 

The event garners much attention, it was pretty fabulous. 

I wonder if in my previous animal life, I was a duck in the Peabody fountain. I really hope so. Maybe that comes in my next, higher life. 

The Peabody is really fancy so we took a turn in the lobby and saw cool stuff. Including the company where lots of famous people bought their wardrobe. Elvis, Johnny Cash, etc.

I love Ryan's Elvis duck greeting card find.

After the Duck March we got some Memphis BBQ! Ryan and Jen knew a place and let me tell you, it was just as insane as I expected it to be. The meat just fell off the bone. We got a bunch of stuff to share ribs, brisket, pulled pork. And of course that obnoxious toast which is good, but why would I eat like 3 slices of toast?

The weather, which was predicted at 30% chance of rain took another turn south (har har) and started pouring rain.

With our bellies full of BBQ we did some more driving. We drove over to Arkansas, purely so I could rack up yet another State.

Then the Heavens parted and Voila! There was a break in the rain, so we hurried out and did some walking on Beale Street.

Please cue Mr. Marc Cohn. The cloudy dark skies gave the neon a special kind of feel. I loved it.

We had fun browsing the shops, finding everything from the rare to the kitschy. It was too good to be true, and before long it started pouring again. We did some sharesies with the two umbrellas we scrounged up, and headed back to the car.

It was a long day in the best sense of the word. One of those days when the morning pedicure from your brother seemed like earlier in the week. I never want to leave.