A Tour Of Possibilities

Carolyn Michael Banks

The Memphis Skyline

Beale Street, Memphis

Mississippi River

Mississippi River

Mississippi River

Blues Musician

Lorainne Motel

Tom Lee

Mississippi River

Slave Haven

Rosa Parks

Pridefully driving around Memphis, bragging on all things great that derive from the Bluff City, Carolyn Michael-Banks, founder of A Tour of Possibilities in Memphis, Tn. gives black history-focused tours. 

With blues playing on her radio, Michael-Banks, also known as Queen, takes visitors to sites of historical and cultural significance to African Americans.

She highlights the best things about our city.  But Queen does not sugarcoat the history.

Driving along Riverside drive, touting the majestic Mississippi River, the colorful bridges, the remarkable story of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Pyramid, our amazing musical history and Beale Street, she reminds her guests, “if this body of water could speak, I can only imagine the stories it would tell.” 

Looking over the river, Michael-Banks offers a view of the city from a different vantage point. “On this body of water, two commodities were transported that changed the economy of this area;” she says as her voice tone changes, she pauses “cotton and enslaved people. On this same river, many used to escape slavery as well.”

For two-and-one-half hours, she highlights black owned businesses and the contributions that African Americans have made to make Memphis a such a great and significant city. She boasts about our soul food, blues music and B.B. King, COGIC, Stax, Robert Church and Obama’s visit.

But the guided historical tour also does not hide the darker side of the city’s history including injustice, segregation and racism.

Queen reminds Chicagoans Maryann and Reginald Marsh, touring on this day, that in front of them is the location where Nathan Bedford Forrest once had “Fresh Negro’s For Sale.”  Woven through the ride that includes various wonderful landmarks, magical stories of inspiring people and popular Memphis attractions, she also tells of people who lived in fear of lynchings, of city riots, a civil rights struggle and the Martin Luther King assassination.

There’s no doubt about her love for the city.  What she loves to share most is a sense of hope, optimism and deep respect for the people that came before her, the people like Tom Lee, Rosa Parks, Danny Thomas and Ida B. Wells, “the people who saw things that appeared to be impossible, but made them possible, in spite of.”

That is why she has named her tour A Tour of Possibilities.

By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2024

Holiday Lights In Memphis

The Memphis Zoo and the Memphis Botanic Garden both have holiday light shows through Christmas. Both events are a great place to create holiday rituals and memories with your family.

Both events are outside and allow for social distancing; masks are required.

In the event that you are can’t get out this year due to the pandemic, I am bringing some highlights to you right here! Share it with a child or elderly person in your life.

Enjoy and have a happy holiday!

Karen

The Botanic Garden has their Holiday Wonders at the Garden special exhibit through Dec. 27, 2020. https://www.memphisbotanicgarden.com/Wonders (Video less than one minute)

A holiday light display brightens up the Memphis Zoo https://www.memphiszoo.org/special-events select nights through Jan. 3rd, 2021. A variety of activities including a Ferris wheel, horse drawn carriage rides with hot chocolate and S'Mores, a holiday market and more. Masks are required.

Purchase tickets ahead if possible.

CENTRAL STATION HOTEL OPENS!

Memphis developer Henry Turley and Kemmons Wilson Companies have developed a 105 year old property in the South Main neighborhood of Memphis. Together they renovated and reopened The Central Station, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, this week.

Turley, who is known for developing “livable neighborhoods” said he wanted people who travel into Memphis by train to have a nice place to stay.

The hotel, which will showcase Memphis music, has a Listening Lounge/Bar— Eight and Sand, which contains an expansive collection of curated vinyl records spun by a local DJ.

The location is in the artsy South Main neighborhood of Memphis which hosts a street festival the last Friday of every month called Trolley Night.

The Arcade Restaurant and Earnestine and Hazels, a famous dive bar, and many other bars and eateries are within walking distance of the hotel. Saturday mornings there is a Farmers Market next door spring to fall.

Within a mile guests can visit the National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street, a movie theater, The Orpheum Theater, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, The Blues Hall of Fame, Old Dominick Distillery and many other Memphis attractions.

http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/central-station-memphis

Central Station Rehab, Memphis, Tennessee

We recently got a sneak peek at the inside of Central Station in downtown Memphis. The historic building was once a very rugged and unwelcoming station. It still serves Amtrak but it is now being converted into a Curio hotel, due to open at the end of the summer.

“Curio – A Collection by Hilton is Hilton’s latest brand and will be a carefully selected, global collection of distinctive four and five star hotels that offer travelers local discovery and authentic experiences in key markets. Just as the word “curio” can refer to something of interest, unique or even rare, each Curio hotel will be different from the next, with individuality being a common thread.” Hilton https://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/about/curio.html

Memphis civic treasure and developer Henry Turley, has had a heart and vision for the revitalized South Main area for many years. When the time was right, he called up his buddies and asked them to pitch in.

With the help of Malco President and COO David Tashie, the Malco Powerhouse Cinema Bar and Grill opened in the old powerhouse recently. It is also home to a large-format MXT "Extreme" Theater.

The hotel is inside the historic Central Station and is on Amtrak's City of New Orleans route, which runs from Chicago to New Orleans. Construction is supposed to be completed by August. Henry wants for people who come to town to have a nice place to stay.

The development group includes Henry Turley, Archie Willis and McLean Wilson.

Henry came from very humble beginnings. He is a kind and gentle soul who lavishes his southern hospitality on most everyone he comes into contact with. He has a beautiful, yet simple home, that sits high on the Chickasaw bluffs that over looks the Mississippi River. He loves purple martins and has placed several bird houses around the south main area. A box of soap chips sits in his living room. His family used to save up the used soap chips so that they could make a new bar of soap. He likes to remember from where he came.

“We look for projects that will make Memphis a more livable city” said Henry this week while showing off Central Station and the Powerhouse. Can one man’s vision really make that big of a difference? The Henry Turley Company has heavily contributed to the transformation and livability of downtown Memphis with the development of South Bluffs, Harbor Town, South Main and Uptown.

The renovated Memphis home of the teenage Elvis Presley (which was public housing at the time) has also opened in Uptown. Fans can sleep where Elvis laid his head as a teenager. http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/elvisweek2018

It was hard to get people downtown after Martin Luther King was shot in the nearby Lorraine Motel. http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/civilrightsmuseum But that is not the case anymore.

In spite of all of the construction going on, condo’s downtown Memphis are in short supply. https://dailymemphian.com/article/4572/Downtown-condos-in-short-supply

http://www.henryturley.com/about/

http://www.henryturley.com/new-projects/

https://insidememphisbusiness.com/features/development-henry-turley/

https://dailymemphian.com/article/3595/Powerhouse-Cinema-debuts-with-full-service-restaurant