I love Memphis! There aren’t enough hours in the day to do all the fun things that this city and its surrounding suburbs have to offer. (Be sure to flip to our award-winning calendar section to see what I’m talking about.) My family is always teasing me because I am always cajoling them to do some activity or go somewhere. I am a firm believer of being a tourist in your own backyard.
Around Town
Take, for example, our cute brother and sister cover kids, Payton and Nathan. We photographed them at Crosstown Concourse; you may remember it as the old Sears building in Midtown that sat vacant for years. But it has recently gone through a metamorphosis of rebirth. If you haven’t been to this part of town in a while, that’s a free activity to do with your kids. Take an old-fashioned Sunday afternoon drive down North Parkway to Cleveland and just walk around the building. It doesn’t officially open until late summer but many shops are already beginning to open, from eateries to the YMCA. The point is just to see this magnificent architectural structure and what’s there now and what’s coming. There’s an outdoor fountain my daughter discovered when we were last there, and let’s just say she had fun — she came home soaking wet. Here’s where you can get a sneak peek just by letting your fingers do the walking: crosstownconcourse.com/community
My dad always seemed to make simply walking around the biggest adventure. He would take us to get Dixie Queen soft-serve ice cream, and then we would drive to Memphis International Airport, park on a side street off Airways Boulevard, and watch airplanes take off and land while licking on our ice cream cones. Trust me, it is fascinating to a kid (be sure to put away cell phones), and you can fantasize about all the places you can go. Even my teen boys love to go to the airport, especially if there’s ice cream involved. That Dixie Queen on Airways is still there! And oftentimes the simple adventures promote the art of conversation with your family when you remove activities.
The new and improved Shelby Farms Park is another favorite hot spot for my family. If you haven’t been lately, you really need to go. It is an oasis. Shelby Farms is one of the 20 largest urban parks in the United States; it covers more than five times the area of Central Park in New York City. And it has bison … bison! On a recent excursion with my husband, 6-year-old daughter, and 14 and 15 year old sons (my oldest son was away at college), there was a range of activities to suit all ages and interests from the new splash pad to kayaking and horseback riding. Yes, we did all of those activities in one day and joyfully went home exhausted.
Out of Town
Day trips are another way to explore your “backyard.” In the Mid-South, we have a plethora of wonderful places to visit — Nashville, Little Rock, Hot Springs National Park, Jackson, Mississippi, and all the little nooks and crannies in between.
These cities are all only about a two- to three-hour drive away. In my opinion, if you live within a three-hour radius of a U. S. presidential library, you really need to visit. The Clinton Library in Little Rock is a beautiful structure, and it highlights all the good, the bad, and the ugly of that administration — something for everyone, no matter your political affiliation. Plus, Little Rock has such a pretty downtown waterfront with restaurants and cute shops.
Speaking of politics, I visited the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion in Nashville recently. It is a must-see! Did you know you can take tours? The house and grounds are gorgeous, and there are wonderful family photos of Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy with their family, which makes it a unique experience because they actually live in this home. Again, your political affiliation doesn’t matter. How fun is that to learn about Tennessee history in such an intimate and personal environment?
So, I highly recommend that you give a backyard getaway a gander! You’ll never know what adventures await you and your family.