More of Memphis

We explored a little more of Memphis today but my opinion hasn't changed. Yesterday, we purchased 'Hop On - Hop off' Bus tickets for the exorbitant price of $22. This morning we walked down to the city's Welcome Place where the bus is supposed to pick up every hour. Well 10 o'clock came and went, without a bus. After 20 minutes, Kathy went in to see the 'Welcome' people who phoned the bus company. They promised to send a bus which eventually arrived another 20 minutes later.

First stop for us this morning was Sun Studio where a lot of Rock Stars recorded their songs, including Elvis, Johnny Cash and many more.

The front Room of Sun Studio

Sun Studio was opened in 1950 by rock pioneer Sam Philips. During the next few years, he recorded many artists such as Rocket 88, Howlin' Wolf, BB King, James Cotton Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Radio WDIA in Memphis was one of the first stations to play Sam's recording. When the building of the radio station was being demolished, Sun Studio went in and salvaged the radio studio which is now proudly displayed in Sun Studio.

The studio of Radio WDIA

The microphone which recorded all the greats including Elvis and Roy Otbison

We then took the bus to the National Civil Rights Museum. It's situated on the site of the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was murdered. I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing about how the whites treated the slaves and after slavery was abolished, the African Americans. It was plainly inhumane. 

It then explained the struggle they had to be able to get educated and later get the vote. Unbelievable.

The Lorraine Motel. The wreath shows where Martin Luther King was murdered

The Lorraine Motel, now site of the Civil Rights Museum

It was getting past lunch time so we decided to dodge the beggars in Beale Street and check out one of their restaurants. I had a burger with a dark Irish beer and it was wonderful.

My lunch

Lunch at Silky's to the sounds of a live blues band

After lunch we rocked up again at the Hop On Hop Off bus stop where we were let down once again. We waited twenty minutes for the bus but it never turned up. It was starting to rain,so we walked up the street and took a city bus for a dollar.

Tomorrow we're boarding the American Queen for New Orleans.