soul pancake

There is a load of facts about soul pancake that you may or not find functional.

Memphis is a city that lives and breathes music. It is an important place in the development of the blues, gospel, jazz, and rock'n'roll. So if you're going to drive to Memphis, start by picking out your travel soundtrack. A few song recommendations include: Graceland, by Paul Simon; anything by Elvis, but especially Heartbreak Hotel and Memphis TN; Walking in Memphis, Mark Cohn; and It's Still Rock'n'Roll To Me, by Billy Joel.

There are tons of hotels in Memphis, and where you choose to stay will depend primarily on your budget. If you're looking for a place that is not scary, but budget-friendly, I recommend the Red Roof Inn. Rooms start at $41 per night. Book ahead either on their website, www.redroof.com, or by calling (901) 388-6111. There are stores and restaurants nearby, including Cracker Barrel for good Southern comfort food.

Set your alarm early to take advantage of the free admission walk-up time to the Meditation Garden on the grounds of Graceland. This is were Elvis and other members of his family are buried. Graceland parking is located at 3717 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN, 38116. (Consult www.mapquest.com for detailed directions there from your hotel.)

If you want to tour the mansion and grounds, you can buy a ticket beginning at 8:30 a.m. beginning at $27. On the tour, you can see Elvis's home and 14-acre estate, many of his stage costumes and awards, and personal possessions. If you don't want to spend that much, the look around as much as you can when you go to the Meditation Garden (gates open for that at 7:30 a.m.). Walk across the street to the Heartbreak Hotel. Enjoy a quick look around at the memorabilia and Elvis tributes.

After enjoying your visit with the King (note that no one is allowed upstairs in his house-many claim this is because the King lives), go to the IHOP around the corner (1277 E Shelby Dr) for a pancake breakfast.

After eating, head to historic Beale Street to visit the Memphis Rock'n'Soul Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute. They tell the story of the birth of rock'n'roll and soul music, and have exhibits with costumes, instruments, and other information (including lots of music to listen to) about important musicians in these genres. Tickets cost $10. Find out more about them on their website www.memphisrocknsoul.org.

After leaving the Rock'n'Soul Museum, take some time to walk around Beale Street.

In Marc Cohn's classic song "Walking in Memphis", he talks about walking with his "feet ten feet off of Beale." This street has been an important gathering and performing place for gospel, soul, and rock'n'roll musicians since the 1800s. When he arrived in Memphis, Riley B. King started performing on Beale Street, and was nicknamed "the Beale Street Blues Boy". He shortened it to B.B., and became one of the most successful blues musicians ever. There's now a statue of him on Beale Street.

Make sure to stop by A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store at 163 Beale. It hasn't changed much since in opened in 1876, and still sells $0.99 neckties, voodoo and blues paraphernalia, and Sunday School Badges.

Occupying #315 on Beale is the Hard Rock Café. Don't bother eating there, but stop by to see their huge collection of music memorabilia.

There are tons of restaurants and bars on Beale Street, most of which have live music. Take your pick for lunch.

Just over 2 miles away, at 824 South Dudley Street, is the Elmwood Cemetery. It was founded in 1852 and spans over 80 acres. Over 75,000 people are burdied there, including suffragettes, blues singers, outlaws, politicians, millionaires, Civil War soldiers, and religious leaders.

If you have time and are there on the right days, here are three extra stops to make:

1. If you are in town on a Tuesday, the Memphis Zoo has free admission from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

2. The Brooks Museum of Art has free admission every Wednesday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

3. All day every Wednesday, the Shelby Forest and J.D. Fuller State Parks offer free admission.

Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel. The Motel has now been preserved and converted into the National Civil Rights Museum. Although they charge admission earlier in the day, admission is always free beginning at 3:00 p.m. Look on their website (www.civilrightsmuseum.org) for more information.

This is the home of information on the Nobel P{rize winning Civil Rights leader, the Civil Rights Movement, as well as exhibits on other pacifist activists, such as Gandhi.

Make sure you leave with enough time to get to he Peabody Hotel. At 5:00 p.m., their resident ducks will walk on a red carpet from the hotel's fountain to their rooftop home to the music of Sousa. This has been a tradition since the 1930s; see their website www.peabodymemphis.com for details and pictures.

After seeing the ducks and the posh Peabody Hotel, walk or drive around the corner (it's only 1/3 of a mile away) to the Gibson Retail Store. Located next door to their factory, the Gibson store has a wide selection of Gibson instruments and features a "relaxing play area" where you can try out your favorites. They're open until 6:00 p.m. If you have any problems finding them, give them a call on (901) 544-7998 ext. 4075.

After playing the beautiful instruments, hop back into the car to drive by the Pink Palace Museum. You can go in if you want, but even if you don't, it's worth seeing from the outside. The house, named for the pink stones used to build it, was the home of Clarence Saunders, who founded Piggly Wiggly in 1916.

There are loads of other wonderful places in Memphis to discover and explore, and I hope you enjoy your trip to the city of soul.