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soul-music artifacts on the site of the old Stax recording studio. 901-946-2535; www.staxmuseum.com; 926 E McLemore Ave, Memphis; adult/child $10/7; 9am-4pm Mon-Sat, from 1pm Sun;

Sun Studio

Elvis, Roy Orbison and others got their start at this tiny studio. Tours are run every hour on the half-hour. 901-521-0664; www.sunstudio.com; 706 Union Ave, Memphis; adult/child $10/free; 10am-6pm

WC Handy House Museum

Visit the shotgun shack home of the “Father of the Blues.” 901-522-1556; 352 Beale St, Memphis; adult/child $3/2; 11am-4pm Tue-Sat, later in summer

DRINK

Black Diamond

Hidden in plain sight in the middle of Beale, this cozy pub has cold beer and hoppin’ live music. 901-521-0800; 153 Beale St, Memphis; 6pm-late

Earnestine & Hazel’s

This brothel-turned-bar is filthy, dark and totally awesome. Have a “soul burger” and a warm Miller and put some coins in the jukebox. 901-523-9754; 531 S Main St, Memphis; 5pm-late

Rum Boogie

Get your party on at this noisy Cajun-themed restaurant and nightclub. 901-528-0150; www.rumboogie.com; 182 Beale St, Memphis; 11am-2am

Silky O’Sullivans

This huge tavern specializes in bucket-sized cocktails called “Divers.” 901-522-9596; www.silkyosullivans.com; 183 Beale St, Memphis; 11am-late Tue-Sun, from 4pm Mon

EAT & SLEEP

Blues City Cafe

The late night grub and music at this casual joint is popular with off-work Beale St waiters and bartenders. 901-526-3637; www.bluescitycafe.com; 138 Beale St, Memphis; mains $8-20; 11am-3am

Dyer’s

Chow down on post-bar cheeseburgers, deep-fried in century-old cooking grease. 901-527-3937; www.dyersonbeale.com; 205 Beale St, Memphis; mains $4-9; 11am-1am Sun-Thu, to 5am Fri & Sat

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

This dumpy fried-chicken joint is straight-up addictive. 901-527-4877; 310 S Front St, Memphis; mains $5-9; 11am-9pm Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat;

Peabody Hotel

This grand downtown hotel has well-appointed rooms, a classy bar and a flock of pet ducks. 901-529-4000; www.peabodymemphis.com; 149 Union Ave, Memphis; r from $240

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.memphisflyer.com

www.memphistravel.com

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LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner

TRIP

54 Pulled Pork & Butt Rubs: Eating in Memphis

55 Going to Graceland: Touring the Shrine of Elvis

58 Country Music Capital: Nashville

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Return to beginning of chapter

TRIP 57

48 Hours in Nashville

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WHY GO With the grinning, irascible charm of the high-school bad boy (or girl), Nashville will spin you around and leave your ears ringing with the sound of steel guitar. But the city’s got its brainy side too, with great museums, grand old government buildings and a diverse university community.

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TIME

2 days

BEST TIME TO GO

Mar - Jun

START

Nashville, TN

END

Nashville, TN

ALSO GOOD FOR

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Nashville has been the center of the country music industry since the 1920s, attracting countless young musicians hoping to be discovered at an open-mic night and cut a deal in the studios out on Music Row. Head directly to downtown’s Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, a must-see, where artifacts like Elvis’ gold Cadillac and Johnny Cash’s guitar are enshrined like religious relics. Written exhibits trace country’s roots from the banjo-pickin’ “old time” hillbillies of the early-20th century through to the tattooed and pierced alt-country stars of today. Walk-in listening booths give you access to the Country Music Foundation’s vast archives. When you’re done, catch the shuttle to Studio B to tour the historic RCA studio on Music Row, birthplace of the slick, highly produced Nashville Sound of the 1960s. Elvis recorded “Are You Lonesome Tonight” here, the Everly Brothers cut “When Will I be Loved,” and Roy Orbison warbled “Only the Lonely” and “Crying.”

Next, visit the District, the area of Lower Broadway and Second Ave. It’s famous for beer- and guitar-fueled nightlife, rib joints, dusty vintage guitar shops and record stores staffed by mad-eyed clerks who can recite