Memphis - (Conclusion)
Saturday was race day. The half marathon kicked off at 8 AM around the corner from our hotel. I did my normal race day routine of walking Traci to the start line and then making my way to various points on the route to photograph her and some of her running friends if I happen to see them. After an expensive breakfast at the hotel, I hurried to the finish line to photograph Traci crossing the finish, but with all the people crowded there, I was not able to get there in time to get a good shot. Regardless, Traci's completion of the St. Jude Half Marathon made Tennessee the 24th state in her quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states.
After getting cleaned up, Traci and I were joined by her running friend Melinda from Mississippi and her husband Fred. Together, we walked from our hotel to the National Civil Rights Museum where Traci's running group would be hosting a get-together. This private event gave the group complimentary access to the entire museum.
The National Civil Rights Museum is housed in the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. I'd seen pictures of the motel in history books, TV documentaries, and museums. It felt surreal and sad to be actually standing in front of the building looking at the balcony where such a great man took his last breath. A wreath hangs over the balcony at the spot where Dr.King was standing when he was shot.
We walked through the museum looking at exhibits explaining the struggle for civil rights in the U.S.. There was plenty of information to read, plenty of recordings of which to listen and watch, as well as mock-ups to observe. Traci and I browsed the various exhibits but not in too much depth. We had already seen much of what was presented at similar museums across the country. What makes the National Civil Rights museum stand out from other museums we've visited was its second floor. Although the rest of the motel has been converted to a museum, the two rooms where Dr. King and his colleagues were staying when Dr. King was assassinated have been preserved behind glass. You can also look out over the balcony where he stood on that fateful day.
The Lorraine Motel now houses the National Civil Rights Museum
The wreath marks where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was standing when he was assassinated.
The room where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was staying when he was assassinated.
If you visit the museum, make sure you do not forget to walk across the street to the Legacy Building. It is the former boarding house that is believed to be the location from where James Earl Ray shot Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. The building now contains exhibits explaining the creation of the National Civil Rights Museum.
After the private get-together at the museum, Traci and I walked across the street to Central BBQ. This restaurant was the recommendation of one of the employees at Graceland where visited the previous day. We had high hopes when we saw that the line extended outside the restaurant. Traci and I ended up sharing the 1/2 Chicken Plate and sides. The meal was good but I would have liked to have tried some of their other offerings. I was just not that hungry at the time. We had finger food at the get-together that had filled me.
We finished off the evening by getting together with some Traci's running friends at an outdoor rooftop lounge at the Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis Hotel. It was great to catch up with them. We had not seem them in over two years.
view of Memphis from the rooftop lounge at the Hyatt
For our final day in Memphis, we slept in and took our time getting ready. Although the chill-out time was nice, we were both kicking ourselves because we forgot to stop by the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks. Apparently, at 11 AM and 5 PM daily, the local ducks walk through the lobby of the Peabody hotel to get to the fountain. Oh well. When we finally did get our act together, we had lunch at Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe on Beale Street. We enjoyed the chicken & waffles and then stopped by Insomnia Cookies so that Traci could satisfy her sweet tooth. It was amazing to see how empty and quiet Beale Street was on a Sunday morning. Our flight home with an hour layover at Chicago O'Hare was uneventful. Main Page...
