Friday, July 12
Midway RV Park – Navy
Today, we got up and on the road pretty early. Too early, actually. While I thought Lisa might have been sleeping in, we found out after getting the trailer connected and on our way that the inside clock we were using was still on Eastern Standard Time. An early start never hurt anyone.
Tonight, we will be staying at a military base for the first time, a naval base in particular. I used the GPS coordinates to get us to the base, but it tried to take us to a side road. After searching the notes I had, we decided to maneuver around to the South Gate. When we got closer, we saw that it was closed for repairs. On the way to the South Gate, we passed an open gate on the north side, so we turned around and could get in that way. Thank goodness this was a small base.
I had good instructions from my reservation on how to get to the campground, so it did not take us long to find it. We were greeted by the host when we arrived. We had to pick the spots that were not occupied, so I just asked for one of the popular spots and was pointed to #3. It had nice concrete pads and a shade tree that did not hang over the trailer. We set up quickly and ate some leftovers for lunch. I enjoyed the rest of Lisa’s Cuban Sandwich from yesterday. The host came over during lunch, and we chatted some more.
Civil Rights Museum – Lorraine Motel
At around 12:15, we headed to the ITR office to purchase discount tickets to the Civil Rights Museum, located in the historic Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Unfortunately, the experience at the ITR was frustrating. The employee assisting me seemed inexperienced and struggled to complete the process, repeatedly relying on a colleague for help. It reminded me of one of my long-standing frustrations with military facilities: the mandated hiring of dependents, which didn’t always result in competent service.
After about 30 minutes, we finally had our vouchers in hand and began the 35-minute drive to the museum. The route took us through some economically depressed areas of the city, which Lisa noted was approximately 65% Black, according to a quick search.
When we arrived, the museum parking lot was packed, forcing us to circle the area before finding a spot on the street. The meter allowed for only two hours of parking—hardly sufficient for what we anticipated would be an in-depth visit—but we had no better options.
Our challenges didn’t end there. After waiting about 30 minutes to pass through security, we were directed to another line inside. It was only then I realized the vouchers we had were not actual tickets and needed to be exchanged. That process took another hour. While I grew increasingly irritated by the delays, Lisa pointed out that most other visitors seemed unfazed, waiting patiently and taking the inconveniences in stride.
Once inside, the museum was worth every bit of the hassle. The exhibits were thoughtfully curated, focusing primarily on the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. What stood out was how it celebrated the courage of individuals and communities who used peaceful civil disobedience to challenge and dismantle injustice. While the primary narrative centered on the Black experience, the themes of oppression and resistance were universal, with some displays extending to the struggles of women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups.
Observing the other visitors became as engaging as the exhibits themselves. Most of those around us were Black, and their reactions were deeply personal and varied. Some connected with migration maps, tracing their ancestors’ journeys. Others were visibly moved, with expressions of sadness or quiet reflection. A few voiced their frustrations about how many of the depicted issues persist today. Younger visitors, especially children, often interacted with the displays in ways that blended reverence with curiosity, such as posing defiantly in the mock-up of a bus seat commemorating Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. I wished I could sit and interview them to understand better how the museum resonated with each person.
One of the most poignant sections of the museum was near the end, where visitors could view the hotel room and balcony where Dr. King was assassinated. The room was preserved behind a glass wall, furnished exactly as it would have been at his death. Though visitors weren’t allowed onto the balcony, we could look out at it and see the wreath marking the spot where King fell. Signs throughout this area requested quiet and respect, and photography was prohibited, adding to the solemnity of the space.
Across the street, the exhibits continued at the boarding house from which the fatal shot was fired. This section explored the final days of King’s life, the evidence related to the assassination—including the alleged murder weapon—and a detailed mock-up of the room where the gunman stayed. There was even a section examining conspiracy theories surrounding King’s death, adding intrigue to the presentation. Like the main museum, this area was meticulously designed and thought-provoking.
Overall, the Civil Rights Museum was an impactful and expertly curated tribute. It honored Dr. King’s legacy and illuminated the broader struggles for justice and equality, making it a powerful experience that lingered long after we left.
Dinner
After visiting the memorial, we found a brewery for a late lunch. Our first stop was WISEacre Brewery in the Broad Street Arts District, but it only had a BBQ food truck, and I was looking for something more. The District itself was packed and looked like a lot of fun.
We then went to Bosco’s Squared in Overton Square. There, we enjoyed a beer flight and some BBQ chicken pizza. Although most of the beers were watery, we did enjoy the pizza, though we both agreed it could use less BBQ sauce. Afterward, we headed back to the trailer.
Saturday, July 13
Outside Graceland
We had 9:15 am tickets to Graceland, so we left about 8 am to head into town. We arrived early, and after paying $10 for tickets, we walked outside the museum, taking pictures of his airplanes. We did not buy the enhanced tour tickets to go inside the airplanes. We learned later that the “TCB” we saw painted on the tailfins stood for “Taking Care of Business,” a personal motto Presley adopted in the early 1970s.
Graceland
After getting our tickets at Will Call, we watched a short film to set the mood before being shuttled to Graceland Mansion. We were each given iPads and headsets for an audio tour of the mansion.
Upon arriving at the mansion, we began our audio tours. Since the audio described each room and various items in it, some people stood next to the ropes, blocking the view for the rest of us as they listened. I learned to start the audio before entering the rooms so I knew what to look for. Eventually, the crowd spread out, making it easier to see the other rooms, even though another tour group was just behind us. While it wasn’t a large mansion, it did give a sense of how Elvis lived his private life away from the public eye. Unfortunately, we were not allowed upstairs, which was his private area, which wasn’t very pleasant.
