Take a Walk Down Beale Street - Memphis Tennessee

If you're walking in Memphis, you'll want to take a stroll down to Beale Street and see where the blues began. This 2 mile stretch of city street is the home of B.B. King, Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, and Rufus Thomas to name just a few. If you're lost just start your walk in the middle of downtown, find Second St and follow your nose in a southerly direction. There you'll run right into Beale Street. If you go during the day you can see everything in about 10 minutes. But on a hot summer night the street will be blocked off on both ends and this is where the history of the Blues come alive. Start your tour on the corner of Second and Beale and stroll right down the middle of the street all the way to the other end. It's a nice walk and it also gives you a chance to see what you're getting yourself into. You see, you can't possibly see and do it all in one night. There's food to eat, booze to drink, music to listen to, and people to watch. Once you've done it all, you start right back at the corner of 2nd and Beale and begin again. Every club, shop, and restaurant has it's own culture and rythmn, and you want to experience it all. But if you can't, at least hit these highlights.

1. Blues City Cafe - located on the corner of Beale and Second Street, this restaurant is an icon. Plop yourself down in a seat and be whisked away back in time. The service is great, but things here move really slow, so it'll give you a chance to soak in the rustics lime walls and concrete floors; which kindly add ambiance to the establishment. The Southern Fried Catfish and BBQ ribs are excellent, but their world famous homemade tamales are even better. If you manage to crawl away from the table, there's a blues club next door called the Band Box, which features music nightly. Have a few more drinks and spill out the door into the street because Beale Street awaits.