Today is the third day of Venise and Belinda’s Nashville Adventure! We are in Memphis to celebrate my cousin Daniel Malone’s wedding. We left our husbands at home but are here with the Malone family, our cousin Casey and Aunt Diane and Aunt Deidre and her boyfriend Denis. We will be in Memphis with family through the weekend and then Belinda and I are taking off on a Tennesse road trip through Thusday. We have a very vague plan, but are hoping the road speaks to us and leads us to some good times and great memories. I am hoping that I will be able to blog throughout the trip so that I can take y’all with us!
Day One: Airport, Babies and Family Dinner
Aunt Donna lives in what can only be described as Pleasantville. They have a beautiful home in a gorgeous neighborhood where each home is adorned with a fall themed decorative wreath. We spent our first afternoon catching up with family, meeting our adorable second cousins Walter and James and grubbing on some delicious cheese and crackers. Later in the evening we went to the bride’s father’s house for some amazing BBQ and good times. In addition to some great food, the bride’s father introduced me to one of the fanciest toilets I have ever met. Complete with heated seats, front and rear cleansing options and a blow dryer this toilet was a place to sit and stay a while 
I can now confidently say that I prefer toilet paper, but I am not going to lie, I wouldn’t mind having a heated seat at my place!
Day Two: Walking in Memphis
One of Memphis’ claim to fame is Sun Studios the birthplace of Rock and Roll. Sun Studios was opened by Sam Phillips in 1950 and has recorded some incredibly famous artists including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers, Ray Harris, Warren Smith, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis. It was in Sun Studios that the million dollar quartet jam session was recorded which was discovered and released in 1981 and again in 1990 (below picture). We took the tour which was very fun and full of cool history. The studio is still a working studio where famous musicians continue to book sessions. My favorite piece of trivia I learned is that the Sun Studios secretary Marion Keisker was first person to ever record Elvis Presley when he was 18 years old and looking to record a song for his mother. It was also Marion who encouraged Sam to sign him on the Sun Studio label.
In the evening we met the rest of the family and wedding party for the rehearsal dinner that my Aunt Donna and Uncle Mike hosted at the Cotton Museum in downtoan Memphis. The museum is located in the cotton exchange building. While wineing and dining with family we learned a lot about the history of cotton and influence it has had in American culture.
We finished the night off on Beale Street, which can best be described as the Vegas Strip of Memphis. Beale Street is famous for the blues bars, but by the time we had arrived the scene had switched from blues to karaokee and dance favorites. Of course, Belinda got on the stage at Flynns Bar and was a big hit with her version of Merinda Lambert’s Gun Powder and Lead. I have heard rumor that there is a bar with goats on Beale Street that we didn’t get to go to so I have a feeling we will make a repeat trip to Beale Street before we leave.
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