Day 11: Memphis recap

And we’re back!  As we depart for Dallas, I thought I’d recap our exciting week in Memphis.

As it turns out, there are a fair number of fun and/or cultural thing to do in Memphis, and we didn’t have time for everything.  Most importantly, we managed to fill nearly an entire week WITHOUT anything Elvis related. So take that, tripadvisor.com!!

In between hanging out with their grandparents and great-grandmother, we had a great time at local attractions and seeing friends. The first day was at the pink palace museum and IMAX. The museum has a little bit of everything and is very manageable for kids, and the IMAX was showing a 3D dinosaur movie, which was awesome. We spent time at the zoo, one of the country’s best, the children’s museum and splash park, and the botanical gardens. 

These excursions retaught Oma and Opa the joy of grandparent-hood: when you get exhausted chasing after kids in the hot sun, you can hand them back off to their parents.

  
   

Speaking of which, the best part was the perfect weather Memphis is famous for–95 degrees and a gut-punching, lung-constricting 95% humidity. But hundreds of years ago some idiot European explorers probably arrived here during the winter and thought “Hey! This is better than Boston in January!” Then, in July, they dreamed of the better weather of the Saharan desert summer, thus naming this city “Memphis.” I’m pretty sure that’s how it all went down.

Fourth of July, which happened over Shabbos, was enhanced by our being in Memphis. Since we could not make it to a major fireworks show, we were concerned we’d miss out on watching and hearing things explode, the time-honored method of celebrating America’s birthday.  But as they say, one man’s trip to the ER is another man’s Fourth of July entertainment. The locals set off fireworks deep into the night, enough for us to be yotzei, and enough for them to contend for the Darwin awards.

To cool off and burn off some energy, the girls spent a lot of time at the JCC pool, which is like a mini water park. There, Talia spent a lot of time alternating seeking pool-side shade to keep from melting and chasing after Nesia to keep her from drowning.

Coming back home also means hanging out with childhood friends. Talia and I spent a fair amount of time chilling with Aviva and Yoni, while our kids rekindled relationships with their kids that had begun during past visits.  In reliving my youth, I went with Yoni and A.M. for a night out on the town–well, more like to Putt-Putt mini-golf, but we also did the batting cages, so that has to count for something. 

  
On our last day, Aderet got to read to Bubby, which was a thrill for both of them.  We cracked open a box of Godiva chocolates, made a l’chaim over them, and chatted for a couple hours before leaving her apartment.  This capped off what was, all in all, a great week in Memphis. Talia took lots of naps (as is her custom here); I went to Rabbi Greenblatt’s home for a wonderful shiur; we made, in cahoots with my grandmother, a surprise birthday party for my mother; and nobody got sunburnt.

  

So if anyone ever tells you that when you visit Memphis you must, MUST!, go to Graceland–you punch them in the teeth and call them a liar.

  
Today we take off for Dallas, where we’ll be spending Shabbos, and my parents will be coming along for this little leg of the adventure!