Memphis Tennessee Priceline Bid

Alright, the information everyone wants is that the winning bid for a 3 1/2 star hotel was fifty-five dollars.  We booked a week before Elvis week (middle of August) so you may be able to go a little lower on Memphis.  Two contributing factors driving up price may have been that August is prime vacation season and there were definitely a lot of Elvis impersonators staying at the hotel.

We stayed at the Memphis Hotel owned by Marriott in Southeast Memphis.  Don't worry about staying a little a way from downtown Memphis doesn't have much traffic.  The hotel was close to the Pink Palace and Leonard's BBQ (disappointing) featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives.  It was close to the highway but it wasn't in the best neighborhood.  The problem is finding a good neighborhood is probably pretty difficult.  It seemed to vary from week to week.

While in Memphis we visited Graceland.  We payed the extra 30 or so dollars for the entourage tour.  If you don't have a bunch of kids this is the way to go.  Skipping line is a big benefit.   It was an hour wait just to get to the mansion when we were there.  We also visited Beale Street.  Our favorite place on Beale is A. Schwab's Dry Goods Store (closes at ten).    There was also a cool little dessert place near "The Daisy" but I don't remember it's name.

The best surprise was on the drive back to St. Louis.  A couple hours from Memphis in Sikeston, MO there is a restaurant called Lamberts Cafe.  They throw rolls across the place and they have pass around that come with your meal.  There was way too much to eat but it is a really enjoyable experience.  Now this isn't a quiet gourmet restaurant.  It is loud with perfectly cooked southern staples.  Yeah the green beans maybe canned/pickled but in the south they are supposed to be.  If you're on a road trip this place will wake you up after a long drive.  Great food, fun time.