Matthew: Welcome to The Travel Podcast, and on this episode, we're going to be delving into Memphis, Tennessee. We have some previous guests, we have Lauren who's joined us from The Travel Podcast. Hi, Lauren.

Lauren: Hi.

Matthew: And we have a very special guest in Lisa from Memphis Tourism. So to start off, Lisa, could you just give us an introduction to yourself and Memphis?

Lisa Catron: Yes. My name is Lisa Catron and I'm the International Sales Manager for Memphis Tourism. I'm going to amplify your experience at a whole new level of my city. I want you to feel the soul and sound with vibrant and sizzling lights that kisses the mighty Mississippi River, which is called the Mighty Lights, roll the music track back and follow the footsteps where legends live, perform and march on the streets of Memphis, that only you can experience history of that time.
Like the Mighty River, Memphis rolls on. Through the years, it carved a well-worn groove into the world, a siren song etched in vinyl, crackling with life, real and raw. It's been heard by many and embraced by those who recognize that the fertile ground is not just the soil beneath your feet, but the soul within the city.

Lauren: That was such an already incredible introduction to Memphis. So Lisa, for those who are listening who don't necessarily know much about the States or have been to the States, where is Memphis, and how can we get there?

Lisa Catron: Well, Memphis is a city located along the Mississippi River in Southwestern region, Shelby County of Tennessee. It's named after Memphis, Egypt. Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer, and his expedition into the New World, discovered in 1541, to be exact. Founded on May the 22nd, 1819, by John Overton, James Winchester and Andrew Jackson, which is the fifth president of the United States.

Lauren: And how can we get access to Memphis? Sorry [inaudible], is it via air, via rail? What are the best ways to get to Memphis?

Lisa Catron: Well all of above. When I'm pitching and selling in Memphis, I always tell people, "It's by rail, river, road, and runway."

Lauren: Amazing, so pretty much anyway. And is there sort of a year-round climate for it? When are the best weather times for Memphis?

Lisa Catron: Well, most of our travelers come down through April through July, actually, all the way up until October. The climate is pretty much in celsius it's 22 to 33. So in April it's 22, May is 27, June is about 31, and July is 33 Celsius.

Lauren: Oh wow, it's quite good weather then.

Lisa Catron: Yes.

Matthew: So with that weather, do you go through all the different seasons, or is it mainly more spring-ish and summer seasons?

Lisa Catron: To be honest with you, we go through all the seasons. It's pretty cool. And a lot of people love to travel down in the Southern region because of the weather. You're getting that warm Sun, you're getting the Mighty Mississippi River, you all. It's pretty cool. It's pretty cool. But it's a delightful time, you see travelers all over the world come to our area because of our weather. It's awesome. Now August, I must tell you, August gets pretty hot. However, during that time, people from all over the world come to Elvis Week. So it's pretty warm during that time.

Matthew: I can imagine it's a very busy and excitable time to be there as well if it is Elvis Week.

Lisa Catron: Yes.

Matthew: And talking about the Mighty Mississippi, Elvis, can you give us a bit more about the history and culture of the city?

Lisa Catron: Well, a little bit more of the history and culture, I always talk about the arts, the music, the cuisine. When I speak about the arts, I talk about the music. The hymns, the blues, rock and roll, that drifting in the soul music. And also the cuisine is absolutely fabulous when it comes down to barbecue. We're known for barbecue, we're the capital of barbecue. So I'm sure we're going to talk a little bit more about that, we've got so many restaurants. But it's the people. It's the people.
When you walk down the street, when you're actually on your front porch, people will wave and say, "Hey, how you doing?" You know? I mean it's just a feel-good city, it makes you happy, it makes you want to come back for more. Because we've got so many hidden gems in that area, it's about the culture of Memphis. We just love people, that's what it's about. When it comes down to music, we can sing and tell you various stories in our music where it can just hit the soul.

Matthew: And with that, I mean, actually Lauren, well we can all see each other on webcam, we're all... Lauren and I are in the UK. Lisa's joining us live from Memphis during lockdown. But the smile on our faces, just listening to how friendly you are, how warming. I can only imagine what the buzz must be about the city and with that, I know in the history, there was the Native Americans and the Indians that were there. And was it also-

Lisa Catron: Right.

Matthew: ... was it founded by one of the presidents?

Lisa Catron: Yes, actually it was inhabited by the Chickasaw Indians and founded by Andrew Jackson, which was the fifth president of the United States. That connection with Memphis and also Nashville and the hermitage where Andrew Jackson pretty much... he lived. But, not only that, Memphis is known for a thriving river town back in the 1800s of cotton trade and number. The river was a huge resource of transport, and also centrally-located in the Antebellum South, which was dependent on the forced labor of hundreds of thousands of African American slaves.
And Memphis became a major slave market. Prior to the Civil War, one-quarter of the city population was slaves, seeking their freedom. Many slaves turned to the Underground Railroad to escape, to the free states of the North. And Memphis home of Jacob Burkle was a way-station on their routes to freedom. Well, just to let you know more about the Jacob Burkle home, that home is open right today, which we call it slave haven.
So people all over the world come to explore an experience during that time, and it's still open today. And I've got to give Elaine Turner props for that, because she runs the heritage tours. And a lot of our journalists and reporters, tour operators, travel agents, whenever they are booking that particular attraction, it really opens up when it comes down to the music, comes down to the history. And I see you Lauren, you bow your head, you know you love it.
We've got a [inaudible] down in Memphis, but it's really pure and it's the real history of Memphis. That's the reason why we're so popular, we're centrally located, when we talk about the hymns and gospel music to rock and roll, that drifting into soul.

