Wine and Spirits Travel

My trip to Memphis with my friends was a very full one, and we were enjoying it all. On day three, we were up bright and early to pack up and check out of the Madison Hotel . We had enjoyed our stay, but we’d be checking into Big Cypress Lodge in the afternoon for a completely different atmosphere. My breakfast stop with Brittany, Angela, and Kylie had a very familiar name, Frost Bake Shop . Ironically, it was not a relative and not anyone’s name (it’s owned by the Kloos family), it was a play on words for “frosting.” Although the bakery was a bit out of the city, I had received a tip that it was well worth the trip and it certainly was. Frost Bake Shop provides cheesecakes to William Sonoma and also makes cupcakes, pies, and other baked goods that are loved all over Memphis . We were able to sample all types of goodies, including their top sellers – Gooey Butter Cookies and the Memphis Cream Cupcake. I didn’t leave without also tasting the delicious

We had a full schedule for day two in Memphis and we were up early at the Madison Hotel to get started. I headed downstairs with my friends Angela, Kylie, and Brittany to the Eighty3 Restaurant in the hotel for breakfast.  The menu had many choices, but we all focused on one – the Elvis Waffles. It’s no secret that Elvis Presley liked peanut butter and bananas, especially not in his hometown of Memphis Eighty3 had the waffles bearing his name done to perfection, with a whipped peanut butter and marshmallow sauce, fresh sliced bananas, and Applewood bacon. After we ate all we possibly could we drove to Memphis’ most famous attraction, Graceland . The former home of Elvis Presley is more like a city than an estate. The “King” made quite a home for himself and his former wife, Priscilla Presley, and daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, have definitely maintained it as quite the attraction. Now, this is the place I make a confession… I was never an Elvis

I had been to Memphis, Tennessee , once before for a brief trip. I didn’t get to see much. When I had the opportunity to go back and spend four days, I couldn’t wait. It’s only about a five-hour drive to Memphis from here.  I left early with my friends Angela, Kylie, and Brittany for jam-packed girls getaway. They hadn’t spent much time in Memphis either and we were all anxious to arrive. The one thing that became abundantly clear to me when looking at the itinerary is the vast difference between Memphis and Nashville, though the two cities are not that far apart. The difference is in the music that was started: country for Nashville; rock, soul, and blues in Memphis! . We would be dividing our stay between two hotels and our first was the Madison Hotel . The Madison Memphis is a beautiful modern hotel that we enjoyed exploring, but the definite highlight for us at the Madison were the elevators. We had fun during the rides checking out all the album covers

My friend Lisa and I started our morning with a room service breakfast at the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton . I had the Michigan Cherry Bread French and she chose the Eggs Benedict. Both were excellent. After breakfast, we headed to Founders Brewing Co. for a tour and tasting. It was pouring rain so we decided to take an Uber. I didn’t know too much about this place before we arrived, but left with a lot of knowledge and a very positive experience. From the outside, the building could blend into the neighborhood. Inside, Founders Brewing was massive, new, and modern, even though they are working on yet another expansion. The history of Founders Brewery only goes back a few decades, but it’s rise in its industry came swiftly and has continued to flourish. The tour is definitely worth it to learn more about it. I have never seen such a clean and detail oriented brewery. It has been set up so that everything could be done to make quality