When we originally planned this trip we were going to stay only one day before moving along to Nashville, but that was before we selected our hotel. It has a spa, so we decided we’d need a little break at this point in the trip and made it a two night affair. It was definitely the nicest of the places we stayed, the most quiet, and the friendliest. We made three friends on the first night and two on the second. I think it took us over a year to make that many friends in the town we live in now. We are both in agreement that we want to return here and experience a little more of the downtown area we’ve been told is lively, and maybe experience some of the annual W.C. Handy festival.
Where we slept:
Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa: If you’re an elite member, stop by the concierge lounge and say hello to Tommy. He’s very friendly and has some great stories. The reception hour food is more meal than appetizer. One night they served chicken breasts that were so big they could have filled a quarter bucket of KFC. They sure were tasty. The bands they book at Swampers are so good that you never really need to go to the other bars in town. We opted to stay in both nights. Their shuttle driver will take you to town, but it stops running at 10. If you want to stay past that time you’ll have to rely on the kindness of strangers to get you back to the hotel. There aren’t any ride services yet, though we heard from one of the bartenders that they’re supposed to have one by this summer. We went to their spa our first day. They happened to have an opening for a manicure, which was $60 + $15 to remove what was left of my previous one. My husband got a massage the next day for $125. He said it was worth the money. I did laundry while he was getting his massage. The machines are conveniently located across from the gym so I was able to ride a bike while things were washing and run while things were drying.
Where we ate/drank:
360 Grille: We were told that the food here was great, but since we had already had our five star meal of the trip in Memphis, we opted to just have a sunset cocktail at the bar. The martini was fantastic, and it was pretty cool to sit and watch the sunset and the outer ring rotate. It goes so slowly that we never did see the same people twice in the time it took to leisurely drink our cocktails. It takes a little while to reach the top, so make sure you use the restroom before getting on the elevator.
Swampers Bar & Grille: We came here both nights we stayed at the hotel. We didn’t intend to be here the second night, but figured why drive to town when we can drink away and not have to worry about driving back to our room. Both times we had no problem getting a seat at the bar, both times we were waited on by friendly and competent bartenders, and both times we made friends with the people seated around us. I think that latter was more about being in the south than about us.
River Bottom Grill: We had just finished our morning of touring the record studios and W.C. Handy museum and were wanting to eat something local. The weather was finally warming up and there was a little sun in the sky so we looked for a place without outdoor dining and discovered River Bottom. We sat on the top deck with a few other groups of like minded diners and watched people fishing off the docks while eating our flats. I got the shrimp and my husband got the club. Both were so hearty that by dinner time we still weren’t hungry.
What we did:
W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum & Library: We were greeted at the door by the curator, who offered to let us see it on our own or have a guided tour. We opted for the guided tour. It was much more personal and she told us things we wouldn’t have picked up just by reading the materials. The tour itself didn’t take long, but we spent additional time looking at the artifacts and browsing the library.
F.A.M.E. Recording Studio: When we first started looking at a blues road trip I added this to our “must see” list, and then when we visited Stax in Mempis it reinforced that we needed to tour this studio. The two things that surprised me the most was how low the cost was to tour ($10/pp), and how small and cluttered it was. Granted, the only studios I’ve ever seen are on TV and in the movies, and they always look clean and bright and have all the latest in technology. What really blew me away, though, is the age of the Swampers when they first started playing on hit records and they kept on doing it record after record. What really would have made this tour even better was if they had a loop of the hits playing in the background.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: We came over here immediately after visiting the FAME studio. It seemed only fitting that we did it in that order. I loved the way the photos were placed near where they related to the instruments and the stories on the tour. The little lounge area must have heard and seen some stories in its day, as did the “secret” underground hangout.
