This year's Bike to Work Day is on Friday, May 18. Participating is easy – all you have to do is ride your bike to work. Or, if you aren't going to work on Friday, just ride your bike somewhere.

Here are a few things to know before you bike to work:

- Memphis has added tons of bike lanes to city streets, so if you're a newbie commuter, check out this bike lane map to plan your route.

- If your commute is too long to do solely on your bike, MATA is offering free rides to cylists on Friday. They've got bike racks on all of their fixed-route buses. Here's how to use them: 

- Your entire office can get involved in Bike to Work Day, especially if you live downtown. The Downtown Memphis Commission is having a contest to see which company has the highest participation in Bike to Work Day.

- Stash a change of clothes for work in your bag and don't forget to wear a helmet. You'll need your brains when you get to the office.

Here's what you need to know about redevelopments at the Chisca and Overton Square, bike sharing programs, the St. Jude half marathon and making your own barbecue sauce at home:

- One of the things that's impressed me most about Minneapolis is that they've got these sweet rental bikes that you swipe a credit card to unlock, then ride and drop off at another rental location. They're cheap, they're widely used, and they would be a great addition to Memphis. The good news is that there's a meeting on Tuesday to talk about the possiblity of implementing a bike sharing program in Memphis.

- In development news, the city council voted to give initial funding approval to the redevelopment of the Hotel Chisca on S. Main Street, and Loeb has announced more of their plans for Overton Square.

- If you were planning to run the St. Jude Half Marathon in December, but haven't registered yet, you might want to go ahead and train for the whole thing (or become a St. Jude Hero) – this year's half marathon sold out in record time.

- Even if you're not on a barbeuce fest cooking team, here's how to make Memphis-style barbecue sauce at home.

- Also, it's about time you came back to Memphis. To encourage you, my office (the Visitor's Bureau) is giving away a dream vacation (including hotel stay, tickets to Redbirds, the Zoo, Riverboats and the Brooks, dinner and gas money). Enter to win here.

- As always, if you've ever got anything you'd like to see in this space – a news blurb, a new restaurant, a favorite place, whatever – all you have to do is let me know about it.

For two night every year, the Memphis Zoo opens late one night for a huge beer tasting. You grab a tiny cup and a map and wander through the zoo, sampling craft and hard-to-find beers from around the world. There are usually more than 100 different beers available, so it's easy to find new favorites.

There's also live music, food for purchase and a VIP area (in the dinosaur exhibit). Sadly, you won't be able to see any of the animals in their habitats, save for the ones that don't go inside at night (like the flamingoes).

Don't let the tiny cup fool you – it's entirely possible to get a little (or a lot) tipsy at Zoo Brew. You can sample as many beers as you want as often as you want, so it would be smart to either walk to the park or arrange for a designated driver or cab.

This year's Zoo Brew is happening on Friday, May 25th from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. You must be 21 to attend and you need to buy your ticket in advance.

Go there:

Zoo Brew at the Memphis Zoo

Friday, May 25th
7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
$35 non-members / $30 Zoo members

If you don't already do that last one, you're about to: assignment #135 in the 365 Things to Do in Memphis is to grab a snack at the Peanut Shoppe.

The shop, which has been open downtown since 1949, is owned by the wondertwins of friendliness, Ridda and his wife Ameerah. They're the sort of people that have the capacity to remember everyone's names and faces and stories, no matter how infrequently they see you.

The shop is long and narrow (expect to have to squeeze around downtown office types taking mid-afternoon breaks), with mirrors on one side and candy, chocolate and nuts on the other. The nuts are roasted in the store, so the whole places smells warm and nutty.

As for what to order, you can't go wrong with a quarter pound of some kind of chocolate (I like the malted milk balls) and a quarter pound of some kind of salted nut (I usually choose pistachios or almonds). Both are great alone, but if you have them mixed in the same bag, they're even better.

If you're into something a little more (ok, a lot more) decadent, get the chocolate toffee covered pecans. They're nuts, covered in toffee, covered in a thick layer of chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar.

The Peanut Shoppe is open Monday – Friday from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. (or sometimes, later). They accept cards, but only on orders of more than $10, so do the nice thing and take something back to the office.

Go there:

The Peanut Shoppe

24 S. Main
Memphis, Tenn. 38103
(901) 525-1115

This is what the Mississippi River looks like from Minneapolis:

Weird, right? Especially when you've spent most of your life living next to the other end of the same river, the end that looks like this:

Like eating barbecue in Texas, standing on the bridge overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis feels just a little bit wrong. At its northern end, the river is beautiful, all blue and smooth and narrow. It looks manageable and tame, like a kinder, friendlier, more polite version of the end that I'm used to, the end where that water has merged with other water to carve wider swaths until it becomes the huge storied expanse of fast-moving, blue-brown muck.

As a Southerner, I feel a little trite talking about the Mississippi River. I didn't grow up with a love of Mark Twain, I grew up staring at the thing. Instead of dreaming of riding the river on a raft, I was more skeptical, knowing that it was full of giant catfish, whole trees pretending to be driftwood and killer currents; knowing that if one were to fall in, it would be a very bad time, indeed.

And even though I've seen the other end of the Mississippi and know that it stretches the length of the country, I can't help but think of it as a southern river.

