southern sojourn 5: walking in memphis, driving along the natchez trace
After Stax, Amy and I headed into downtown Memphis. After parking next to a dead mall, we strolled along Beale Street and quickly determined it was the place to indulge in "big ass beer." A. Schwab Dry Goods has been in business since 1876 and smells as if the opening day air was trapped inside. Still, who can resist monkeys and a giant can of whup a**, as shown in Schwab's window? We ultimately decided Beale Street was ideal for an evening bar hop, but not for strolling on a sweltering afternoon. Though time didn't allow us to have a thorough look, we wandered around the perimeter of the National Civil Rights Museum . Built around the shell of the Lorraine Hotel, this was the site where Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated in 1968. We wandered down to the Mississipi River but didn't linger long due to the oppressive heat and haze, which didn't help our depleted energy levels. This was followed by an accidental trip across the...