lost in exploration | memphis

an 11-day road trip starting in Indianapolis, visiting 10 cities in five states

*Disclaimer: long blog post ahead because we stayed in Memphis for two nights and had a full itinerary! Bear with me, though, it’s worth it! :)

end of day one:

4 | 21 | 2023 (Friday)

Despite creating our timeline where we listed out travel times, we mistakenly noted the time from Nashville to Memphis as 1.5 hours instead of 3 hours. Needless to say, we were already tired from our explorations in Nashville, and then to realize we had twice as long to travel than we anticipated was a bummer. Not to mention, inclement weather on the way there. But, we had delicious donuts from Five Daughters Bakery to help.

Thankfully, Tabs did a great job driving through the downpour and wasn’t bad enough that we ever had to pull over. We were also fortunate enough to witness a pretty sunset… my faves! :)

Bad weather we drove through on our way to Memphis

Clear skies ahead

Beautiful sunset after the rain

We arrived at our Airbnb in Memphis around 8PM and unpacked the car for our (much needed) two-night stay. We decided to cook our own dinner (burger bowls) because there would be plenty of exploring the next day. After eating we discussed our plans for the morning and went straight to bed!

day two:

4 | 22 | 2023 (Saturday)

We made breakfast (acai bowls) prior to heading out for the day, and our first stop had to be: coffee! Bonus points because right next door to Comeback Coffee was a plant shop, Golden Hour! Comeback is definitely a great place to hang out or get some work done; we enjoyed the vibes. After grabbing coffee and plant shopping (no, we did not end up buying any planties), we decided to walk north on Main Street. Just down the road we saw a cute mural by Justin Autumn and Amy-Beth Rice.

THIRD MURAL STOP | (that was planned) Erin Miller Ray on the side of SOB Downtown. I did not realize the size of this mural until we saw it in person, and it did not disappoint! Of course, we had a photoshoot as one does when it’s a beautiful, sunny day while you’re on vacation.

Didn’t realize it would be so large!

Mural by Erin Miller Ray

Loved the stairs!

Mural by Erin Miller Ray

(Un)intentional color-coordinating

Mural by Erin Miller Ray; Photo by Tabs

After our photoshoot sesh with the mural, we had a little time to explore down Main Street. Checked out Stock & Belle and knew we’d have to come back. Eventually, we left for our lunch reservation at Edge Alley. Highly recommend reservations wherever you go; we used Open Table.

We tried the Chicken Club and Buttermilk Biscuits & Gravy (not pictured). Both were tasty but would try something different next time. The restaurant is just east of downtown in an area with quite a few murals and the Edge Motor Museum where I snapped a pic of a cute T-Bird with pink interior (Tabs was all about that).

Next, we made our way to Mud Island Park: a river walk and museum. As you make your way to the Memphis sign, you’re winding through the Mississippi River Walk, reading history and facts about the river and the states it runs through.

Seriously, the most gorgeous day!

Memphis sign with downtown backdrop

Memphis sign: rainbow sides!

On our drive back downtown, we stopped at I AM A MAN plaza. The sculpture was beautiful and is also lit at night. From the website (www.civilrightstrail.com):

Adjacent to the Clayborn Temple, the I AM A MAN Plaza is where Memphis sanitation workers gathered during their pivotal 1968 strike in protest of working conditions. On the plaza, a large, experiential sculpture pays tribute to the strikers and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The plaza also features a wall engraved with the names of those who participated in the strike. A focal point of the Civil Rights Movement, the strike brought Dr. King to Memphis and, tragically, to his assassination. The campaign and its “I AM A MAN!” slogan came to represent the struggle of the working poor and racial inequality in Memphis and beyond. The plaza, with its bold sculpture, commemorative markers and proximity to Clayborn Temple, offers visitors an opportunity to learn about and meditate on the continuing impact of the Civil Rights Movement.

The plaza is definitely a must-stop when in Memphis. We saw a mural dedicated to this strike on Main Street, and the fight for racial justice continues.

After a little education and making our way back to Main Street to explore more shops, we stopped for a beverage: coffee! Hustle & Dough, located inside the very stylish hotel, ARRIVE Memphis, is where we rested our legs and feet, sipped some cold brew, and appreciated the views.

Hustle & Dough inside ARRIVE Memphis off Main Street

Loved the colors, textures, patterns, oh my!

So many great pieces of furniture!

Drink at the bar?

This coffee table and Wes Anderson book were my favorite.

