The day before the memorial was for reconnecting with the Memphis I used to know. With a heavy heart but a full tank of gas, I took a long, quiet drive through my old stomping grounds to see what had changed and what had endured.
I started in the lush, green canopy of Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. The peaceful, sun-dappled roads and quiet water were a welcome contrast to the reason for my visit. From the tranquility of the forest, I drove toward the Mississippi River, to the monuments of steel that define the city's skyline. The bridges—the iconic Hernando de Soto, the workhorse Harahan, the venerable Frisco—are just as massive and impressive as I remember. They feel like constants.
The rest of the city, however, has changed immensely. A search for my old apartment near Overton Square came up empty, a ghost of a memory in a transformed neighborhood. It’s a strange feeling to be a tourist in a town you once called home, but I'm glad I took the day to see these sights again, finding familiar anchors in a river of change.
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| Starting the day with a quiet drive under the green canopy of Shelby Forest |
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| The peaceful roads felt a world away from everything else. |
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| A moment of reflection by the water in the heart of the forest. |
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| The view from the west bank of the Mississippi, with the "Bridge of Lights" and the Pyramid defining the skyline. |
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| The immense Harahan Bridge, carrying I-55 across the Mississippi. |
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| The powerful stone abutment of the Frisco Bridge, built to withstand the force of the river for over a century. |
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| Looking up into the iron heart of the Frisco Bridge —a marvel of industrial-age engineering. |
Wherever the road takes you today, I hope that you can do is appreciate the landmarks that remain.
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