Lauren: Amazing. I have got a question I want to actually ask you, Lisa, which I think refers to the history a bit. I've done a little bit of research on Memphis, and so an angle I want to know a little bit more about is the Peabody Ducks. What-

Lisa Catron: Oh, yeah-

Lauren: ... can you tell us about those?

Lisa Catron: ... now, you've got to go to the biggest living room that's centrally located in Memphis, Tennessee. We call it the Peabody Memphis Hotel. And everyone from all over the world right today come and see the Peabody. But it actually started with two gentlemen who were in the lobby area, and they had some decoys in this beautiful fountain that's located in the Peabody Hotel. And now we're just horsing around and just having a good time, of course they had a little alcohol in them during that time.
So they were just practicing on their shots for the ducks. And one of the gentlemen said, "Hey, wait a minute. This gives me a great idea. Why don't we use real ducks?" I said, "Real ducks?" "No, no, no, I don't mean by targeting them, but why don't we use some real ducks and march them down the red carpet? Maybe we could get the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey's Circus to train these ducks?" "Yeah, let's do that."
So people back in the early 1800s came down to see what was going on about these ducks, and it was more of an attraction. And that's what the Peabody Hotel is, it's an attraction. But you get to love the eloquence of the Peabody Hotel. Everybody around the Deep South gathered here, a who's who when it came down to cotton trading and who had this beautiful home here, and what's going on in the area? So that's the reason why the Peabody Hotel is one of the famous historical landmarks right today, because of its history.

Lauren: Amazing. I have to ask, do the ducks live in the hotel?

Lisa Catron: Yes they do. They have their own-

Lauren: Do they really?

Lisa Catron: ... penthouse on top of the hotel. And speaking of that, by them having their own penthouse, they have the rooftop party, so they're partying along with the rooftop parties. And that typically starts in April through August.

Lauren: Amazing. So they're literally like duck royalty?

Lisa Catron: Yes they are. And then they retrained the ducks. I guess every three or four months, I could be wrong, but we're talking. So they definitely just... They're amazing. And I always, every time I have a fan tour, I bring the tour operators in, people are visiting, I always take them around to the penthouse on top of the roof of the Peabody Hotel.

Matthew: That is-

Lauren: That's amazing [crosstalk].

Matthew: ... an unbelievable experience to be able to see that. So I definitely would enjoy partying on the rooftops with those ducks.

Lisa Catron: Oh yeah.

Lauren: And so whether you've been to Memphis or not, something that everyone kind of knows it's home for is the music there. What can you tell us about the music scene there?

Lisa Catron: Oh gosh, wow. When it comes down to Beale Street, during that time in Beale Street, back in the early 1800s and before then, Beale Street is known for blues. Highway 61 is actually the crossroads where blues actually started, from Mississippi to all the way to Memphis, Tennessee. And it runs right into Rum Boogie Café. Several restaurants, and also eateries, you've got BB King's blues tour, you've got several clubs up and down on Beale Street, you've got Handy Park.
So it is absolutely phenomenal, so it is something that you definitely want to take advantage of. And typically, Beale Street will open up early in the morning, but it doesn't close down until about 4:00 in the morning. So-

Lauren: That's my kind of place.

Lisa Catron: ... yeah, yeah, I mean people from all over the world, that's the first place that they would go to down on Beale Street. But it's other hidden gems that I must speak about too. A lot of times people want to be around our locals, and our locals, we had local entertainment venues like Overton Square, Broad Avenue, the Cooper-Young District, the Edge District, and also South Main. Those areas are really blowing up.
And speaking about South Main, I don't know if you all looked up Ernestine and Hazel's, but this is the place where you definitely want to go and hear some good music as well, and have that famous hamburger at Ernestine's and Hazel's. So years ago, just to be honest with you, they say it's haunted, but it's got haunted history, it's good history. But a lot of music, and it used to be an old brothel.
And right across the street from there was a train station. So the military always used to come down to Memphis to go down on Beale Street, and then from Beale Street they did all that partying and everything, but when the bars did close, they wanted to go somewhere else and finish their partying and having a good time, and that was Ernestine and Hazels, on South Maine. Which is actually flourishing right today.
Central Station, brand new hotel, they just refurbished. The Amtrak train station still runs through there. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful state-of-the-art rooms, new hotel product that's really just gravitated to the music, different things that's going on.

Lauren: Cool. So it sounds like there's actually quite a lot to do then, you've mentioned some of the hidden gems as well. But they're often quite well-known attractions there as well, I know primarily one of them being Graceland as well?

