Memphis

Located on a bluff rising from the Mississippi River, Memphis is where American soul and blues music became known, the city where Elvis made his iconic home, Graceland, and where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated during the turbulent days of the Civil Rights Movement. Renowned for its historic music scene, delicious barbecue, and prominent role in the American Civil Rights Movement, holidays to Memphis today give insight into its incredible past.

Stroll down Beale Street – the literal birthplace of the blues – whose musical heritage dates back to the 1920s when bars and clubs experimented with musical genres. You’ll hear sweet tunes and taste smoky barbecue worthy of a repeat visit. See how the city documents its music history at the STAX Museum of American Soul Music and the Rock’n’Soul Museum, created by the Smithsonian Institute, and pass by the legendary Sun Studio to stand where America’s music greats continue to record their hits.

A trip to Memphis isn’t complete without a stop at the National Civil Rights Museum. Memphis has one of the South’s largest African American populations, and the museum (located in the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was killed) brilliantly discusses the background of the movement, and just how much the southern part of the US has changed.