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Why You Should Visit Memphis for Your Next Girls Trip
Grab your girls and head to Memphis, Tennessee. This gem of the South may be known for its blues and barbecue, but you’ll find it has so much more to offer.
AARP (Shutterstock, Courtesy Hustle & Dough, Courtesy Stax Museum, Getty Images, Courtesy Lucyja Hygge)
The first time I visited Memphis, Tennessee, I felt I’d been let in on a secret. Even though I’m a Southern girl born and bred in Birmingham, Alabama, I had no idea that Memphis – just a 4-hour drive west of my hometown – was brimming with captivating culture and classy cuisine. I enjoyed my time in Blues City so much that I was eager to return – this time with my BFF. My second visit to Memphis showed that this riverside city is definitely girls-trip approved! Whether the ladies in your crew are history buffs, music lovers, foodies, or just want to be pampered – there’s a little something for everyone.
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The Peabody Guestroom Deluxe Double
Trey Clark
The Peabody's Capriccio Grill Signature Burger
Trey Clark
Where To Stay
Lucyja Hygge is a Metaphysical Spirituality Shop in Midtown Memphis
Courtesy Lucyja Hygge
Memphis Beale Street Locational Neon Welcome Sign
Lorraine Boogich/Getty Images
A big fan of boutique hotels, I stayed at Arrive Memphis during each trip. My favorite thing about Arrive is that it gives you a taste of how the locals live. Memphis residents love hanging out in the Arrive lobby. Located in the South Main Arts District, Arrive has a coffeeshop vibe during the day thanks to its in-house bakery Hustle & Dough. You can get your caffeine fix and nosh on freshly baked pastries. Hustle & Dough makes delicious sandwiches too. At night, Arrive is still abuzz as folks meet up with friends at the lobby bar, Bar Hustle. You can also head downstairs to Longshot for food, frosty beers and a game of shuffleboard.1
David Allan Clark's Tom Lee Memorial at Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee
Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
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Enchanted Tea Lounge
Courtesy Enchanted Tea Lounge
Don’t worry, the excitement downstairs won’t disturb your beauty rest when you turn in for the night. The modern rooms feature plush, comfortable beds sure to help you enjoy a night of restful sleep. You’ll wake to find that the rooms are bathed in natural light beckoning you to get out and about.1
If you’re on a budget but still want to keep it classy, you may want to opt for Hotel Napoleon, instead.2 If you’re willing and able to splurge, consider The Peabody Memphis, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is world-famous for its five resident Mallard ducks, who march daily through the lobby at 11am and 5 pm.3
All three of these hotels are a short walk or easy drive to the Beale Street Entertainment District, the National Civil Rights Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studio, and the riverfront– but more on these later.
What To Do
If you and your girls are looking to relax, you could treat yourselves to a day at a Black-owned spa like Jasper Float Spa & Wellness Center 4 or Amani Bath Spa5 or the Feathers Spa18 at the Peabody Hotel (which locals love19 and was named one of the top 100 Spas of 2024 by Spas of America.18 You don’t have to be a hotel guest to indulge.19) To keep the relaxing vibes going, you could visit Lucyja Hygge, a Black-owned metaphysical shop offering herbs, oils, yoga, guided meditation and more.6 And you could cap off the evening with a show at Hattiloo Theatre.7
For the Music Lovers
It’s no secret that Memphis is a music lover’s paradise. This city gave birth to blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll.
If you decide to walk – or dance – through the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, you’ll get to immerse yourself in the magic of Memphis’ musical history, a history that features a long list of artists including Al Green, Otis Redding, W.C. Handy, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin and many more. Take in the collection of interactive exhibits, films, artifacts, items of memorabilia, and, of course, Isaac Hayes' gold-plated, peacock blue 1972 Superfly Cadillac El Dorado.8
If you make your way to Sun Studio, you’ll be in a place where musical legends from B.B. King and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis were discovered. The 40-minute guided tour gives inside stories as you listen to outtakes from recording sessions and a peek at priceless memorabilia. You can also stand in the exact spot where Presley recorded his first song that made its way to radio.9
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Speaking of the King, each year over 600,000 people visit Graceland, and I had to be in that number. 10 The fact that the equivalent of an amusement park was built around a single person’s life amazes me. Elvis has a complicated history with Black musicians as he’s often accused of stealing their style for his sound and his moves. Yet, a tour of Graceland reveals some artists like B.B. King and James Brown considered him a brother.
