FAMILY TRAVEL: Memphis: Fun for the Whole Family

Take a Weekend in Memphis – Fun for the Whole Family By Carol Muse Evans

Looking for a family destination a little different? Try Memphis, Tennessee, Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock and Roll, and just a 3½-hour drive on Interstate 22 from Birmingham. There’s plenty to see and do here for families and folks of all ages to enjoy. A great place to stay – and visit – is the Big Cypress Lodge and Bass Pro Shop that now lives in the famous “pyramid” at the edge of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. It first opened as a sports arena in 1991. It didn’t last too long as a sports arena and was shuttered about 2004. (For a fascinating look at its history, visit www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-29/ how-memphis-made-a-kind-of-great-american-pyramid.) In 2005, Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and Big Cypress Lodge, was fishing on the Mississippi with a friend and made a bet about catching a 30-pound catfish. If they caught one, Morris said he’d build a Bass Pro Shop in the pyramid. His buddy Jack caught a 30-pounder near the end of the fishing trip. The pyramid is home to much more than a Bass Pro Shop, although it’s a fun place to visit on its own. There are numerous restaurants, a 600,000-gallon Cypress Swamp, an alligator habitat, shooting gallery, Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center, an ocean-themed bowling alley and aquarium and fish feeding. The pyramid also boasts the nation’s tallest 28-story freestanding glass elevator, where you can take a ride – for a fee – to the top of the pyramid and see an amazing view of Memphis and the Mississippi River, as well as eat at the Lookout restaurant there. The Cypress Lodge, which lives above the store, is an amazing homage to the outdoors and the beautifully put together rooms feel like a mountain lodge, a little piece of the outdoors inside. For more general information about all Memphis has to offer, visit https://www.memphistravel.com/.

Carol Muse Evans is publisher and editor of Birmingham Parent.

By Carol Muse Evans

Courtesy of Memphis Travel

By Carol Muse Evans

WHERE TO STAY:

Big Cypress Lodge, www.big-cypress.com, 901-620-4600 Packages: https://big-cypress.com/packages-offers/ (some attractions limited due to Covid-19).

PLACES TO VISIT:

There are SO MANY places to visit in Memphis, we cannot list them all. Here are some of our favorites. Be sure to check out https://www.memphistravel.com/tourist-attractions for many more great museums and other attractions to suit you.

Big River Crossing, www.bigrivercrossing.com/ Enjoy an evening walk across the largest pedestrian bridge to cross the Mississippi River. FREE. Open 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

Shelby Farms Park, www.shelbyfarmspark.org/, Located in the heart of Memphis, this outdoor park has so much to offer. Paddle boat, kayak, canoe and more on the lake. Take a horseback riding tour or walk some of the great trails. Sit on the porch of the visitors’ center and just enjoy the beautiful views. A great place to ride bikes. Check the website for hours when you visit, as they vary.

Backbeat Ghost Walking Tour, www.backbeattours.com/ tours/ghost.cfm, Older teens and adults may enjoy hearing the history and ghost stories of Memphis long ago in this walking tour. It lasts a few hours and there is lots of walking, so be wary with younger children. Elvis Presley’s Graceland, www.graceland.com/, If you’ve never been, no trip to Memphis is complete without a visit here! Experience all things Elvis!

National Civil Rights Museum

https://www.memphistravel.com/national-civil-rights-museum This museum is housed at the historic Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. It gives a comprehensive overview of the Civil Rights movement, from slavery to the present. It is temporarily closed due to Covid-19; check before visiting.

WHERE TO EAT:

Westy’s, www.westysmemphis.com, 902-543-8646 Westy’s might be what you would affectionately call a “hole in the wall,” but their food and service is amazing! It's a brief walk from the pyramid, and they also deliver there.

Sunrise Memphis, https://sunrise901.com/ Also a brief walk from the pyramid, Sunrise has delicious made-to-order breakfast and brunch specials you can take out or eat in the colorful café. From their “biscuit sammies” to plates, bowls and the kitchen sink, it won’t be hard to find something here to please everyone in your group!

Coastal Fish Company, www.coastalfishcompany.com/, 901-266-9000, If you make it to Shelby Farms Park, Coastal Fish Company is right there on the lake, and this “white table- cloth” restaurant doesn’t disappoint with great seafood and more, and a lobster bisque not to be missed. Central BBQ, https://eatcbq.com/, 901-672-7760 No trip to Memphis is complete without eating barbecue. Central has everything you want – fast service, casual dining and delicious, award-winning barbecue. Be sure to get their banana pudding!