The cotton-trading capital of the Delta, MEMPHIS , perched above the
Mississippi two hundred miles west of Nashville and three hundred south
of St Louis, is one of the great destinations of the South. Visitors
come from all over the world to celebrate the city that virtually
invented blues, soul and rock 'n' roll, as well as to chow down in the
unrivaled barbecue capital of the nation. A visit to Memphis, the home
of the Sun and Stax record labels, with its frequent festivals and
vigorous nightlife, feels like an invitation to share in a genuine and
enduring local culture.
Culturally and geographically, Memphis has more in common with the
deltalands of Mississippi and Arkansas than with the rest of Tennessee.
Founded in 1819 and named for Egypt's ancient Nile capital, its fortunes
rose and fell with cotton . The Confederate defeat that ended the war
briefly plunged it into economic chaos, and severe yellow fever
epidemics didn't help, but thanks to its potential for river and rail
transportation Memphis soon bounced back. The nation's second largest
inland port became a major stopping-off point for migrants escaping the
poverty of the Delta, and many stayed, significantly shaping the city's
identity.
For a couple of decades after the 1968 assassination of Dr Martin Luther
King Jr, Memphis tottered on the brink of decline. In the past decade,
however, the city has regenerated itself yet again, its new
self-confidence typified by the extraordinary 321ft stainless steel
Pyramid that now dominates the riverfront skyline. The famous blues
corridor of Beale Street is booming once more, perhaps a little ersatz
but always entertaining, while Elvis Presley's Graceland a refreshing
change from the usual "gracious southern home" provides an intimate and
exuberant glimpse of Memphis's most famous son.
The City
Downtown Memphis has in the last few years started to come back to life,
at the cost of losing some of its old cotton-era buildings. The central
streets parallel to the river are steadily acquiring new hotels,
restaurants and stores. Beale Street on downtown's southern fringes is
the liveliest area to stroll around, with Sun Studio nearby and the
Civil Rights Museum just south. The huge Mud Island on the river itself
merits half a day, while Graceland , ten miles out, should on no account
be missed.
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