Day 5-6: Nashville TN to Memphis TN
It turned out the weatherman was right. The rain came copiously all night long, stopping just a few minutes before I left the motel. The first 150 miles were as smooth as it gets, mostly driven along an empty Natchez Trace Parkway with a pale sun trying to make an appearance. My only worry was not to run over the pretty naive, turkey-looking-like birds attempting to cross the road without any notice.
When a tiny little screw somehow found its way into the right rear tire of my car, everything changed, and a rather pleasant morning turned into a wasted afternoon. After four hours of pointlessly waiting in the middle of nowhere for the prepaid road service, I decided to man up and change the tire myself.
I arrived in Memphis late at night, only to have the very digital and comfy, yet rather boring, Hyundai replaced by a way more analog, a bit rough, but more fun-to-drive Jeep.
- Pros: I was rewarded with a beautiful, multicolored Tennessee sunset.
- Cons: The day was screwed (pun intended), and I went straight to bed.
Memphis: rough, real, reckless, and soulful.
The day off from driving was well spent ticking off boxes: Graceland, Sun Records, the Museum of Civil Rights, Memphis-style BBQ, Beale Street and its blues bars.
In my personal memory lane, it all goes back to a day in the early nineties when, after numerous nights spent at my defining place (hello, @bloom_mezzago ), I purchased an audio cassette: “One Night in Memphis. A Tribute to Otis Redding” which I played on repeat during those foggy nights driving up and down the roads between Milan and the mighty Adda River. That’s when, I suppose, “I got the blues”.
Leaving the blues bar where I am writing this, and heading out of Tennessee to enter Mississippi next: Elvis has left the building, and so have I.
Driving from Nashville to Memphis Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Memphis
- Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel, 250 N Main St, Memphis, TN 38103. A nice hotel situated within a 20-minute walk of the historic Beale Street, with all its restaurants and music bars. The glass elevator with an aerial view of Memphis is a nice touch.
Where to eat and what to see between Nashville to Memphis
- Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall, 174 Beale Street Memphis, TN 38103, Easily my favorite blues bar in Memphis, this juke joint is a hidden gem. It’s easy to pass by, but it’s a great place with some real blues.
- Blues City Cafe, 138 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103, a good place for a late-night pint
- Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, 52 S 2nd St, Memphis, TN 38103. This historical BBQ spot is located in a basement and serves up racks of dry ribs cooked over charcoal. Highly recommended.
- Graceland, Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN 38116, The Home of Elvis Presley. The tour of the mansion, followed by a visit to a couple of museums full of memorabilia, lasts about 2-3 hours.
- Sun Studio, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S, An iconic recording studio that opened in 1950. The tour of the studio is fun and informative – highly recommended.
- National Civil Rights Museum, 450 Mulberry St, Memphis, TN 38103, Located at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.
Driving from Nashville to Memphis FAQ
The shortest route from Nashville, TN, to Memphis, TN, is 212 miles. However, I drove for 261 miles, attempting to stay off the highway as much as possible.
Driving from Nashville to Memphis takes 3 hours. However, it took me forever due to the flat tire halfway to Memphis.
The Tennessee countryside is very nice. Unfortunately, due to the flat tire incident, I arrived in Memphis very late at night, and the last part of the drive was through pitch-dark countryside.
Right after leaving Nashville, you will enter the rural village of Leiper’s Fork. Following that, you can drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Any car would suffice. The streets are clean and well-maintained.
More photo taken from Nashville and Memphis
My two weeks itinerary on a Chicago to New Orleans road trip
- Chicago to New Orleans – main article
- Day 1: Chicago to Indianapolis
- Day 2: Indianapolis to Louisville
- Day 3-4: Louisville to Nashville
- Day 5-6: Nashville to Memphis
- Day 7: Memphis to Clarksdale
- Day 8: Clarksdale to Greenville
- Day 9: Greenville to Natchez
- Day 10: Natchez to Lafayette
- Day 11, 12, 13: Lafayette to New Orleans
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