No trip to Memphis is complete without a stroll down Beale Street. One of America’s most iconic streets, this roughly two-mile downtown strip of bars, restaurants and night clubs feels like Bourbon Street’s more mature cousin. From live music to group fitness classes, there’s always something going on at Beale Street.
For the History Buffs
Memphis was founded as a river city, located on the bluffs above the Mississippi River. One of the best ways to take in the Mighty Mississippi is from one of the Memphis River Parks. Tom Lee Park not only offers waterside views but some Black history too. The park is named for an African American man who rescued 32 passengers who’d been thrown from a capsized steamer and the currents of Mississippi. The most fascinating part of this story: Lee couldn’t swim.
The Withers Collection Museum & Gallery is a hidden treasure tucked away on Beale Street that I missed on my first visit. Fortunately, two people who knew I was making my way back to Memphis urged me to add this to my itinerary. Named for the internationally acclaimed photographer and Memphis native Dr. Ernest Withers, Sr. (1922 – 2007), this collection showcases some of Withers’ most iconic photographs from the Civil Rights era, including images of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and participants in Memphis’ 1968 “I AM A MAN” sanitation strike. The collection also includes photographs of Elvis Presley, B.B. King, and Aretha Franklin and images from the heyday of Negro League baseball.11
With Carolyn Michael-Banks (or “Queen” as she likes to be called) as your guide, A Tour of Possibilities is an in-depth exploration of Memphis centered on Black history.12 It was from Queen that I learned Memphis is named for the ancient capital of Egypt. One of the first stops on the tour is at the Equality Trailblazers, a public monument honoring people with ties to the area who were leaders in the women’s suffrage movement – including Ida B. Wells. During the tour you’ll also cruise through Soulsville (a South Memphis neighborhood that gets its named from the soul music explosion that ignited in the area in the mid-1900s), view a monument to the “I AM A MAN” strike, and see the building where Dr. King gave his last speech.
How powerful it feels to then explore the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel and learn more about Black Americans’ fight for freedom.
For the Foodies
You can’t go to Memphis without trying the barbecue and there’s practically a BBQ spot on every corner. Blues City Cafe is a Beale Street hotspot that’s open from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., so it’s an option no matter what time of day you start craving ribs. If you’re looking for something different, you may want to try a BBQ turkey leg sandwich from Ball Hoggerz or the BBQ nachos at Central BBQ.
At Dock’s Off 5th, the camera eats first as it’s one of Memphis’ most Instagrammable restaurants. The ambiance of this floral-themed upscale seafood restaurant would work well for date night, but Dock’s seems to be the go-to spot for a night out with the girls. In fact, the famous Barbie movie quote “Every night is girls night” is emblazoned on the wall in pink neon. Don’t worry, the food is good too! I had the island salmon, and it did not disappoint.13 As a seafood lover, I also went to Sage, which is known for its catfish,14 and it’s now on my list of favorite spots too. Not only is the food delicious and the waitstaff friendly and attentive, but the playlist was top-tier, spinning old-school and new-school R&B.
For brunch, we headed to Kitchen Laurel.15 It’s perfect if you’re in the mood for a down-home diner vibe. Side note -- get the sweet potato waffles! For my next visit I want to swing over to Biscuits & Jams (which at night hosts The Juke Speakeasy).16 Another mid-day offering to consider -- afternoon tea at Enchanted Tea Lounge, a Black-owned tea house located at an unassuming strip mall in Midtown Memphis. My BFF and I stepped inside and felt transformed by the elegant, vintage décor as we sipped tea and noshed on small bites such as chicken salad and cucumber sandwiches, macaroons, scones, lemon squares and more.17
1. https://www.arrivehotels.com/hotels/memphis
2. https://hotelnapoleonmemphis.com/
3. https://peabodymemphis.com/
4. https://jasperfloatspa.com/
10. https://www.graceland.com/elvis-at-graceland
11. https://thewitherscollection.com/
12. https://www.atopmemphis.com/
13. https://www.instagram.com/docksoff5th
14. https://www.sagememphis.com/
15. https://www.kitchenlaurel.com/
16. https://thejukespeakeasy.com/
17. https://enchantedtealounge.com/
18. https://peabodymemphis.com/room/spa/
19. https://ilovememphisblog.com/2020/03/take-a-spa-day-at-feathers-spa-at-the-peabody
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