Crew Cuts
Take a tour of Memphis
with AirTran Airways’
Christopher Martin.
AirTran Airways Customer Service Supervisor Chris Martin moved to Memphis just two years ago, but has already fallen in love with the city. He adores Memphians’ friendliness—it is in the South, after all—and has taken advantage of all the city has to offer. Here are a few of his favorite attractions in his adopted hometown:
ANIMAL PLANET
While the five Mallard ducks that swim in The Peabody hotel’s lobby fountain (www.peabodymemphis.com) are a Memphis must-see, Martin does most ofhis animal watching at the Memphis Zoo (www.memphiszoo.org).
“When the weather is nice, we’ll go twice a month,” Martin says. “They’ve also got a nice children’s petting zoo with kiddie rides.” The Memphis Zoo is one of four US zoos that have giant panda bears—Le Le and Ya Ya—one of the most-treasured endangered species. It’s the polar bears, however, that have captured Martin’s three-year-old son’s heart. His son’s favorite polar bear is five-year-old Cranbeary, who has been recovering well after breaking a leg in a February fall
CAR TALK
Martin is a big fan of auto racing and says the Memphis Motorsports Park (www.memphismotorsports.com) is the perfect place to see NASCAR events. “I’ve probably been to 10 different tracks around the country. The one in Memphis is laid out really well,” Martin says. “It’s fan-friendly, and the seating is good. You can see the entire track.” His family went to see the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last summer and the NASCAR Busch Series in October.
Le Le the giant panda AROUND TOWN
For exercise, Martin likes to practice his swing at T.O. Fuller State Park’s golf course (www.tngolftrail.net). “It’s not that hard of a course,” he says. “But I’m not that good of a golfer, so it makes it better for me.”
And though Memphis is famous for its barbecue—NBA fans can even order barbecue nachos at Grizzlies games (www.nba.com/grizzlies) —Martin’s favorite restaurant is Memphis’ premier steak house, Folk’s Folly (www.folksfolly.com), especially when it comes to picking a restaurant for a birthday celebration
HOUSE OF BLUES
Memphis is known to many as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, and visitors often want to take tours of Graceland, Elvis’ mansion (www.elvis.com) and Sun Studio (www.sunstudio.com), where “The King” recorded his first tracks. Carl Perkins, Ike Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and even U2 also recorded at Sun. Another must-visit is the world-famous Beale Street (www.bealestreet.com), which Martin calls a “mini Bourbon
Street.” —Ramona Michaels