Memphis: 'Blues City' Attractions Quiz

Answer: March of the ducks

Ducks are brought down from their palace off the rooftop daily at 11:00 a.m. When the doors of the elevator opens, five ducks are greeted by a mass of on-lookers as they wobble up the red carpet in the center of the luxurious lobby. Fresh, aromatic flowers adorn the crest of the marble fountain where the ducks can be seen until 5 p.m. They are then marched back to the rooftop by their Duck Master. The five-star Peabody Hotel is located on Union Avenue, two blocks from the famed Beale Street.

Source: Peabody Memphis Website, 2009

Answer: Bar-B-Que

You do not have to travel far to find a restaurant that specializes in a variety of delicious Bar-B-Que. The most difficult thing you'll find is choosing the one to patronize. Some of the more popular eateries are: Marlowe's Restaurant and Rock 'n' Roll Café on Elvis Presley Boulevard; Ground Zero Blues Club, co-owned by Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman; the ever-popular Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Q; and Rendezvous, which serves their world famous ribs. A few of these even provide Elvis' favorite fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Whichever entrée you choose, you will not be dissatisfied because Memphis prides itself in its specialties.

Source: bbqsearch.com

Answer: Sun Studio

After your friend informed you of Sun Studio, you, like so many other guests, were anxious to observe the birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll, Blues, and R&B at Sun Studio, which is only a few blocks uphill from your hotel on Union Avenue. A young amateur record producer named Sam Phillips opened the doors of his small business on January 3, 1950. Little did he know then how historic his studio would become over the decades. After paying a small entrance fee, get ready to set aside at least an hour to an hour-and-a half for an interesting guided tour. You may find that it is the best money you spend to view such original memorabilia, the unique café, and hard-to-find souvenirs. It is truly an awesome experience to realize that you stand where many renowned artists got their start in their careers. Some include B.B. King, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Elvis Presley, Howlin' Wolf, Ike Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, among countless others.

Source: Sun Studio Website

Answer: Biking Route

The biking routes are provided for recreation and/or commuting through the streets of the city. On your cycling, self-guided tour, you can enjoy sightseeing at your own convenience. Downtown Memphis is filled with art galleries, city parks, fortune tellers, gardens, nature centers, palm readers, shopping, various museums and voodoo shops. If cycling does not appeal to you, the Main Street Trolley will take you on a trip through the historic district and along the riverfront of the mighty Mississippi. Shuttle service is also available to and from diverse sites, as are taxi cabs.

Source: About.Com- Transportation in Memphis

Answer: Overton Park Shell

Overton Park consists of 342 acres in the midtown area of Memphis that includes an Arboretum of Overton Park, College of Art, Memphis Zoo, nine-hole golf course, Rainbow Lake, and the Veterans Plaza, among other features. The theater was erected in 1936 and was named for John Overton who co-founded Memphis. On July 31, 1954, Elvis headlined a show for Slim Whitman and earned his first paycheck for performing the newest genre of Rock 'n' Roll. The Shell Theater was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on October 25, 1979, but continues to hold modern-day concerts.

Source: Wikipedia

Answer: Memphis Botanic Garden

The garden was established in 1953 on 96 acres. The Memphis Garden Club normally offers youth and adult educational and horticultural programs. You will marvel at the panoramic views of twenty-three specialty gardens, which includes a rose garden with 75 varieties. There are also butterfly gardens; dwarf conifers; herbs; hundreds of different bearded irises from Japan, Siberia, and Spuria; magnolias; water gardens; and the renowned Japanese Garden of Tranquility. All of these exquisite gardens are situated in the serenity of lakes and woodlands.

Source: Memphis Botanic Garden Website

Answer: Small general store

It certainly isn't Macy's or Harrods Department store, but you'll enjoy reliving a piece of Americana in this small, country dry-goods store. Located on Beale Street, A. Schwab's opened its doors for business in 1876 by Abraham Joseph Schwab. In 2009, it was the only original business that remained standing in the Beale Street locality. Schwab's motto was "If you can't find it at A. Schwab's, you're probably better off without it".

Source: Memphis, TN Metro City Guide - Reviews and Recommendations by Citysearch

Answer: The Delta Queen

Late in the afternoon, you are greeted at the double doors of your hotel lobby by a gentleman who helps you up into his horse-drawn carriage. You take pleasure in listening to the clip-clop of the horse's hooves in complete rhythm as the carriage guides you down by the riverside. The nearer you approach the waterway, you begin to feel the stimulating sensation of the breeze flowing from the mile-wide river as life commences to shift into slow motion and bliss seems to become quite simple. You are overwhelmed when you see the replicated paddle-wheel steam boat with its two smoke stacks. Inside, you are mesmerized by the elegance of the charming "showboat"-style entertainment, including jazz musicians and Cajun cuisine.

A Mississippi River boat cruise is an exclusive way to voyage through time to appreciate the affluent heritage of the 'Old South' as it was viewed through the eyes of author Mark Twain. One of the most impressive sights to view is the gorgeous sun setting over the Mississippi River, which takes you through several ports--from Cincinnati to New Orleans. The Mississippi Queen is also sometimes docked in Memphis as well.

Answer: Lauderdale Courts

In the period of leaving Mississippi until the ascension of his stardom, Elvis' former residence has hardly been mentioned. When Elvis was thirteen years old, his father Vernon moved him and his mother Gladys to Memphis with dreams of a better life. Since the Presley's were poor, his father found them a low-income apartment at Lauderdale Courts in downtown Memphis. It was at 185 Winchester Street in apartment #328 that the family lived from September 1949 until January 1953.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. However, in the 1990s, it was scheduled to be demolished. Elvis fans and other pertinent organizations were able to save the apartment building, which was restored and renamed Uptown Square. Apartment #328 was replicated to reflect the teenage life of Elvis in the early '50s and has since become a popular tourist attraction.

Source: Lauderdale Courts Website

Answer: Graceland

Situated in the Whitehaven community, twelve miles (19 km) from downtown Memphis, and less than four miles (6 km) from the Mississippi border, sits Graceland. White, wrought-iron gates welcome you. Massive Corinthian columns and two huge, cement lions positioned on either sides of the portico of the twenty-three room, American colonial style mansion, add to its grandeur.

It was originally built in 1939 and Elvis (at the age of twenty-two) purchased it and its 13.8 acre grounds in 1957 for $100,000. Graceland has become an international tourist destination and offers a personal experience of Elvis' life from his humble birth to his unexpected death. You can observe up-close and personal artifacts, awards, personal mementos, photos, records, stage costumes, and much, much more. Elvis died at the home he loved so much on August 16, 1977. He, his mother, father, and grandmother are buried at Graceland's Meditation Gardens. Although his stillborn twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, is buried in Mississippi, a marker has been placed in memory of him beside his legendary family. The National Register of Historic Places placed Graceland on its records on November 7, 1991, and on March 27, 2006, it was affirmed as a National Historic Landmark.

Source: Official Website for Elvis Presley