The AHTC Goes to Memphis! Part II

Wednesday, June 23^rd was a very full day for AHTC teachers in Memphis. The morning started with a self-guided audio tour of the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum begins with a timeline that started in 1619 and continues to present day. Teachers could board a bus and sit next to a replica of Rosa Parks, experiencing firsthand what it might feel like to be yelled at by the driver to move back. The tour also included walking through the room of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent his last day, as well as a trip through the boarding house where James Earl Ray stayed during his time in Memphis. The National Civil Rights Museum was an especially powerful part of our time in Memphis. During the long lunch break at the Arcade Restaurant, many teachers opted to return to the museum for further discovery.

Following lunch, the group boarded the motor coach and headed to the corner of McLemore and College – the home of Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum represents the Memphis sound in the 1960s when rock and roll was starting. Stax Records launched the careers of dozens of famous soul and rock artists, notably Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MG’s, and Sam & Dave, among others. Teachers were able to watch videos of performances and interviews by the Stax artists and see everything from Tina Turner’s gold sequined stage costume to Isaac Hayes’ peacock-blue 1972 Superfly Cadillac El Dorado.

About 2 miles away from Stax is the recording home of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and, of course, Elvis Presley: Sun Studios. The room above the gift shop shares a visual history of the most active years at Sun Studios. Our tour guide, Cora, gave a great overview of the history of Sun Studios and the Memphis Recording Service, sharing stories of Elvis lying to get his first record made and the night the “Million Dollar Quartet” jammed in the studio. Down in the still-active recording studio, we were surrounded by instruments and pictures of artists who have recorded in Sun Studios over the years. Not only were photographs of the studio allowed, they were encouraged by our tour guide. Our teachers got to ham it up for the cameras, and AHTC Travel Coordinator Cynthia Logsdon even got in on the action!

Wednesday was an exhausting day, but many of us still took the time to watch the afternoon Peabody Hotel Duck March.

After spending most of Tuesday and Wednesday on a motor coach or in air-conditioned museums, Thursday was the first time we felt like true Memphians – hot and sweaty. According to the National Weather Service, our tough teachers endured a morning of weather that was sunny, 97 degrees, and 79% humid. We began the morning with a tour of the historic Peabody Hotel, led by Peabody Duckmaster Jason Sensat. He showed us the Memorabilia Room, the Francis Scott Key Piano, and of course, the Duck Palace.

Our trip to Mud Island River Park and Mississippi River Museum included a trip on the monorail made famous by Tom Cruise in the movie The Firm and a guided tour of key places along the lower portion of the river during the Civil War, as well as trip through the Mississippi River Museum. A welcome activity for many of our teachers was the opportunity to splash around in the replica of the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the tour.

Thursday afternoon, teachers were given the chance to explore Memphis on their own. Teachers visited places like the Memphis Zoo, the Gibson Guitar Factory, the Memphis Rock n Soul Museum. After the various adventures around the city, we all sat down to one last meal together at Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous where teachers enjoyed chicken or Memphis-style ribs.

The AHTC would like to thank our wonderful teachers who made the trip such a fun and educational event. Thank you especially to AHTC Travel Coordinator Cynthia Logsdon for planning such an incredible trip for everyone!