We decided this year that since we don't live close to family that celebrating birthdays would become a nuclear family thing. Thor really wanted to see Killer Whales and Baleigh wanted to see Giant Pandas. Pandas are only located in three zoos in the US. SanDiego, Atlanta, and Memphis. So Memphis won because it was the closest, and Jake and I have wanted to go there for almost a decade.
We went over Veteran's Day weekend since I had 4 days off. I had been in the field for 11 days before that so it was nice to spend some quality time with my family. We headed out on Friday morning not knowing exactly where we were going to stop and a loose plan that we would get to Memphis around 9PM. We stopped for a great lunch in a little town in Arkansas(my first time in Arkansas BTW). The Bodacious BBQ was just that BODACIOUS! We weren't sure what to expect but it was amazing. In fact it was so filling that we didn't actually make it around to eating again until the next morning! I would say it it the second best BBQ place I have ever been too and we have been to alot of places in the past couple of years.
We made it to Memphis around 8:30PM and drove down to Beale St. The best way I can describe it is its like an old down town area that has a bunch of shops and bars on it. It is closed off to traffic at night and so we took the kids for a walk down it. Baleigh was in her own little word -skipping along with her hands in her pockets. So cute. We saw horse drawn carriages and Thor wanted a ride so badly. Baleigh however was reluctant. One guy told her she could sit in his carriage and see if she liked it- she got in and immediately said "I'm just like a princess"?! And that was that. We took a 45 minute ride around what looks like a really beautiful city. Our guide told us about the typical things that tourists do and then gave us the 411 on where to go and what to do with two toddlers. His first suggestion was the Zoo which we were going to anyway but he also advised us against spending a hefty amount on Graceland admission. He said you can get a good look at the mansion without actually going in and that the kids would most likely be really disinterested in what there was there. Kind of disheartening but good to know.
Zoo day dawned bright and beautiful! We grabbed a quick breakfast of muffins in the hotel lobby and raced to the zoo. We were the second car in the parking lot -even after getting a bit disoriented - not lost. I take full responsibility for that as the navigator. The zoo did not disappoint. All the animals were very active and the exhibits are designed in such a way that there is no bad vantage point. Each animal is in an area that is surrounded by buildings that look like they would be found in the area they are from as well as vegetation that is native to their home.We saved the best for last - Le Le and Ya Ya - the Giant Pandas. Baleigh was SO excited to finally get to see them. She ran back and forth to their enclosures trying to get as close as she could.
We made a pit stop in the China Gift Shop. Here she chose a baby Le Le of her very own and a hat and t-shirt to commemorate the trip. She couldn't have been happier.
We had not eaten all day so we headed to a famous BBQ place on the other side of the city. However, when we got there we discovered that it was only open from 4 PM to 3 AM. So we opted to go to the Neeley's (a couple who has a show on food network). Gotta say - worst dining experience/food EVER! : ) I guess we should have read the reviews because of the 100+ on the site I checked out afterward there was not a single positive review.
On that note we headed back to Texas. We had thought that we would stop around the Texas/Arkansas state line but by then the kids and I were sleeping and our amazing pilot drove us home getting us there at midnight. It was so nice to sleep in our own beds and still have two days off before heading back to work. We loved Memphis overall, and Graceland will still be there next visit.
Memphis Bound!
Pink Panda Cupcakes - as requested
Looks and sounds like a fun family trip! It's always nice to get to do something special and different!
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