Day 9 – Civil Rights, Central BBQ and Finding the Soul of Memphis
Day 9 began at a far more reasonable hour than some of the previous days, and with no major headaches to report, we set off to explore Memphis properly.
Our first stop was breakfast at the famous Arcade Restaurant near Central Station.
The Arcade has been serving customers, including Elvis, since 1919 and is widely regarded as Memphis’s oldest continuously operating café. It still has that classic American diner feel, complete with booths, chrome fittings and enough history on the walls to keep you entertained while waiting for coffee.
Breakfast was excellent, the coffee was solid, and it provided the fuel required for what would turn out to be one of the most important and moving days of the trip.
After breakfast, we crossed the street and headed to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel.
Built around the former motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, the museum tells the story of the American Civil Rights Movement from its beginnings through to modern times.
We spent nearly three hours making our way through the exhibits.
It was powerful, confronting, educational and, at times, deeply emotional. The museum does an outstanding job of telling the stories of ordinary people who fought for extraordinary change. Walking through the preserved motel site itself is a sobering experience and one that stays with you long after you leave.
It was easily one of the most significant attractions we’ve visited on the entire trip.
After such a serious morning, it was time for a little Memphis therapy.
Barbecue.
We headed to the famous Central BBQ for lunch and were treated to our first proper Memphis-style barbecue experience. Memphis is famous for pork ribs, particularly dry-rubbed ribs, and Central BBQ certainly knows what it’s doing.
The food was excellent.
As we wandered around, one of the staff shirts caught our attention with the slogan:
“Wet. Dry. Rubbed. Jerked”
We’re still not entirely sure who approved that slogan, but it certainly got a laugh from us. Unfortunately they don’t come in XXXXL.
The ribs were terrific, the pulled pork was excellent and the sides were exactly what you’d hope for from a place that has built such a strong reputation.
Following lunch, we returned to the hotel for some much-needed recovery time.
A swim in the pool, a short nap and a little air-conditioning therapy helped prepare us for the evening ahead.
At around 4:30pm, Mikey and Liddy headed out on a scouting mission to find the best music venue for the night.
After a thorough investigation of Beale Street’s available options, they settled on BB King’s Blues Club and instructed the rest of us to join them there later.
It turned out to be an excellent decision.
The band was fantastic, the atmosphere was exactly what we’d hoped to find in Memphis and for the first time since arriving, it felt like we’d truly found the soul of the city.
Great blues, cold drinks, good company and a room full of people enjoying themselves.
That’s pretty much what we came to Memphis for.
We settled in, listened to several sets and happily watched the evening unfold.
By the time we finally left around 10:30pm, we all agreed that Memphis had finally delivered the experience we’d been chasing.
The barbecue was excellent.
The music was excellent.
And for the first time on the trip, the city itself felt every bit as legendary as its reputation suggested.
Tomorrow we point the Smoke Wagon east and make our way to Nashville.
See y’all tomorrow👋
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