When I visit any place for the first time I like to see as much as can possibly be crammed into my time. If it is my second or third visit then covering all the missed sights is at the top of my list. For more than thirty years I have been going to Memphis, and still I learn new things about the city. With Elvis Week at our door step, I know many of you are headed that way so I want to pass on some information that you might find useful and that will enhance your visit to the City of the Blues and Elvis.
I love history and exploring the past of any location is very exciting to me. The people and times it took to develop their town. So for me being able to hook up with a knowledgeable tour guide is a must and the key to exploring that history.
It doesn’t hurt to have someone who is also an historian to give the most in depth look at their town. When in Memphis that person is Mike Freeman, Mikes Memphis Tours (1-901-289-7401). Mike is a tour guide, writer, publisher & historian. When it comes to being knowledgeable about Memphis, Elvis or Tupelo, Mike is the man in the know. He is a wealth of information.
His latest venture is a new book about Clarence Saunders the founder of Piggly Wiggly. Saunders used his new wealth to build an estate in Memphis larger than anyone had done before. People called it the Pink Palace. Today it is a museum.
Have a safe trip to Memphis and while you are in town for Elvis Week hope you find time to visit me at Everything Elvis in the Graceland Plaza. I will be there on the 13th, 14th & 15th from 12 – 4:00.
Hi Betty,
You’re right, Mike is definately the man to see when it comes to tracing the steps Elvis took around Memphis. We just had a tour with him in June 2011 and we totally enjoyed it. We visited churches, gravesites, theatres, concert venues, restaurants, nightclubs, football fields, recording studios, schools, homes, and a ranch. The tour is four hours long; however, Mike tried to squeeze in everything he could and we had six hours. His rates are very reasonable for the service you are getting. He has a vast knowledge of not only Elvis history, but the city of Memphis itself. It was the highlight of our vacation and I would definately recommend Mike’s Memphis Tours to anyone interested in researching the places Elvis frequented in Memphis. Visiting the actual sites along with the stories that accompany them really gives you a sense of the man instead of the myth we all know so well.