Lisa Catron: Oh yeah, Graceland is definitely one of our anchor attractions. And everyone come to see the actual home where Elvis lived. And with that, you can spend at least about four hours at Graceland itself, pretty much the whole day. They do have another area they just built across the street, I'd say approximately about three-and-a-half years ago, where it talks about his life, his history, his legacy, the various cars that he collected.
And also, the recordings, the movies, and also his life. That's what I love about Graceland, it talks about his upbringing and from Tupelo, Mississippi, all the way to Memphis, Tennessee. Again, that Deep South connection. You cannot get this anywhere else. You can't get it anywhere else. You've got to come to Memphis and visit Graceland. But along telling that story, you've got the Memphis Rock N' Soul Museum.
The Memphis Rock N' Soul Museum is not just this ordinary museum, but it's by the Smithsonian Institute. Every song, every record recorded, radio station have anything to do with Memphis. It's located at the Memphis Rock N' Soul Museum. I highly recommend you get that first on your itinerary to get a general understanding of the history of the Deep South. And then from there, you definitely want to go to Sun Studio.
When it comes down to Sun Studio, this is where Elvis Presley recorded, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the MGs, Ike Turner was a scout there, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, the Man in Black, of course, you know? We can go on with Johnny Cash, so many famous people came out of Memphis, Tennessee, but you've got to realize that they all came from the Southern area. But they did their recording, Memphis was the next big city for them to come to to do their recording.
So when I talk about music and the art, oh yeah. Memphis got it. Memphis got it, babe. Definitely got it. But, I want you to keep in mind, with the history of attractions, you definitely want to go to National Civil Rights Museum. This is where Dr. Martin Luther King gave that famous last speech. But the reason why he came to Memphis is because the sanitation workers were getting unpaid, it wasn't fair for the workers to work so hard and get paid very little.
But from that last march and then last speech, it was devastating to Memphis, our city, where he was assassinated in 1968 on April the 4th. I highly, highly recommend that this needs to be put on your itinerary. It is a legacy right today. They're doing so many things at National Civil Rights Museum, it's not just touching just Memphis itself, it's touching the entire world. Yes, you can go to Atlanta, make that connection. Yes, you can go to Birmingham, Alabama to make that connection, as well as Mobile.
But everything that Memphis and the entire world touch is right at the National Civil Rights Museum. It is a legacy right today. So January is the time to go, as well as during the time of April the 4th, and they always have a huge celebration. And I know during this time, we had COVID-19 that's going on now, but we're doing a lot of virtual things as we speak. So they did get a chance to do a wonderful celebration.

Matthew: Awesome. That's amazing, and like you said, it's so rich with history and culture, and it really does resonate with the fact that Memphis is home to the blues soul and rock and roll, I mean, you have it all. So, on top of that, not only do you have so much music and culture and history, but the food is something that we're interested in. And-

Lisa Catron: Oh yeah, they don't call me the Yum Yum Girl for nothing.

Matthew: That's right. And-

Lisa Catron: When it comes down to our food, you know that's my tag line, I'm Yum Yum lt. But when-

Matthew: And we'll go and check out Yum Yum lt, and-

Lisa Catron: Yeah, you've got to.

Matthew: ... and on that, I know you mentioned earlier about we will be going into it. But I mean the barbecue food within the city is renown. I know you've got over 100 barbecue restaurants. And can you list out and give us maybe some local tips on eateries?

Lisa Catron: Yes, yes. There's so many restaurants like you just stated earlier, it's over 100. But if you're going to do a foodie trip, we do have some food tours that you definitely want to take advantage of. And one particular fare I put together which was really cool to introduce to the tour operators and also the travel agents, where they can just barbecue hop. They can barbecue hop to the pig on Beale. They can barbecue hop at Central Barbecue which is located right in the Southern area, you know, the South End of Memphis by National Civil Rights Museum.
Definitely you want to go to Rendezvous Restaurant. And the reason why I mention some of these restaurants is because who got the best barbecue spaghetti, okay? Who got the best barbecue nachos? Who has the best barbecue ribs and also pulled pork? There's just so many ways to cook barbecue where you can have that tangy flavor, or you can have that spicy flavor, or a little of that sweet.
And when it comes down to barbecue, it's just Cozy Corner. That's one of the places a lot of people don't know about. But those places that are the hidden gems that you've got to try, you've definitely got to try. And it's just wonderful, it's just wonderful. And then also Corky's Barbecue. Corky is known for the barbecued nachos. So the food is absolutely extraordinary. But, Memphis is just not known for barbecue.
We've got some of that soul food, as we call it, Southern flavor of the Deep South. And I always recommend Four Way Grill. The Four Way Grill is located right around the corner from Stax Museum. I failed to mention about Stax Museum. Now, going back and forth from the music, and also the food, you definitely want to go to Four Way Grill to get your entertainment there, because they do have live entertainment.
So you can have fried cabbage. Have you all ever had fried cabbage?

Matthew: I've never had fried cabbage, no.

Lisa Catron: Oh okay. Oh okay.

Lauren: [crosstalk] no.

Lisa Catron: You've got to come down to Memphis and have some fried cabbage now.