We decided to walk to the northern part of downtown, stopping to check out more murals and architecture. Hu Hotel has a rooftop bar (Hu, Roof) where we wanted to grab a drink and overlook the river, and they opened at 4. We were there right at 4, waited about 15 mins before finding out they were opening later. We chose not to stick around. Instead, we wanted to head back to the Airbnb but not before stopping in Cupcake Cutie, Etc. for a lil treat because we deserved it!

While relaxing at the Airbnb, we decided on dinner and evening plans: Panta for dinner and Inkwell for a few drinks and late night snack! We were in for a real treat!

We love a cute restaurant inside of a house. While we did venture inside to check out the design, we ate on the patio to continue enjoying the gorgeous day we had. Panta is a small, shared plates Catalan restaurant; the few things we tried were different and delicious! Highly recommend coming with a group of people!

Interior designer: David Quarles (@david.quarlesiv); Local artist: Frances Berry (@where_is_frances).

After dinner, just down the block and across the street is an amazing tribute portfolio hotel, The Memphian, that we had to see. And… photos… photos don’t do it justice! It was such a fun, colorful, whimsical design and overall vibe… we would’ve stayed much longer if it were earlier in the day. Would abso-fucking-lutely go back again!

Didn’t snap the best photo of the exterior, but it is also beautiful.

I mean… can you even…

Chandelier made from fishing bobbers… absolutely STUN-NING!

Also me, who stated “I don’t know what to do with my hands” prior to taking this picture.

Side part of the lobby: the artwork, the colors, could not get enough!

Side part of the lobby into the restaurant/bar area

As if the lovely dinner and stunning hotel views weren’t enough, we ended our evening at Inkwell, “a dope cocktail bar”, which it absolutely is!

A few important things to note before I continue: most of the Memphis stops we made were from Carmeon Hamilton, a Memphis-based interior designer, content creator, and overall wonderful human being who I love following on Instagram (and you should, too!). She is also part-owner of Inkwell bar!

I was hoping to run into Carmeon there, which happened to be a Saturday night, but it turns out she was out of town. However, we had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with the co-owner of Inkwell, Ben, and Carmeon’s assistant, Colin. That was absolutely one of my highlights of the entire trip!

And of course, after a few cocktails, you must have a snack! The grilled cheese and sausage flatbread were ridiculous, especially for that time of night. :)

The cocktails = on point, the vibes = on point, the service = on point. You must stop in there and experience it for yourself! While you’re there, say hi to Sam and Drew, our lovely bartenders!

beginning of day three:

4 | 23 | 2023 (Sunday)

Went to bed late and woke up early to grab breakfast at Bishop before our last stop for donuts prior to heading to Little Rock. We were practically the first ones at the restaurant, which made it easy and less awkward to snap some photos because the space was beautiful! We fell in love with so many different tile designs throughout this entire trip! And naturally, we ordered the French toast and beignets (Tabs has never tried them), to help soak up the cocktails from Inkwell. :) Another great stop in Memphis but still so many on the list for next time!

Lastly, donuts. From my research I determined Gibson’s was the must-choice for donuts in Memphis. They did not disappoint! Even though I prefer chocolate anything, the glazed blueberry was deliciously fruity! Then, there was the apple fritter. When I tell you Tabs loooooved it, she LOVED it! 10/10 from her! Would absolutely go back to try even more! And just like that, our time in Memphis was up and straight on to Little Rock!

Gibson’s Donuts on the east side of Memphis

The glazed blueberry was my pick and one of the best!

Tabs about fell out the car when she tried this Apple fritter! She said easily 10/10!

Have suggestions for Memphis that you don’t see listed below? Drop them in the comments so I can add them to my list!

mapping the details:

For reference, pink pin is our Airbnb. Otherwise, all locations listed from left to right.

on our list for next time:

  • Bluff City Coffee & Bakery

  • 17 Berkshire

  • Staks! Pancake Kitchen

  • City Solo & Table Pantry

  • City & State Coffee

  • The Liquor Store

  • Itta Bena

  • Supperclub on 2nd

  • Hog & Hominy

  • The Hub Coffee

  • Shops of Saddle Creek

  • Feast & Graze

  • Greys Fine Cheeses

  • Hu Hotel

  • Shelby Farms Park

  • Nail Bar & Co

Lost in Exploration 2023Jen Scherr DesignsMemphis, Visit Memphis, Road trip, journey not a destinationComment