The displays featured many pictures and movies of the family, the history of the house, and just a little about his career. The final part of the tour took us past his grave along with those of his parents, his grandmother, and a monument to his stillborn twin.
Would you like to explore other nearby attractions or need any help planning your next trip?
Elvis Experience
After the mansion tour, a shuttle brought us back to their “Elvis Experience” area which was finished in 2017 at a cost of $40 million dollars. I had several museums, a concert hall, gift shops, and a restaurant in a mall-like layout. In addition to the massive Elvis displays broken up by his music and movie careers, it also had a large display of his military years. There was a large building that had his various jumpsuits; another that had his cars, motorcycles, golf carts and other motor vehicles; another that had a display of the Sun Studio that launched his career; another that showed Sam Phillips career; and another that showed a lot of costumes from other stars such as KISS. They had two Elvis airplanes outside that would have cost extra to tour that we did not do.
We spend 4 hours enjoying the displays and finished our visit by splitting a fried Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich at the restaurant. The seats in the restaurants all looked like the backseat of a classic car.
Beale Street
Afterward, we decided to head over to the famous Beale Street, a party district full of blues bars. When we arrived, our first impression was that it smelled like piss. The street was blocked off and there were a lot of street-facing bars that sold booze that you could walk around and drink. They all had big signs that stated you could not use their bathrooms if you did not buy any of their merchandise. We decided to step into Fuzzy O’Briens for a beer because we heard some live music. It was the largest bar on the street with a huge patio area. It even had a couple of penned-up goats there. Lisa got a Big Assed Beer of Coors light (32 oz), and I got a smaller Amber beer from a local brewery. My beer ended up costing more than hers. After we finished our beers, we continued our walk and found another terrace area that had some Blues Players playing. After getting our small $7.50 beers from the bar, we sat down and really enjoyed the band. They had a saxophone, deep voices, and played some great soulful tunes. They were also very interactive with the audience, and especially a cute young girl that was celebrating her birthday. He young twin brothers were also cute trying to do some modern dance moves like the floss to some of their songs. They definitely had no beat.
We finally tore ourselves away from that band and wandered down to another bar that had live music. Their songs were more country-western which just did not sound as good as the blues we had just finished listening to. After listening to a couple of songs without seeing a waitress, we decided to leave.
Memphis Pyramid
We then decided to go to the Memphis Pyramid. This was a large glass pyramid that was later converted to a Bass Pro Shops in 2015. The highlight for tourists was a 28-story elevator, America’s tallest free-standing elevator, that took you to a restaurant and an outside lookout. Though the floor of the observation deck was glass, you could not easily through it. Lisa, despite her phobia of falling, was able to get out to the railing without too much difficulty by holding my hand/arm. The views of the Mississippi River and the city was spectacular. The store itself was decorated like a swamp with fake cypress trees covered with Spanish moss. It also bragged 600,000 gallons of water in various aquariums and ponds. It was big but was laid out like the other Bass Pro Shops we had seen.
I was worn out and ready to go back to the trailer when we got off the observation deck, so after a brief walk-around we headed back. When we got outside we saw that we had just missed a heavy downpour. When we got back, we were able to get the truck cleaned out before a big downpour hit our campground. We enjoyed some sweet potatoes, chili, and carrots before bed.
Sunday, July 14
On our way out to Memphis, we found a couple of deer hanging around.
Al Green’s Full Gospel Tabernacle
This morning we planned to go to Al Greens Full Gospel Tabernacle that morning which seems to be a popular tourist activity here even though it is a church. Al Green was a multi-album Gospel recording artist that turned Preacher that started his own church. His church now attracts visitors from all over the world. It was raining hard, so when we arrived at the church at 11:15 am, the parking lot was not as busy as I expected. When we entered, they were just finishing up with a bible study and we heard various commentary on “that if you do not give God all, then God doesn’t want any of you” and “God requires you need to deny yourself”. Well…. I was here for the experience, not the message.
The church ceremony started with the Choir and small band singing us into an emotional frenzy. It was definitely powerful and it got us standing and clapping, with several people yelling amen and other things. Al Green came on stage and the choir leads us into another rousing song before they took up an offering and he began his sermon. He was not a very motivating sermon but he was fun hearing his sing during the sermon. At the end of the sermon, he did not stand at the door shaking hands like most preachers, he just disappeared backstage.
Ghost River Brewery
After church, we decided to find a brewery and have lunch. The first place we stopped at was the Ghost River Brewery. When we arrived we found a food truck out back. We decided to stay anyway and we ordered the fried Cornish Hen in Golden Memphis Sauce with sides of beans and mustard slaw. We went in and ordered a flight of beers and the food truck owner brought in our food. The stout beers were especially good with the fried foods.
Memphis-Made Brewery
When we finished the beers, we headed to another brewery. It was my birthday after all. This time we went to the Memphis Made Brewery. There we ordered a flight with all six of their beers which included a couple of IPAs and a Hefeweizen that I knew we probably would not like. We ended up only liking one of their beers.
Crystal Grotto
We then decided to visit a obscure place that I had read about called the Crystal Grotto. It was a hand dug cave in the middle of a cemetery that was lined with crystals that had numerous religious displays. It was gaudy and surreal.
Afterward, we headed home for the evening and watched the last couple of episodes of Stranger Things.