Matthew: Oh yeah.

Lisa Catron: In Graceland. You may have some greens on the entrée, you may have sweet potatoes and you may have that cornbread dressing. This is some of that food that just puts you to sleep right on the couch. But you know what, we're going to get you right back up because we're going to take you around the corner to Stax Museum of American Soul Music. This is where Isaac Hayes recorded, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the MGs, The Emotions, and a lot of people did not realize the affiliation of soul music in a lot of artists that weren't named that will be named like Earth, Wind, and Fire.
You know, Maurice White and also his brother Bernadine came from Memphis. They may not have recorded here, but they did a lot in this area as well. Blues singer, BB King, Johnny Taylor, just to name a few. So going to Four Way Grill, and go ahead and get some good music at Stax, American Soul. That's what it's about, baby.

Matthew: Now that sounds like an absolutely brilliant, so I'm down, Lauren, you down?

Lauren: Yeah, so when we get around to talking again, I'm coming to Memphis, Lisa.

Lisa Catron: Yeah.

Lauren: I'm taking you around.

Matthew: Yeah, yeah.

Lauren: I mean I'm still going to be taking you around.

Matthew: I mean, even we'll have to try fried cabbage, I'm there. And obviously like I said, it's not all about the food, you have some great craft beers I'm aware of and some little-

Lauren: Oh yeah.

Matthew: ... [crosstalk].

Lisa Catron: Yeah, and definitely you've got to take advantage across town. Across town have a... It's phenomenal. So they have a lot of breweries that's in that area, you've got Memphis-made. The brewery is Wise Acre. Wise Acre is located in one of the areas which is called Broad Avenue. Just to name a few. So we've got a lot of beer that you definitely want to take advantage of. And you can do a beer tour too. Why don't you try riding your bike on that beer tour.

Matthew: No, I'll give it a good okay, if anything I'll end up pushing it. Maybe not-

Lisa Catron: Would you?

Matthew: ... to take along, but yeah.

Lisa Catron: We do have bike tours as well, we do have bike shares. Also, the scooters around in Memphis. So try doing that. No, I don't recommend doing that.

Matthew: Do you have-

Lisa Catron: [crosstalk] where you're doing your beer tour.

Matthew: ... yeah, yeah, I just lock the bike up and carry on walking.

Lisa Catron: Yeah.

Matthew: And talk about that, I know you mentioned Beale Street earlier, and that has quite an interest in Reconstruction and obviously during the prohibition era had-

Lisa Catron: Yes.

Matthew: ... like you said it was a thriving strip that reshaped the soul of American culture. And if I follow, is it the... there was the first black millionaire that helped build that area?

Lisa Catron: Yes, and that was Robin R. Church. Beale Street thrived as a strip with a unique soul that reshaped America culture. There are stories behind the rise and fall of Beale Street, and then through the life of the South's first black millionaire, which was Robert R. Church, he was the ex-slave who built the underworld dynasty and booming river town, and created this space for black culture to flourish.
And with that we're talking about banking and financing, we're talking about dry-cleaning, duty shops, barber shops. And then you had your big bands that took place that was located down on Beale Street, the entertainment district. One is naming called the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome was located a little bit past the main walking district, but Hippodrome was an entertainment area where Duke Ellington performed, and just to name a few, some of those celebrities performed. And BB King, of course did some performance.
A lot of people were not aware that Tina Turner, she did a lot of performance down on Beale Street. And also with the Old Daisy, I highly recommend everyone need to go down on Beale Street. But I need to touch on WC Handy as well, his actual home is located down on Beale Street. So Handy Park always, every night have live entertainment. So, people can just walk down the street, and you get your free entertainment right there.
You have the Beale Street flippers that's flipping in that area. But when history says, when it talks about the Prohibition time, of course you couldn't buy alcohol, you couldn't sell alcohol. But the speakeasys are very popular in the Memphis area as well. So we got a lot of hidden gems that's located down there. But as far as animals are concerned, yeah, we have the zoo, but we have the Drinking Goats down on Beale Street.

Matthew: I know is this, this is one of Lauren's favorite, my favorite speakeasys. I was really looking at those earlier and they look great fun. But I know Lauren, the Goats were one of your highlights of looking into Memphis.

Lauren: I need to know more, I need to know why they're drinking beer and what is happening.

Lisa Catron: Well first of all it's located right on Beale Street at Silky O'Sullivans. Speaking of Sullivans, it actually started at Overton Square in Memphis Tennessee. We called that a thriving entertainment district also where the locals go, but he moved down on Beale Street and created this drink that's called "the Diver," oh my goodness. So you've got about seven or eight straws, and it's in a bucket. And you make sure it's got everything in it, it's got beer, it's got wine, it's got Tequila, it's got everything in it.
And believe me, you'd be like those goats coming back down on Beale Street. But we do have drinking goats. You can sit down and don't put your beer too close to the gate, because those goats will probably grab that beer and drink it themselves. So it's pretty unique, it's pretty cool, but Silky O'Sullivan's, oh yeah, that's definitely the place to go to. And not to skip Silky O'Sullivan's, but you've got Alpert's Restaurant, they have live entertainment that's located there. And also, some of the change like Coyote Ugly.
Blue City Café is another place you definitely want to go to to hear some really cool music and have some really good food there and the hot tamales and fried catfish and ribs is what they're known for as well. But the music, everything is just so unique down on Beale Street. I mean you just can't get enough of. But the Drinking Goats, yeah, Lauren you need to come. You've got to experience that, sweetheart.

