Memphis Travel Recommendations:

A wall outside Elvis' home signed by his adoring fans/visitors.

Do you love to travel? Planning to visit Memphis?  Planning on driving by the city on a longer road trip? Big Elvis fan?

This post is for you!

After spending five glorious days in this fabulous southern city, I put together a little list of recommendations for my fellow travelers. Enjoy! 

Thrifty Shopping:

If you love vintage or thrift store shopping, Memphis is a great destination!

Flashback Vintage-

Items are well displayed and are in great condition. If you're in need of old fashioned porcelain Christmas decorations, they have an amazing selection! This place totally made me feel like I was visiting in my grandmother's house.

Summer Avenue-

This street made me wish I had been driving a U-Haul on my trip. If you have a love of old furniture and sifting through old clothes to find a good deal, this is your spot!! Google map Summer Avenue and National Street. Search "thrift stores". Tons will pop up on your map. My recommendation is head west on Summer Ave. from National St., and peruse the shops!!

Food:

Be prepared to loosen your belt buckle after hitting up some of these local restaurants!

Gibson's Doughnuts-

If you're a traveler on a budget, enjoy fun local flare {go University of Memphis!}, and drool at the thought of red velvet doughnuts that taste more like a cupcake, then this is your Memphis must.

Central BBQ-

Despite being a meat heavy menu, I found their BBQ portabello mushroom and Gouda cheese sandwich more than satisfying. An added plus-- they carry microbrewed beers!!

Skunx Chef Pub-

A new addition to the Memphis restaurant scene, this restaurant serves up an amazing thin crust pizza. If you love pork, be sure to order the prosciutto!

**Additional Recommendations: Republic Coffee Memphis {vegetarian friendly} and River Oaks Restaurant {A local man recommend their burgers. All their meats are free range/ farm raised}.

A Tourist Must:

There are many touristy activities for any visitor to busy themselves with during their stay. Below are my two favorites!!

The Civil Rights Musuem-

Located on the property Martin Luther King was assassinated; The Lorraine Motel. It's a bit eerie to walk through the place MLK took his final steps, but incredibly moving and well worth the ticket price.

Graceland-

Even if you're not an Elvis fan, head over to Graceland. Getting a glimpse into this late cultural icon's life proves to be intriguing. A tour of Graceland includes a walk through  Elvis' house, checking out his two personal jets and numerous vehicles, and seeing various angles of the "glitz and glamour" that went along with being "the king". Additional Recommendations:

• Ideal on a sunny day. There is quite a bit of walking outside, so rain may put a damper on your visit.
• DO NOT purchase your souvenirs on Graceland property. There are stores across the street and next door who offer similar items cheaper.
• Do use the photo booths! Use the booth on the left. You get two strips for $5, and an awesome video replay of yourself posing and making funny faces for the camera.
• Outside Elvis' home there is a wall near the street signed by many visitors. Bring some paint or a sharpie, and leave a message!!

To really set the mood, I couldn't end this post without a little Elvis serenade. Enjoy!!! =)

Additional Memphis recommendations are welcome! Please add to this list by leaving a comment below! =)

Ace & Badger Explode Memphis!

When Chris and I travel, we take a city by storm. Food, chattin' up locals, checking out historically significant spots, and finding some cold micro-brews are among our top priorities.

You might be thinking ---Didn't you go to Memphis to run a marathon?

Yes. The marathon was an important part of the trip. But we also traveled to Memphis to check out all that this southern American city has to offer. Below is a little peak into some of our adventures! Enjoy!

Chris. AKA. Ace
{like from a deck of cards}
@ Gibson's Doughnuts

Me AKA Badger
{as in Honey Badger don't care}
@ Central BBQ

Elvis Lives

Gluttony {just to remind you that i love food}

& making new friends! {thanks for the pizza!!}

Our mission to find local brews led us to Duncan {pictured above}. Thanks for the great evening!

Issac Hayes & Soul Train? Yes, please!

Party Time!

R.I.P Dr. Martin Luther King

 I <3 Independent coffee shops

 Truth!

Thank you Memphis for putting up with our shannaigans!

Eating In-Season Food!

Photo Credit: Natalie Maynor

In attempt to improve my eating habits, I've been referencing a web site called Sustainable Table. Sustainable Table is a tool aiding consumers in buying local in-season food to decrease environmental degradation and help local farmers.

