JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

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...

The second-most visited home in the United States - how could we stay in Memphis and not go to Graceland ? One expecting a rash of tacky Elvis-themed stores and outlets along Elvis Presley Boulevard on the way to Graceland from the freeway will be sorely disappointed. The strip has seen better days, symbolized by a burnt-out fast food joint. I prebooked tickets early in the day to dodge the crowds and afternoon heat. Once we picked up our tickets, we headed out to the line for the shuttle bus to take us across the street to the mansion. Sounds lazy, but I suspect the buses (a) help control the crowds wishing to see Elvis' digs, and (b) prevent traffic congestion on Elvis Presley Boulevard that would result from a signal needing to change every 30 seconds to accomodate visitors trekking over. A steady flow of shuttles ensured that our wait was short. A battery of fans kept those waiting in line cool. It was a good thing that we planned an early trip to Graceland, as the ...

We all agree that Bowling Green, Kentucky was one of the low points of the trip. Perhaps we should have taken a derelict motor court on the outskirts of the city as a sign. The Everly Brothers may have thought Bowling Green had the prettiest girls they ever saw , but nothing went right for us inside the city limits. We were looking for a place to grab a quick lunch, but every road I took led into residential neighbourhoods or out to the middle of nowhere. Downtown was a dusty construction zone, the university a haven for monster speed bumps. Nary a pretty girl wandered by. On our way back to the freeway, we came upon a Waffle House . Never having been to one before (the closest locations to Detroit are in Toledo), we figured it was worth a shot. We stepped in the doorway and Mom's jaw dropped to the floor. Imagine the messiest diner you have ever been in and multiply the dirty dish factor by five. The Toronto Board of Health would have had a field day with the state of the ki...