Lauren: I need to, honestly, I'm fascinated by it.

Matthew: Drinking Goats, ducks and the crossing into the [inaudible], this is just so unique. They're all in one place. They're all in one place. And talk about unique, I know sport is a massive, massive thing as well, especially the Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA basketball team. But I also know there's also the minor leagues baseball. Is it triple A minor leagues, and-

Lauren: Yes.

Matthew: ... also a soccer team which yeah, whenever I travel, I always... Wherever I go in the world, I always like to take in a sporting event if there is one. And do you have tailgating for the basketball as well in Memphis, or is it people just go and watch it?

Lisa Catron: Yeah, well I'm going to be honest with you. People that I touch internationally always asks about job morale, or Jaren Jackson Junior, or Dylan Brooks. In Memphis, we're ace in the NBA Western Conference. So that's pretty big, we've got a lot of talented people with the Memphis Grizzlies. But just going into that arena and just stepping into there, you just feel the sizzle and the excitement when it comes to being at a real NBA professional basketball game.
I've brought a lot of people overseas into Memphis so they could be able to experience that. And they say, "Wow, this is one of the best things you could ever introduce us to. We've got a chance to experience NBA basketball game. And also, the triple A baseball team which is called the Memphis Redbirds are typically, they can start in the spring. And during springtime, you know the weather is just outstanding, you've got fireworks everywhere.
And then of course you look across the street then you see the rooftop party that's going on on top of the Peabody Hotel. It's just so exciting, it's wonderful for the children to experience, to have a good time. It's just the energy right downtown in Memphis Tennessee that you can't get anywhere else. And also, we do have a USO soccer team. The Memphis 901, the American professional soccer team. They are absolutely phenomenal, and you guys call it the football, we call it the soccer here.
And so it's very popular here, very popular. So in the southern regions, we have a lot of teams that we play. As far as college sports, I do want to talk about Southern Heritage Classic, which is absolutely phenomenal, it's huge. And you mentioned about tailgate, University of Memphis, we've got Penny Hardaway, which is really fantastic, very famous. He played in the NBA, and now he's the coach for the University of Memphis, "Go [inaudible]!", that's what I'm talking about.
So he has all of-

Matthew: Love it.

Lisa Catron: ... yeah, he has an exciting team and we follow that and we tail gate. And the football team, oh yeah. We've got a lot of good football and tailgating and barbecue happening down on Tiger Lane. And that's wonderful. It's just so much excitement when it comes down to sports in Memphis, I am very proud of that. And then also we're going to have a new museum which is getting ready to open, which is called "The Memphis Sports Hall of Fame."
Basically we induct a lot of athletes that actually originated in Memphis became huge. And we just want to pay honor to them, and I highly recommend with that museum getting ready to open, take in a game, go down on Beale Street, stay in one of our beautiful new renovated hotels and new product that's in the downtown Memphis area. You can be quite pleased with that.
So, when it comes down to the sports and the outdoors, I'm going to let you take it away on the outdoor scene, because we've definitely got some good things to talk about there.

Matthew: And just before we go onto to the outdoors, I know Lauren's got some questions about that. Now you mentioned people do like to come, they do like to watch the basketball, they may like to go and experience a college football game? Is it easy to get tickets, or do they sell out quite often? So do you have to look in [crosstalk]?

Lisa Catron: You can definitely get your tickets online, you definitely can do that. And then not only that, they do sell out now. I can tell you that, they do definitely sell out. But with the calendar events, I try to keep everyone updated on that, so they can get their tickets far in advance, so you can't purchase them online. So a sample is easy when you know that you're coming to Memphis, you definitely want to take advantage of that.
Which is Ticketmaster and various others that you want to take advantage of.

Matthew: Of this, so yeah, do make sure if you are looking to do a sport, have a little reconnaissance, see what is going on whilst you're in Memphis and book that ticket before you get to.

Lisa Catron: Yes.

Matthew: Lauren, and I know you had some questions about the outdoors scene as Memphis is right on the Mississippi?

Lauren: Yeah, so definitely. So we've spoken a lot about the big city attractions and the sports, and everything's been really busy at the moment. But if you're wanting a day of just relaxation, is the great outdoors a big thing in Memphis, or do you not go, like National Parks and things you can go to if you want a little bit more of a quiet day?

Lisa Catron: Yes, absolutely. I highly recommend that you need to take advantage of Shelby Farms Park. Shelby Farms Park is larger than Central Park in New York City. It is a park that's located in the center of the city, we do have a zip line across the lakes, also we have the bison that's wondering on the park. It is fenced in, but it's pretty amazing to see that at your park, you know? Paddle boards-

Matthew: Can you [crosstalk] the herd?

