It’s Spring Break here in Arkansas which means the kids are out of school and parents are packing them up and whisking them away for a week of family fun. College kids are off on adventures or working more hours to save up for some suburb summertime fun. In both instances, I’m completely envious. My official vacation time doesn’t roll over until the middle of April so an extended trip away from our cottage in the cove is still a ways away.
But! A day trip is certainly doable. Hence, a Memphis Day trip was born.
Memphis Day Trip
Saturday dawned gloriously warm and full of sunshine. I had slept in and woke up wanting something more from my Saturday; something more than working around the house, attempting to clean the craft room or snacking endlessly.
It was nine a.m. when the thought popped into my head: IKEA. It recently opened in Memphis and I’ve been watching my online friends report back on their adventures to the Swedish home store. I knew it was what I wanted to do. I woke up Thom and made the suggestion. By ten thirty we had showered, dressed, fed the cat, watered the plants and gathered our day trip supplies.
Tip #1-Don’t linger too long on the thought or spend too much time thinking about what to do. Figure it out when you get there.
Memphis is a three hour drive from our home which gave us plenty of time to get a game plan in place. Modern technology makes this easy; all the work was done on my phone.
Tip #2-Pack snacks and drinks or even a lunch to eat on the way.
We always have ice packs in the freezer, a sturdy cooler, and cold soda in the ‘fridge. I’ve been on a snack buying binge lately (for work) so I had string cheese and peanut butter crackers set out to take. And then, I completely forgot them on the counter.
Ikea was as wonderful as I’d hoped. My cart filled up quickly. I was a little disappointed with the selection of Raskog carts; the colors of the carts has changed and the one I wanted was not available. I spent a considerable amount of time hemming and hawing over the three options available-I wasn’t pleased with any of them.
After three hours of browsing and shopping, it was off to Thom’s destination: Bass Pro Shops.
Tip #3-Include activities everyone enjoys. Spend time doing each.
Now, Thom loves to shop WAY more than I do and he loves shopping for home stuff, especially anything cooking-related. But, he loves fishing more.
We were a little disappointed with Bass Pro. It was crowded and dark inside. Too many fixtures and people to maneuver around (yea, I know it was the first Saturday of Spring Break). Redeeming value: fudge.
After a short shopping stint in the bait and tackle section we headed out to Beale Street. I’ve never been and didn’t really know what to expect.
Tip #4-Be open to the unknown.
With such a short expanse, Beale Street was easy to wander at our own pace and we made one trip up and back just to get a glimpse of all it had to offer. I was happy just to wander and people watch. Thom wanted to check out several of the shops, so we did.
Tip #5-Take your time. Peek into the nooks and crannies. Talk to everyone.
Thom is much better at starting conversations with people. It was fun to listen to him talk music with a young guy from Wisconsin who had been in Memphis for just two months.
Tip #6-Don’t feel pressured to do things you don’t want to do. DO YOU!
These days, I’m more of a root beer kind of girl rather than a beer kind of gal. At least I am in public with my guy. It could’ve been a different story had I been with a bunch of girl friends on Beale Street. Not that I would get wild and crazy. Let’s move on, m’kay?
It was fun to stop by a famous landmark of sorts.
The girls really do dance on the bar and there are bras everywhere. lol
Tip #7-Don’t rush. Stroll leisurely. Be flexible and spontaneous. Go where your fancy takes you.
We had an absolutely fabulous time. My first trip to Memphis was one of my favorite last minute decisions. I can’t wait for the next.
I love Memphis!