(Click here to check out the fabulous blogger who informed me about this great site!)

My biggest in-season meal success, thus far, is Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas via my favorite recipe blog, Fresh365. Living in the mid-west the main in-season ingredient is the sweet potatoes.

It is absolutely vegetarian, and absolutely delicious! Click here for the recipe!

Northeast Adventure's Bits and Pieces Part 4

The Final Post.

There are no happier people on this planet than those who decide that they want something, define what they want, get hold of the feeling of it even before its manifestation and then joyously watch the unfolding as, piece by piece by piece, it begins to unfold. That's the feeling of your hands in the clay. 

- Abraham Hicks

I want to travel. 

I want to see the world;

its diverse landscapes and people.

I want to taste unknown fruit

and hear sounds for which I have no words. 

I want my nostrils to know confusion 

and eyes to stare in wonderment and awe.

I want faraway sands to filter

through my fingers

-- upon arrival home

find it swishing around in my shoe.

I want to witness the sunset 

at a thousand angles, 

slowly watching the night stars fill the sky 

with brightness. 

I want to listen to the rain make peculiar noises 

under an unfamiliar roof.

I want to travel

I want to see the world.

As an adult, I have found deciding what I want is not a simple task. 
For me it ceases to be simple because there is so much I want and yearn for. I only have so much time in a day. I only have so much money to spend. Understanding these facts, despite my best efforts to ignore them at times, I know decisions must be made. I know I must move certain interests aside, allowing others to take center stage and come to fruition.


One of those decisions I've made is to travel. A choice that involves scrimping and saving for such experiences. Forgoing luxuries of a car, new clothes, or even a fun night out with friends. And sometimes that is hard. But I know something harder. Not buying the plane ticket. Not climbing the mountain. Not visiting faraway friends. Not eating my first lobster roll. Not flipping the truth I've known on its head. Not seeing how others live out their day-to-day lives. That would be much harder for me.


So onward I continue.


Below are the last remaining highlights of my Northeast Adventures. 
If you missed my Northeast Adventures Bits and Pieces Part 1 click here , Part 2 click here, Part 3A click here, Part 3B click here, Part 3C click here.


And be sure to visit Underlined and Bold tomorrow as I reveal my next travel destination! 


Happy Wednesday Everyone!!


Light and love,
Abigail 


Local. Local. Local.
Unique small local businesses are on every corner of Portland, Maine. Placed prominently in front window displays are "buy local" signs. Guides books to "Keep Portland Independent" are easily located throughout the city. As American landscapes are taken over more and more by big corporations, Portland shows a strong stance against that norm.

I LOVE THIS!

Click here to see the work of a talented local artist.

Yoga is for everyone.

Yoga is an integral part of my life. A source of spiritual guidance. A light where darkness lingers mentally and physically. I believe it can serve as such in anyone's life.

My goal: to visit at least one yoga studio everywhere I travel.

In Boston I had a delightful experience with Back Bay Yoga Studio.

In Portland, I attended a one hour "Mixed Flow" class with Shannon at Lila East End Yoga. Shannon is a hands on teacher with strong cuing. Her presence is light and fun, making me feel right at home among her regular students. After class we spent an hour chatting about yoga, and her journey to becoming a yoga teacher. She truly has an amazing spirit! If you are in the area, drop into one of Shannon's classes and tell her I say "hi".

Shannon!

Camping with a porcupine.

As day slipped into night, a porcupine decided to join Betsy and I at our campsite on Hermit Island. Running around our tent with baby in tow, it eventually decided to sit on the branch directly above our tent. She kindly reminded us of her presence by pooping and dropping tree bark all night.

Embarrassing Fun Fact:  As Betsy and I hid in the car, I called my boyfriend Chris to ensure we were not going to be viciously attacked by a porcupine. He informed us, to our relief, that porcupines are docile creatures.

Bathroom Wisdom.

Henry Ford and I shared a meeting of the minds while I tinkled in the Hilltop Coffee Shop bathroom. 

Strengthening Friendships.

There is something truly magical about visiting friends who no longer live near. Details of their new locale may penetrate your imagination via phone, e-mail and/or Facebook. But there is nothing like seeing where they walk, where they sleep, and with whom they find companionship with in person.

I have had this experience repeatedly in my life.

 I feel immensely blessed.