Lisa Catron: Yeah, bisons. Yeah, you can get pretty close to them when you're out walking around or bike riding on the green line, it's pretty phenomenal. So, paddle boards, you get a chance to take advantage of that, we've got several lakes at Shelby Farms Park, kayaking, horseback riding, you've got camping in RV parks. And then also, the green line, I sampled that, and it's really amazing when you've lived in the city, and you get a chance to be your own tourist in your own backyard.
You're just like, "Wow, I did not know, did we have this in this area, did I miss something?" You're just taking pictures and just... You want to be able to show the world of what you have in your own city. And that's exactly what I'm doing now. I want to share my city, but I want you to feel at home with it. So the parks is a big, big deal. But, when you mentioned the Mississippi River, you know we have canoeing and paddle boarding on the Mighty Mississippi River, and also the Woof River. You definitely want to take advantage of that.
Our parks in our area that is ran by our partners with the river, it's something you definitely want to see, you definitely want to see. So you definitely want to take advantage of that. Outdoor events, I call them yard garden parties, or rooftop parties. You've got Carolina Shed, you've got Loflin Yard, just to name a few, Rail Garden. This is where a lot of the Millennials will go to and sample some good beer and watch movies outside at night, and they party on the gravel. You've got fire pits everywhere. Now that's a happening thing.
And I was like, "Okay, I like this."The food is fabulous. The food is definitely something that you want to take advantage of. But the rooftop parties, I already mentioned about the Peabody Hotel, they have rooftop parties. And then also you've got the Hugh Hotel, they have rooftop parties as well, with a live DJ that's located there. So it's an indoor, outdoor rooftop. And you have the River Inn, they have rooftop parties also.
So, that's a popular thing in Memphis, so from the backyard to the rooftop, make sure you contact me and ask me about it and I can customize a wonderful itinerary for you. As far as the neighborhood nightlife and entertainment of the great outdoors, I mentioned earlier about Overton Square. This is where you definitely want to take advantage of Lafayette's. They do have a live entertainment indoor, outdoor, and also outdoor events that take place there. They may have the Great Wine Race that's there.
It's a lot of outdoor events. The Cooper and Young have a Cooper and Young festival, which is an outdoor event you definitely want to take advantage of. And that typically takes place in September. South Main, they have where all the merchants open up their doors and serve wine and caviar. And just to introduce their product to you, so you can have wine just drinking up and down the streets on South Main.
So it's just so much you can do in the Memphis area. But also, when we mentioned about outdoors, I definitely want to mention, brand new to our city, which is the Viking American Cruise Ship here in the United States, typically always take place in Europe. But they are bringing the American cruise here, which is called Viking. So we're really excited about that. That's going to take off in 2022.
They're already selling Viking now, as well as we already have the staple which is the American Queen Steamboat, which takes place in Memphis, and also in American Cruise Lines. So we have three big lines that's coming into Memphis, which embark and disembark. And typically, they stay at various hotels in the downtown area.

Lauren: There's so much going on it's actually amazing. I feel like I need to spend a year there to take in everything and do everything properly. How often would you recommend visiting this city for, if you're trying to do the main attractions and [inaudible] the key things, how long would you normally recommend someone to come to Memphis?

Lisa Catron: Yes, I'd recommend four days and three nights. And the reason why I say that, because the expansion of Graceland has really, really been just absolutely phenomenal, and I love, love, love sharing that history. But I want you to get everything you can possibly can get out of Memphis. So that tour itself is probably going to take you most of the day. Adding itinerary with the RK Restaurant where Elvis first dined with that famous peanut butter and banana sandwich, and you take off to Rock N' Soul, and then go straight to Graceland, pretty much your day is done there.
But you want to go ahead and take advantage of the other attractions like Sun Studio, Memphis Rock N' Soul Museum, Stax. And then also Edge Motor Museum, which is a new museum that just opened up across the street from Sun Studio, so that's part of day two, and then day three, you definitely want to have the history and also the culture of Memphis adding in National Civil Rights Museum.
The foodie areas, like Four Way Grill and [inaudible] is just to name a few. But yeah, and then you want to add the great outdoors. So I say, to be fair about it, four days and three nights. I definitely want to add that in.

Lauren: Wow, amazing. And for [inaudible] we would consider that kind of a long-haul fly. Are there any itineraries you'd recommend to maybe taking surrounding states as well?

