59-Day Road Trip Across 48 States 🚗✨ – Memphis

Memphis, located in the southwestern corner of Tennessee, is another iconic “Music City” in the U.S. 🎶 It’s known as the birthplace of the Blues and the hometown of Elvis Presley 🎸👑. While Nashville is the heart of country music 🎻, and New Orleans is the cradle of jazz 🎷, Memphis holds the soul of the Blues. You might wonder—where did rock ‘n’ roll originate? There’s no single place credited as its definitive birthplace, but it emerged from the American South, blending elements of blues, country, and Tin Pan Alley-style music 🎵. Its rhythmic freedom and cross-genre vibe made it a nationwide favorite. Interestingly, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland (a stop later on our trip)—though Cleveland wasn’t actually where rock began… even if they say otherwise 😉 Memphis sits along the Mississippi River 🌊, with downtown nestled on its eastern bank. I stocked up on some sunflower seeds for the road 🚙☀️ and picked up salted duck eggs to eat with congee in the morning—simple traveler comforts! I also made a brief stop at Graceland, Elvis’s legendary home 🏡, to pay respects to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. A must-visit in Memphis is Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken 🍗! The place is always packed—and no wonder. You don’t need to see the crowds or awards on the wall; the satisfied customers say it all. Fun fact: Breaking Bad fans, does the name “Gus” sound familiar? Yep—just like the fried chicken-cover drug lord in the show 😉. Coincidence? Maybe not… and now there’s even a real-life Los Pollos Hermanos-style chain popping up, kinda like Bubba Gump! Walking down Beale Street, you truly feel that Memphis is a city with a strong Black cultural presence—which makes sense, since the Blues have deep roots in Black musical tradition 🖤🎶. Fans of This Is Us might remember William’s love for the record shops and vibe of Beale Street—it really is that iconic. After exploring Memphis, I drove two hours west to Little Rock, Arkansas 🌆. My host wasn’t home, but a few snacks won over Murray 🐕—the loyal Labrador left guarding the house. We became fast friends by the end of the night! #Memphis #Tennessee #USARoadTrip #SoloTravel #AmericanSouth #BluesMusic #Elvis #GusFriedChicken #TravelDiary #HiddenGems 🇺🇸📸