Visiting Memphis and the west coast of Florida
Graceland, Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, Tenn., the highlight of any trip to the city, first opened for tours on June 7, 1982. (Aug. 2010) Credit: AP
Q I think Memphis could be a fun, long-weekend vacation for me and my husband. But all I know about it is Graceland. What else is fun there? There are a lot of museums, but which ones are actually worth our time?
A You'd definitely want to see the National Civil Rights Museum in the old Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Also check out the Memphis Walk of Fame, which honors the city's many famous musical celebrities. The Stax Museum might be worth a visit, too; it's dedicated to soul music. Or the Sun Studio, where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and other music legends recorded.
Q For Mom's 80th birthday, she'd like to visit the west coast of Florida. We wanted to go to Naples, but I'm having trouble finding a four-star place with space on Martin Luther King Day weekend. Are there other towns with a similar feel?
A Have you looked into Sanibel Island? It's not overdeveloped and is more laid-back than, say, Fort Myers. One downside is that most of the beaches don't have the soft white sand you see in Naples and Fort Myers -- it's coarser and full of shells. But if you weren't planning to take long, barefoot, beach walks, that might not matter to you.