Lisa Catron: Yes, I do, and I've got some awesome, awesome partners that I work with in the area. So when I speak Tennessee is definitely you have British Airways, and you can fly directly from British Airways to Nashville Tennessee, because they do have direct flights. And then you can start your itinerary in Nashville, spend some days there, and then travel down to Memphis, Tennessee, and spend those three days, well, four days and three nights there. And then, if you really want to explore the Deep South, I highly recommend Mississippi, going through Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley, Clarksdale, where Ground Zero takes place. You've got Vicksburg, where the Civil War took place, and Natchez, you definitely want to take advantage of Natchez where you can see the awesome Antebellum homes.
Memphis and Mississippi has that wonderful partnership with the Deep South and over 20 years, as well as spilling down through New Orleans, those are wonderful partners, and you've got British Airways that goes through there. And then, you can fly into Atlanta with Delta Airlines, and also Virgin Airlines. Again, the connection, UK and the Deep South, you definitely want to connect Atlanta and also the history of Dr. Martin Luther King, Memphis and Alabama. You've got Birmingham, Alabama, you've got Mobile, Alabama, you've got Selma, Alabama.
And then, one thing that we did not mention, and I did not mention this, the movie scene has been pretty hot down South. Pretty, pretty cool, and I'm very proud of that. The movie scene has really taken off, some movies like The Firm, a lot of people say, "Oh wow, Tom Cruise and The Firm and Memphis," you put all those connections together and then you actually visit the city. "Oh, I went to Mud Island, I remember that. Oh wow, I did that tour down on Beale Street."
And then the lovely homes that's located there, so that's definitely something that you definitely want to take advantage of. Kentucky, I've got to put in Kentucky. And since we're at home, typically we've been doing a lot of Zoom calls and meetings with a lot of tour operators. And we've got coffee, cocktails, and conversation, with the tour operators, because typically we have coffee in the morning, but it's evening time for you guys. You all can have the cocktails.
So what we did was pretty much-

Matthew: [crosstalk] for that, we should have accepted.

Lisa Catron: Oh, they never told me I was allowed to do that. Yeah-

Matthew: Next time Lisa, when we're doing another, when we've got you on again, we'll have cocktails.

Lisa Catron: Oh yeah, we definitely need to do that, and Old Dominique is actually in Memphis, Tennessee, so we do have distillery tours as well. So we combine Old Dominique, Jack Daniels, and also a famous Bourbon out of Kentucky. So it's pretty cool, so they have to show that up, and pour their selves a drink when we have our coffee. But they don't know what's in the coffee.

Matthew: Love it. And just another one that I've always fancied doing is the steamboats down the Mississippi. Now, how far up the Mississippi do those steamboats go?

Lisa Catron: Well, they go, they embark and disembark in different areas, but the main point is in Memphis. So you can do a 7 to 13-day tour down the mighty Mississippi River. And they do stop in various places like Vicksburg, and also Natchez. And then the steamboats, I had itineraries to be created where they actually will fly into Chicago. People from Europe will fly into Chicago, take the train, the Amtrak train down to Memphis. Stay a couple of nights, just spreading the love.
I recommend four days and three nights, but they may stay about two nights. And then from there they will board the river cruises. They all board those cruises, whether it's Viking, American Cruise Line, or American Queen. So those three definitely, definitely, definitely are a staple of Memphis. Some will have characters, some will not, they do a lot of storytelling on some of the boats.
But one thing I can touch on Viking, their offshore cruise is going to be a little different. It's definitely going to be a little different. So they're going to touch more on history and heritage, whereas the American Queen and American Cruise Line touch on the music itself. That's incorporating Graceland, Rock N' Soul Museum some, and also Stax. You've got to get a little food in there too.

Matthew: No, you've always got to get the food in there.

Lisa Catron: Yeah.

Matthew: You've always got to get the food in. So it really is you can get to Memphis by rail, river, road, and runway.

Lisa Catron: Absolutely. I am the connection. And we're centrally located in the United States. I failed to mention that we are the home of FedEx, Federal Express. So all your packages have to come through Memphis before they're taken back [inaudible] going overseas. So the world headquarters is in Memphis, also, the world headquarters of AutoZone is in Memphis, this is where auto parts takes place building various motors. Also international paper, a lot of the paper, the grain of the paper, the size, the weight of the paper, the world headquarters is located here.
So I mean there's a lot of jobs here in Memphis, Tennessee, so I'm very proud in that. When we talk about centrally located, I mentioned about cotton. King Cotton is in Memphis, all the trading was done in Memphis. On the river, when you talk about the river boats. So that was a way for them to transport that cotton back up and down the mighty Mississippi River, as well as lumber, and all goods that was sold in our area.
So yeah, the river is pretty cool, it's pretty cool. It's that fertile soil, it sits high up on the bluff. Every year we always have Memphis in May that takes place on the Mighty Mississippi River, which is an amazing festival. So people all over the world come and see that, you've got the Beale Street Music fests that always take place on the first week. You have the International Week, because we may pick out a country that we represent, and introduce those cuisines to them, the art, the music.
Then you have the International Barbecue Cooking Competition, which is phenomenal. All this takes place right by the Mississippi River. And when you come into Memphis, you're going to notice how wide our streets are, and where back in the early 1800s, they used to have to park the horse and carriage catty-corner. Because if they put all that cotton on the mule that tows the cotton, the cotton will spill over on the street.
So they always had to park the carriage, you would catty-corner it to transport the cotton. So cotton was huge, the cobble stones are still there down on the Mighty Mississippi River. Then you've got big river crossing, as earlier I had spoken about the Mighty Lights, we've got some new attractions where we have two bridges. You've got the Hernando de Soto Bridge, and the Harahan Bridge. And both of those bridges duel against each other with a beautiful light show that takes place at 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, and always start on the top of the hour, and that show takes place every 15 minutes. And that is along the Mighty Mississippi River.

