Visit Memphis for 50th soul anniversary

This is a good year for another vacation built around a music theme, as Memphis celebrates a half-century of soul. The Mississippi River city is also known for blues, rock 'n' roll and the home of Elvis Presley.

Click into Memphis Celebrates Soul — http://www.memphissoul50.com/ — to learn what's going on and why you want to be there. Click on "Music History" and the "Soul Timeline" to see how they're measuring 50 years of soul (beginning with the birth of Stax Records in 1957) and some of the milestones that came before it.

Clicking on "Plan Your Trip" will take you to a link for the official Memphis tourism Web site — http://www.memphistravel.com/visitors.asp — where you can book a room and then get about the business of exploring the city and having a great time. Oh, and click on "Online Coupons" to see what you can use. No matter what time of year you go, the calendar under "Featured Events" should give you ideas for things to see, from the Big Fat Greek Festival in May to the Juneteenth Freedom Festival in June, or the Choctaw Heritage Festival and Elvis Tribute Week, both in August. And if you need some other ideas to organize your visit, click on "Tour & Travel Operators" for sample itineraries, including Food So Good You'll Slap Your Momma, walking tours, and regional attractions.

Since they're counting the 50 years of soul from the founding of Stax, your first stop should be the Stax Museum of American Soul Music — http://www.soulsvilleusa.com/ — full of music exhibits and memorabilia. Turn up the speakers on your computer to hear the music intro, or click the tiny "music off" in the middle of the page. Click on "Explore the Museum" to find the virtual tour. And go to "Plan a Visit" to find the link to the map that where this and other musical attractions are located.

Another Memphis studio claims to be the birthplace of rock 'n' roll. The Sun Studio — http://www.sunstudio.com/ — was where Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins recorded some of their earliest work. You need to click on "Ezine & Links" to find the address (Contact us) and hours and ticket prices (Guided Tour), and a handful of links to music Web sites.

You'll see more by going straight to the Rock 'n' Soul Museum — http://www.memphisrocknsoul.org/ — on the city's famous Beale Street. Click on the TV set for a video, but you need to be using the Internet Explorer Web browser. Then click on "About Rock N Soul" and "Plan a Visit" to learn more.

There's more to see on Beale Street — http://www.bealestreet.com/ — which claims to be the "Home of the Blues, Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll." Today's Beale Street has changed quite a bit, but it still boasts clubs and shops. Click on "If Beale Street Could Talk" for a bit of personal history. About.com has a Memphis Nightlife guide — http://memphis.about.com/od/nightlife/Memphis(dash)Nightlife.htm — to give you a start on finding a place where you can pick up local color.

Admit it, you can't go to Memphis without visiting Graceland. Visit Elvis Presley — http://www.elvis.com/ — to learn about tours of the mansion, open just about every day year around. If there are any details of the King's life you've forgotten, check out "All About Elvis" for details on his life, record, films, quotes, and on and on. And if you can't wait, try out the link to the souvenir store at shopelvis.com; they even advertise Elvis Wine.

Another musical attraction to take in is the Gibson guitar company's Beale Street Showcase — http://www.gibson.com/Products/Places/Showcases/ — where you can see a show, tour the factory and pick out the guitar you've always wanted.