The fact that the Mississippi River can have ice chunks in it is just entirely too weird.

- Alas, poor Grizzlies. No ammount of towel waving and believing could save us. That said, it was a great season (and playoff series). And there's always next year. What I said last year is still true – I'm not going to stop believing in Memphis.

- If you've always wanted to meet Lisa Marie Presley (Elvis' daughter), tonight's your chance – she's signing copies of her new record, "Storm and Grace" at Sun Studio tonight at 7 p.m.

- Speaking of Elvis, the Brooks Museum of Art is accepting submissions for their Elvis art contest.

- Those crazy Memphis Yelpers are at it again, and this time, they're making a list of the 100 Places to Go in Memphis.

- It's not just going to be a Bass Pro – now the plans for the Pyramid include a three-story hotel (and more massive water features).

- If you've ever wondered what the houses of notable local architects look like, the Business Journal has photos.

Assignment #134 in the 365 Things to Do in Memphis is to sample the noble Pronto Pup, Memphis' favorite food on a stick.

I'm not sure what it is that makes a Pronto Pup way better than a normal corndog. The breading seems to be a little thicker, the hot dog seems to be a little better, and the nice people at the stands use a brush to liberally apply a coat of mustard to the Pup's outer shell.

Or it could be because Pronto Pups have such a place in local history -  the Andreini family has been serving their specially breaded hot dogs on sticks in Memphis since 1940.

The easiest way to try a Pronto Pup is to go to a local festival (think World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Cooper Young Fest or the FedEx St. Jude Classic) and look for the yellow booths.

You don't have to be some kind of a big deal to do it, either – anyone can record at Sun Studio for a fee. They've got a recording engineer (Matt Ross-Spang) who will capture your session on vintage equipment.

I did it last year, and while it was a little bit awkward, I had a complete blast.

If you want to see what recording at Sun is like, there's plenty of video of bands playing in Sun’s hallowed  studio on the Sun Sessions page. If you’d like to tour the studio and museum, it’s open daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Go there:

Sun Studio

706 Union Ave
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
(901) 521-0664

 Assignment #132 is to pretend to be a little kid again at Sky Zone (just go easy on the flips).

Sky Zone is a giant warehouse full of trampolines. There's a giant trampoline divided into individual jumping squares with a trampoline sides (so you can bounce off of the walls). There's a foam pit that you can flip into after bouncing down a little trampoline runway. There are basketball courts that allow even those of us who are 5 feet tall to dunk and dodgeball courts for team sports.

It's really, really fun. A little silly, very tiring, but super fun. I never worked up the nerve to flip into the foam pit (I stuck with regular jumps), but I did manage to sucessfully hurl myself at the trampoline walls.

You rent time at Sky Zone for anywhere from half an hour ($10) to two hours ($25). An hour is probably plenty for most people – jumping on a trampoline is way more exhausting than I remembered it to be. I was fine for about half an hour, but I definitely wouldn't have made it 90 minutes. If you've got a pack of kids you need to exhaust, though, Sky Zone is the place.

Before you go to Sky Zone, especially if you're going when school is out, reserve your jump time online. If unstructrured bouncing isn't your thing, they offer fitness classes and dodgeball tournaments.

Go there:

Sky Zone

1. Memphis Greek Festival, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, May 11 and 12, $15

The annual Memphis Greek Festival will make you say opa! Though the Festival includes Greek culture exhibits, dancing, sanctuary tours and youth olympics, those who go every year will tell you that the food is the main event. If you can't stay, take a trip through the drive through for dinner.

2. Grizzlies Game 6 Watch Party, FedExForum, Friday, 8 p.m., free

Tonight's playoff game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Lob City Floppers is in L.A., but you can pretend like it's in Memphis at the Grizzlies' official watch party at FedExForum. Grizz will be there, as will the Grizz Girls and the Claw Crew, and you'll be watching the game in the company of other towel-waving fans -  basically, it's just like a Grizzlies home game, minus the players. Parking is free in the Toyota garage.

3. Hattiloo Black Arts Festival, Overton Park, Saturday, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m., free

Hattiloo, Memphis' Black repertory theatre, is bringing African American artists together in Overton Park on Saturday for live theatre, music and dance performances. The festival is family friendly and free and will run from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m.

4. Zombie Prom, P&H Cafe, Saturday, 9 p.m., $7

It's prom season, and for adults (especially ones who like things that are a little silly), there's an annul prom at the P&H Cafe. This year, it's Zombie themed, so come in your undead best for a chance to be crowned prom king or queen. They'll have a prom photos, punch and don't be shy – everyone else will be dressed up.

5. Take your mom out for Mother's Day, Sunday, all day, free-ish

If your mom hasn't been dropping major hints, Sunday, May 13 is Mother's Day. Make brunch reservations at the Brooks, Summit, Botanic Gardens, Peabody Hotel, take her to a museum or shopping in the afternoon, and buy her some flowers. If the Grizz make it to Game 7, watch the game with her. Treat your mother right.

If none of these events are your thing, there are always more on the blog's calendar. There's also a bonus 6th Thing to Do This Weekend on Tumblr. No matter what you do this weekend, I hope that you have a blast.