Matthew: That's amazing. You said there really is fertile land, and the Mississippi really helps open up-

Lisa Catron: Yes.

Matthew: ... the area and being so central in almost like the heartbeat of the Deep South in bloodlines feeds to the north, where it would be Chicago, down to New Orleans, down to Atlanta, up into Kentucky.

Lisa Catron: Yes.

Matthew: You really do have the place to be wherever you are traveling to the Deep South, you've got to visit Memphis. And-

Lisa Catron: And then, also when I mentioned about some of the gateways, the gateways you've got New York, Newark. Also you have Chicago, you have LA, all these areas have direct flights. The flight from Atlanta to Memphis is only 54 minutes to be exact, because I've gone through Atlanta a lot when I'm taking Delta Airlines. Also, you've got Houston and also the connection with Dallas. Those are some direct airlines, and those are some gateways.
But pretty much when it comes down to the Deep South, it is all about the hymns, the gospel music, rock and roll that drifted into soul. I want everyone to hear me and see me and feel me when it comes down to my city. I'm very passionate about Memphis, home of the blues, soul, and rock and roll.

Matthew: I mean I can't really end it any better than that. And we can definitely tell you're very passionate, you've had... Lauren and I have a massive grin on our face around this whole episode and really cannot wait to come out and visit and see those drinking ducks, drinking ducks? [inaudible], drinking goats.

Lisa Catron: Well, I drink water too, we all know what's in that water fountain.

Matthew: Yeah, we do, yeah we do. So we're up here, the episode for on Memphis, and it's been unbelievably insightful. So thank you very much, Lisa, for joining us.

Lisa Catron: Thank you. The one thing I want to make sure everybody is aware of about the Deep South USA, they definitely need to go on the Facebook online and Google up UKD South USA. And also Memphis tourism at memphistourism.com, and then follow me on Facebook, Lisa Catron. So I may do a famous dance on TikTok, so you never know.

Lauren: [crosstalk] Lisa, I love that.

Lisa Catron: Real talk, girlfriend. I'm with it, I'm with it.

Matthew: Is that in-

Lisa Catron: [crosstalk] you all, hey, I think you're all going on.

Matthew: Is that-

Lauren: Oh, we're following you shortly, don't worry.

Matthew: Yeah, and that's lt Yum Yum.

Lisa Catron: That's it.

Matthew: For those of you who want to follow, got to follow on the TikTok, lt Yum Yum, capital Ys-

Lisa Catron: Yeah-

Matthew: ... and lowercase L-T.

Lisa Catron: ... and also on our YouTube channel, make sure you follow me on Central Stage, Me Memphis. Any questions or ideas, I can put that together for you. This has been an absolutely for opportunity for Memphis to take advantage of, and we really appreciate all that you're doing.

Matthew: No problem, no, thank you for coming on. And again, for all of the links, if anyone is interested, you can go into the show notes, and also go to the TravelPodcast.com, find the Memphis episodes, and you will have... All the links will go a little... You will have a photo of Lisa, a little bio, and some links to some videos so you can see some amazing barbecues, Memphis itineraries and links to Lisa's TikTok and everything else.
So, if you've enjoyed this episode, please give us a five-star rating on any of the... Whether you listened to us via Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, or any other platform, please give us a five-star rating, and we look forward to having you back to listen on our next episode. So thank you all, and goodbye.

Lisa Catron: Bye.

Lauren: Bye.

Matthew: Okay, I'm going to leave it recording for a minute because we can cut, but I just want to re-record the intro, because I think it was a bit swift. So I'm just going to quickly read, [inaudible], you're fine. I'm just going to go to the bit that I would introduce you, Lisa. So you guys can say "Hello," but apart from that you don't need to do anything else. Your bit was fine, it was just my intro I think, just in case.

Lisa Catron: Okay. Really, you had one job.

Matthew: Well you could have, you know, I was wondering just in case, if it sounds fine, then I won't edit it in. All right, okay. So laughing, you make me laugh. Okay.
Welcome to the Travel Podcast, I'm Matthew and your host for this episode, where we're going to be exploring the home of the blues, soul, and rock and roll, Memphis, Tennessee. I'm joined by Lauren from the Travel Podcast, and our special guest, Lisa, from Memphis Tourism. Thank you for joining us, Lisa. If you could just quickly introduce yourself to the listeners, and give us a short introduction to Memphis.

Lisa Catron: My name is Lisa Catron, I am the International Sales Manager for Memphis Tourism. I'm going to amplify your experience at a whole new level of my city. And I want you to feel the soul and sound with vibrant and sizzling lights that kisses the Mighty Mississippi River, which is called the Mighty Lights. Roll the music track back, and follow the footsteps where legends, live, perform, and March on the streets of Memphis, that only you can experience history of that time.
Like a mighty river, Memphis rolls on. Through the years, it carved a well-worn groove into the world, a siren song etched in vinyl, crackling with life, real and raw. It's been heard by many and embraced by those who have recognized the fertile ground is not just the soil beneath your feet, but the soul within the city.