1. The Mississippi River. And how we can walk across it at the Big River Crossing. And now the Mighty Lights on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge (photo at the top of this page) make it even more fun.

Standing on the Tennessee-Arkansas State Line in the middle of the Mississippi River. #BigRiverCrossing opens on Oct. 22. Check out the ILM snapchat (@ilovememblog) for more video!

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Sep 26, 2016 at 2:18pm PDT

2. Public art. From murals to sculptures to installations, artists and their work make our city more beautiful.

Have you seen the new sculpture in @overtonpark? #sculpture #publicart #memphis #overtonpark

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Aug 16, 2016 at 3:54pm PDT

3. Diverse cultures. Memphis is full of people of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and we are better for it.

Meet the dancers of Brazilian samba group @planetaazulchicago! They'll be at @latinomemphis Fest tomorrow with a percussion band (see my last post for a video). So fun to watch, and they'll have a dance and educational workshop as well.

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on May 6, 2016 at 9:55am PDT

4. Giving back. Memphis is one of the most charitable cities in the country, and we have tons of people doing hard work to solve the problems that affect all of us.

A few examples: Volunteer Odyssey's monthly list of ways to volunteer; the criminal justice reform that Just City is entrenched in; inclusive, accessible reproductive healthcare from organizations like CHOICES; LeBonheur's Festival of Trees at the Pink Palace; the St. Jude Memphis Marathon, coming up on Dec. 1. (PLEASE SIGN UP FOR OUR CHEER SECTION SO I DON'T HAVE TO CHEER ALONE.)

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Apr 28, 2016 at 2:31pm PDT

5. Basketball. From Tigers to Grizzlies, there are plenty of games to watch from November 'til late spring and beyond.

GO GRIZZ! It's game day!

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Oct 26, 2016 at 10:44am PDT

6. Our Unbridled Enthusiasm For T-Shirts, Sno-Cones, and Grocery Stores. This speaks for itself.

Dear Jerry's, I Love You. Love, Holly #memphis #snocone #jerryssnocone #softserve #weddingcake #summer #foodintheair #memphissummer #iloveyou #ilovememphis

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Aug 4, 2016 at 12:41pm PDT

7. Hidden gems. Sure, it's a cliche phrase at this point, but Memphis is full of special things that exist only here and are surprisingly and wonderful all at the same time. For example, the Belz Museum is a literal treasure trove of mind-blowing art just hanging out underneath downtown Memphis.

Incredible carvings of bone and ivory. I could spend hours looking at the details of the art at the Belz Museum. #memphis #museums #chineseart #ivory

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Feb 4, 2016 at 12:21pm PST

8. Food. Our cuisine goes way beyond barbecue, is world-famous, and we offer something for every taste. Pictured: the "All American" from Gourmade Food Truck.

#nationalsandwichday huh? The "All American" from @gourmadefoodtruck You've not had a better burger... ... Unless you've had our Patty Melt... Our patty melt is pretty epic.. #bestburgerinmemphis #bestburgerinmemphis #burger #foodporn #food #doublecheeseburger #gft #gftmemphis #foodtruck

A photo posted by Jared Richmond (@gourmadefoodtruck) on Nov 3, 2015 at 9:46am PST

9. Festivals. Memphis boasts dozens of festivals all throughout the year. Many are dedicated to food and/or music, but we also celebrate art, culture, and more.

Memphians love crawfish! #ilovememphis #crawfish #mudbugs #overtonsquare

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Apr 11, 2015 at 3:24pm PDT

10. Sunsets. It's simple (even "basic") but let's be real, not a lot of cities can boast such a display of sun, colors, sky, and river.

Sunday sunset from yesterday. Memphis, you're pretty. #sunset

A photo posted by Holly Whitfield (@ilovememphisblog) on Jul 25, 2016 at 4:13pm PDT

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What are you thankful for in Memphis this year? Leave your answer in the comments.

Originally posted 2016. Updated 2018.