Any suggestions on where to go when taking trip to Tennessee?

Bobwade

[BOBWADE]

I am planning a trip to Memphis in a few weeks with my family and wanted to see any of my FR brothers can give me some suggestions. I plan on going to the Rendezvous Restaurant for ribs but also want to hit a few other local attractions. Also, I wonder if there is any particular place to go for a more traditional slow smoked barbeque meal. My son is into history so anything historical may also be nice. Please feel free to make any suggestions that may be family approriate. My kids are 8 and 2. Thanks

[angkor]

and a minor film trivia note, in The Firm (Grisham), Tom Cruise is give a welcome party to his new Memphis law firm on the roof of The Peabody.

[angkor]

>>>>>The Pea-buddy Hotel. Not Peabody — the Pea-Buddy.

Funny they told me the exact opposite when I was there:

Pea-Body, not Pea-Buddy.

[Kirkwood]

Yeah Corky’s is a franchise chain. That’s like going to McDonald’s. Better to find a real restaurant.

[angkor]

>>>>>Ick! Not much one for biscuits and gravy. Just give me the southern BBQ!!! lol

Well, they had a shortage of photos so I showed what was there (I’m not a biscuits and gravy man myself),

better to go check the site itself, www.roadfood.com

[atomicweeder]

The National Civil Rights Museum is very impressive. It's incorporated into the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was shot.

You can explain to you son that Dr. King dedicated his life to bring equality to blacks.

Equality that is abused and exploited by multi-millionaire hucksters like Sharpton, Jackson, and Obama.

[freedommom]

You really need to visit one of the best restaurant's in all of USA. The main cook has been there 28 years.The Blue & White restaurant in Tunica, Missippi
is always crowded and the food is sooo good. I went there last year when I visited the casinos in Tunica and found this WONDERFUL restaurant. We were going to leave the next day BUT we ended up staying 2 more days. We ate EVERY meal at that restaurant. You cant miss the restaurant it is south of the casinos on Hiway 61 in the town of Tunica ,Miss
painted a gaudy electric blue and white. There are also reviews on the net about the Blue and White.

[Austein]

I was born and raised in Memphis. Some tips on BBQ: Corky’s is the same stuff you can get anywhere. The Rendezvous is great is you like dry rub. But the best place, is Interstate BBQ. You have to be a little brave to enjoy this place because it’s not in the safest part of town. It’s best to bring a native who’s not scared. But it’s worth it. Also, get up one morning and eat at the Arcade Diner (Memphis’s oldest) downtown, hop the trolley, and visit the Civil Rights Museum. It’s truly a moving experience.

[jacksonstate]

Civil rights museum, Mud Island, Pink Palace, Beale Street. I took my kids there last year and we had a very enjoyable and educational visit.

[southland]

I agree on Shiloh... A lot of history.

[Tainan]

Definitely go to the Peabody...see the famous ducks and, while you're there, ask the bartender what road starts right from there at the hotel. Great story.

Also, go to the Commodore Hotel and ask the bartender if they've seen my girlfriend...her name is Dixie.

You'll find that in Memphis, the best places don't always look like the best places.

[mass55th]

As stated by another Freeper, the Natchez Trace is an excellent drive. Several years ago I traveled to Memphis, and then drove farther west to the Civil War historic site Fort Pillow in Henning, Tn. Here's the link to the park:

Fort Pillow

[TNdandelion]

El Porton is still here. Yummy! I hate the Rendesvous (blech). I only went because someone from out of town was a Tom Cruise (The Client) fan and said they had to go there. I don't like dry ribs. I prefer Corky's or Interstate BBQ.

I'd recommend The civil rights museum, Graceland, the Memphis Zoo (polar bears are so cool!), Gibson Guitar museum, Sun Studios, Tunica (ok...so that's in MS! LOL)

Above all...be careful. We have lots of killin' and shootin' and carjackin' and robbin'...

[TNdandelion]

The Firm! I said The Client. But you are correct. Eh...John Grisham...read one book, you’ve read ‘em all.

[snuffy smiff]

forget Corky’s

Neely’s is where you wanna go for ribs or anything else Bar-B-Que’d in Memphis(best I’ve ever had!):

http://www.neelysbbq.com/home.htm

been there 40 years-they must know something about it

they have relatives in Nashville that also do Bar-B-Que

and it’s evey bit as good

[Coldwater Creek]

With small children the Shiloh trip would be good. Forget about Graceland, unless you are a HUGE Elvis fan's. Seedy part of town, and just an all around tourist trap.

There just isn't a lot for kids. Zoo, St. Louis has a much better one. Beal St. is for grown ups.

Fuel is about 3.65 on the average.

Wherever you go in Memphis, just be sure to keep your car locked, and your eyes open.

[Coldwater Creek]

From Memphis, Henning is North. It’s also the home of Alex Haily, who wrote Roots. A lot of the story was about Henning.

[angkor]

Yeah, The Firm.

You want to have a few minutes of fun some time, grab any of his first 5 or 10 novels and look at the sentence structure:

“It was a grim day. The clouds were mounting. The air was chilling. He walked on the sidewalk alone. He passed a tennis court. It was empty. The green asphalt looked almost like grass. But it wasn’t.”

“He reached into his pocket. A piece of scrap paper was there. He took it out and read it. ‘Always write short sentences and short chapters. Your books will sell better at airports.’”

What could that mean? He was a lawyer, not a writer.

He kept walking.

[Coldwater Creek]

John Grisham is a RICH ex lawyer, ex Baptist Deacon, turned “writer”.

[angkor]

>>>I prefer Corky’s or Interstate BBQ.

OK, I’ve said my piece about Corky’s, and other folks here and in other forums (foodie forums mostly) have given Rendevous a bad rap, that leaves Interstate, which I was trying to remember last night. It’s outside the city but I’ve read good things about it, and founder/owner still works the floor from what I’ve heard. Some people swear by it (not sure if they mean the original place or one his newer spots around the city). Anyway I’d definitely give Interstate a try.

I convinced my company to sponsor a BBQ team for Memphis In May some years back, after I met them while judging the Georgia State BBQ Cookoff (”Big Pig Jig”). So I may be a bit pickier than others.

[angkor]

>>>>John Grisham is a RICH ex lawyer, ex Baptist Deacon, turned “writer”.

Oh yeah, he is that, and from what I’ve read he’s one of the very few novelists/script writers who gets complete oversight of the way in which his novels are filmed.

But what I meant to illustrate is that in all of his earlier novels he uses the most elementary sentence, paragraph, and chapter construction that’s possible. His plots are great, but I think it’s the utter simplicity of his writing that’s made him such a great success. Easy-to-read airport novels can be big sellers (and there’s nothing wrong with that).