Tennessee Sights and Delights…Memphis to Nashville

After St. Louis, I decided to head to Memphis for a couple of nights and see if it was what I remembered from 20+ years ago when I road tripped here from where I lived in Little Rock. I came across the bridge into town just as the sun was going down. It was a beautiful sunset and my hotel was on the river and had a great rooftop bar where I was able to catch the end of the show. Keith, the bartender, was a fun guy, and it was a cool place to hangout. He was friendly, and everyone who came in was friendly. It was the first bar I’d been to in years where nobody was on their phone, and everyone was actually talking!!! All walks of life from truckers to PhD students, the local weatherman to first dates, girls night out to mom and pop from the Midwest, it was all good.

After a good night’s rest, I decided to head into midtown to visit an amazing music shop with an impressive gong chamber!!! I was lucky to get a private tour and to see the collection. Hopefully I will be able to get back for a sound journey sometime in March! After the music shop, feeling inspired, I explored the neighborhood a bit and ran into a cute farmer’s market where I got a burrito that definitely lit a fire! With that, it was time to get back to nature, and I headed to an urban park I’d seen on the map. There’s an area in Overton Park called Old Forest, which is a 142-acre wooded area with 4+ miles of trails through the woods. It was so peaceful! I spent a couple of hours just wandering around taking in the beauty of the giant trees and listening to the chirping birds. Such a great surprise to find in the middle of the city!

That evening, I returned for a couple of glasses of wine and some more good conversation before heading off to bed. The next day, I did some walking in town and visited Beale St. It was pretty quiet during the day, which was expected, but I was disappointed to find how run down it seemed. I remembered it being vibrant and full of life when I had visited in the past, but this time, it was just sad…

The main street with the trolley that ties into Beale was a bit more happening, but still not the energy I expected.

Ready to move on, the next morning, I got an early start and got on the road heading towards Nashville to see if I could find some happier vibes!

Susan, my mother-in-law, had told me there was a full-size Parthenon replica in Nashville, complete with a 42-foot statue of the beautiful Athena in her shrine, just as she stands in Athens. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, craft, courage, and warfare. I had to stop and meet her and stand in her power! It was meant to be. While waiting in line for it to open, chatting with a couple from California, a man came up to us and offered us three tickets he had decided not to use….I was then the first one in to meet Athena and got to spend a few quiet minutes with her!!

After the visit, I was getting hungry, so I made my way to Honkey Tonk Highway to grab some lunch and see if I could catch some music. It was definitely more happening than Beale St., but I have to say, I was disappointed by how commercialized it was. It just felt like a giant, crowded, tourist-trap, money maker….I have to believe there is still cool in Nashville, but this didn’t do it for me. I ordered a BBQ sandwich, walked up and down the street quickly, and made it back to my car before I was on the hook to pay for another hour in the parking garage.

With that, I felt a calling to get back to nature, and pointed my car towards Kentucky…….more to come soon.

Peace, Love, and Hugs,

Michelle