For Erika · Memphis · September 6–13, 2026
Ainsley taught us yoga in Dallas, and we still practice the 90-minute class she recorded for us in 2020. If she lives in Memphis now and wants to teach us in person, the week has a personal center. Around that, we paddle, hike, eat well, hear music, and leave the afternoons open.
Why Memphis
Ainsley gives us a personal reason to consider Memphis. Shelby Farms and Meeman-Shelby Forest give us two active mornings, while the city supplies music, food, and easy evenings. The immediate decision is lodging because the linked lake house is unavailable for the September 6–13 working window.
Use the Airbnb as a reference for what we want: water, a deck, a kitchen, and privacy. Once Ainsley replies, we can choose an available home for the dates that work.
Seven nights, Sunday to Sunday.
Dale and Erika.
One paddle, one forest hike.
No flight, stay, class, or activity.
Recommended path
We keep the full birthday week and find a home made for two, unless this exact lake setting turns out to be worth changing the calendar.
If we love this house
Airbnb showed six nights at $2,774 before taxes on Aug 10. Because it sleeps ten, we would be paying for the decks, the lake, and the privacy rather than the bedrooms.
The home-base idea
The Lake Windermere house makes the trip easy to picture: breakfast on the deck, room to stretch, a fire after dinner, and water outside the window. It also has four bedrooms, nine beds, and three baths. That is a lot of house for two people.
Live snapshot · Aug 10, 2026
The listing showed a 4.98 rating from 169 reviews, Superhost status, and Airbnb's “Top 5% of homes” label.
We would pay for space we do not need, the exact address stays private until booking, and the host would have to approve any yoga session at the house. The price and availability are only a snapshot; nothing is being held.
How the week could feel
This is the pace I have in mind, not a schedule we have to obey. We do one worthwhile thing early, get out of the heat, and leave enough room for a nap, a long meal, or a change of plans. Friday stays open for weather or for anything we want more time to enjoy.
Fly or drive in, collect the car if we need one, buy groceries, and settle in. Dinner and a sunset are enough for the first night.
Arrival and lodging remain open
Cross the Mississippi on Big River Crossing before the heat builds. Spend the afternoon around South Main, with one indoor museum if the Labor Day hours work.
Bridge is open daily · museum hours need recheck
If she is available, this is the morning we build around her. Afterward we find lunch in Cooper-Young, wander through Midtown, and decide between live music and dinner around Overton Square.
Invitation sent · reply, location, and format pending
Take an early kayak onto Hyde Lake at Shelby Farms. If we still feel good, walk the 2.34-mile lake loop. Then lunch, a shower, and a completely unproductive afternoon.
Rental calendar, price, and weather need recheck
Start with the 2.57-mile Pioneer Springs Trail at Meeman-Shelby Forest. Add Chickasaw Bluff only if the weather is kind and we genuinely want another 3.54 miles.
Trail condition and forecast check required
Sleep in, take a short walk on the Wolf River Greenway, or move a rain-delayed outing here. If Shelby Farms confirms its Friday evening Canoes + Cocktails paddle for this date, that becomes the sunset plan.
Exact event date and tickets are unconfirmed
The Southern Heritage Classic brings tailgating, marching bands, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff versus Alcorn State. We go if that sounds like our kind of day. If not, the house and local music are a good Saturday too.
Official date confirmed · participation and tickets open
Coffee, a short mobility session, pack, and head home. We do not need to squeeze in one last attraction.
Departure time open
The active part
The week includes a Hyde Lake paddle, a wooded state-park trail, and a nearly one-mile walk across the Mississippi. The six-hour Ghost River paddle is more demanding, so it stays off this itinerary.
Shelby Farms rents kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards during spring and summer. The park pauses rentals for lightning or prohibitive winds and can reschedule weather cancellations.
Shelby Farms Park · checked Aug 10Tennessee State Parks lists Pioneer Springs at 2.57 miles and Chickasaw Bluff at 3.54 miles, both in good condition in the current management plan. The shorter trail is the base plan.
State park plan · checked Aug 10Big River Crossing is nearly a mile long, free, and open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. This is the shorter riverfront walk; the longer forest hike is at Meeman-Shelby Forest.
Big River Crossing · checked Aug 10The Wolf River Conservancy describes the six-hour paddle as moderately strenuous and says inexperienced paddlers need a guide. It could be a great day, but only after confirming the guide, shuttle, equipment, water level, and weather.
The reason Memphis feels personal
She taught us yoga in Dallas, and we still use the 90-minute Bikram sequence she recorded for us in 2020 almost every day. We invited her to lead that class in person and spend time with us on posture and alignment. Her reply is pending.
Mind/Body HAUS is a Midtown Memphis yoga studio. Its public archive identifies Ainsley Beasley as a teacher for a meditation module, although its current faculty carousel does not list her. That confirms a past Memphis connection, but not where she lives now or whether she is available.
Weather + getting there
Early September still feels like summer, so the active outings happen before lunch and Friday remains available for rain or heat. The itinerary reaches downtown, Midtown, Shelby Farms, and Shelby Forest. A car is the practical default; we can bring ours or fly and rent one.
National Weather Service 1991–2020 normals. Daily normals for Sep 6–7 are 89°F highs and 69°F lows. These are planning conditions, not a forecast.
Dallas → Memphis · Tesla summer plan
Tesla's official planner routed a Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive with a listed 321-mile range from Dallas to Memphis. Starting at 100% and targeting a 10% arrival, it showed two charging stops and 39 minutes of charging.
The first stop on Tesla's summer route from a full Dallas departure.
The final road stop reaches Memphis at the 10% target.
Tesla also showed a Supercharger at Poplar Plaza and a destination charger at The Memphian in Memphis. The exact car, starting point, battery condition, speed, traffic, weather, and starting charge will change the plan, so the in-car route needs a fresh check before departure.
Memphis International lists Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on American and Dallas Love Field on Southwest. Exact Sep 6–13 schedules and fares still need pricing.
Downtown, Midtown, Shelby Farms, and Shelby Forest are all in the proposal, so a car is the working plan. The lodging address remains private until booking.
The Tesla charging cost, exact flight-plus-rental total, and comparable Sep 6–13 lodging total still need pricing.
What we choose next
First, decide whether September 6–13 is fixed. Second, choose between a home beside the water and a base closer to our Midtown and downtown days. Ainsley's reply may affect both. With those answers, we can compare exact lodging and travel totals.
If yes, replace the house. If no, compare Sep 8–14 after Ainsley answers.
Should the house itself be part of the experience, or should the base sit closer to our Midtown and downtown days?
Her reply will tell us whether Memphis, these dates, and a private session fit her life now.
Keep Sep 6–13, wait for Ainsley's reply, and find an available home for two with either water outside or easy access to Midtown. Keep the linked Airbnb as our picture of the feeling we want.
What I checked
The house, prices, schedules, rentals, event dates, trail conditions, and weather can all change. We will check them again before spending anything. Nothing is reserved or being held. Ainsley has the invitation; her reply is pending.