My sister and I have always wanted to tour Graceland and take a road trip to Memphis. In the fall of 2018, we finally did it! We planned out other places we would visit along the way, like Nashville and Florida. A lot of it we just flew by the seat of our pants without knowing where we’d be from night to night! We made so many memories on this trip and I’m so glad we got to do it.
Road Trip to Memphis Stop #1, 2: Maine/Rhode Island
But back to our trip! We first started out in Maine where we spent a few days with some friends. Here, we got to climb Haystack Mountain which is a quarter mile trail leading up to an amazing view of Maine.
We got to do some shopping at Mardens, a surplus and salvage store. You can find great deals on so many items but the catch is, you never know what you’re going to find from day to day. We picked up some first aid items and a water bottle for the trip. We also got some discounted candy and chocolate, always good!
Our next stop was Providence, Rhode Island. We arrived here around supper time and chose Al’s Waterfront Restaurant and Marina as the spot to eat. It is on Water Street which is so fitting as it’s right on Providence River, giving you a lovely view of the water and all the boats in the Marina. We ate some amazing seafood and watched the sunset, a perfect evening.
We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb that night. The next morning we ate breakfast at Seven Stars Bakery where I got an amazing peach kouign-amann and a chai latte. We drove/walked around and found that it is a busy beautiful city. We tried the famous pizza strips at a small bakery for lunch and got to see the capital. Highly recommend Providence, RI as a place to visit!
Pennsylvania and Kentucky
Hershey, Pennsylvania was our next stop on our big road trip to Memphis! We spent one night here and went to Hershey’s Chocolate World. Here, we got many souvenirs and gifts for friends and family. We also went on the free chocolate tour, which I highly recommend. I mean it’s free, and it was such a fun experience!
We ate lunch at the Chocolate: The Grill Avenue. My sister and I both got a chocolate martini, so delicious! Then I tried a Philly cheese steak with fries which tasted amazing.
In Corbin, Kentucky we made a quick stop and got to see the original Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum. M-m-m chicken!
Road trip stop : Mississippi
In Biloxi, Mississippi we only spent a night and a couple hours. Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy during our visit. It’s not really recommended to swim here because of the Gulf issues, but the sand was white and it was still so pretty.
We also visited Tupelo which seemed like a cute little town. Here we ate at Johnnie’s Drive-In and tried a dough burger. My sister and I loved seeing Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum , a special experience.
Tennessee : Nashville
In Tennessee, we visited Memphis for 3 nights and Nashville for 2 nights. For our visit in Nashville we stayed in Joelton just outside of Nashville and drove the short distance to all the places on our list. We ate at FGl house right downtown Nashville and tried some of the best kettle chips nachos I had ever eaten! There was so much cheese and enough toppings to go around and big enough for two people to split.
We made a stop to Party Fowl during Happy Hour. They had amazing prices and really good food and drinks! We got a ticket package which included tickets to tour the Ryman Auditorium, see the Country Music Hall of Fame and tour the Grand Ole Opry. All three should be on your list of things to see in Nashville. I loved the Ryman tour and the Grand Ole Opry was a must see for every country music lover! The Country Music Hall of Fame had tons of exhibits which were cool to walk around and see.
Road Trip to Memphis : Graceland
In Memphis, we were tempted to stay at the Guesthouse at Graceland but decided to stay at the Days Inn a few doors down instead. The rooms weren’t crazy fancy, but they were clean and the service was really good and we got a much better price. There was an Elvis TV channel that played Elvis movies 24/7 and lots of Elvis pictures on the walls. It had a great feel, plus free breakfast.
And finally the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Destination: Graceland, on the road trip to Memphis! We did the Ultimate VIP tour which we don’t regret in the least! It was an memorable time which we will never forget. There was so much to see, so much memorabilia, so much information, and so many items from Elvis’ life. There was also tons of items for sale in the many gift shop. I loved getting to see his planes, which was included when we bought the VIP tickets. It was such a surreal feeling to see the house Elvis lived in and hear lots of stories that we didn’t already know. My sister and I are huge Elvis fans and it was such a wonderful experience!
We couldn’t go to Memphis and not get some BBQ and we also tried some cool ice cream at a little place called Area 51. Also, we ate a meal at Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid which was a fun experience!
Louisiana and Florida
Although, we just got to drive through Louisiana this trip, we enjoyed the quick visit. We had wanted to visit New Orleans and Lafayette but because of time, we had to skip out on these places. It was disappointing but that just means we have to make a trip back!
We stopped in Hammond and ate at Don’s Seafood where I tried seafood gumbo and a crawfish boil quesadilla. Then we found ourselves some Beignets at Cafe Du Monde in Covington. So it was not a wasted stop in the least!
Our last stop was Florida where we stayed in Jacksonville and went to the beach. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend as much time as we would have liked here and we only got to eat at Taco Bell. But I will definitely be making a trip back to this Sunshine State! I would love to spend a few days on the beach and exploring other parts of Florida. Disney world, Orlando, and Daytona are places on my list. I would love to see orange trees, see alligators, and gather shells on the many pretty beaches.
Also on this trip we visited a friend in North Carolina. We only got to drive through Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia. All new states for me before this trip but I would love to explore these ones more. We saw the cotton fields in Alabama, so cool!
Memphis, Graceland is an item checked off our bucket list and what an amazing adventure we had along the way! Hope you enjoyed the trip along with me!
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