In Memphis, eat as much BBQ as you can. Central is a good choice, BBQ shop is good too. Go to Rendezvous if you've got tourist cash. And for the REAL southern craziness experience, skip graceland and go to GRACELAND TOO: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11097

on lower broadway, laylas bluegrass inn and roberts are really the only bars worth a shit. up on broadway and 10th in the union station building, there is the flying saucer. something like 280 kinds of beers. super shitty music but i basically lived there the entire year i spent in nashville. super nice folks working the bar. as far as venues go, there is the exit/in up on elliston. usually has some pretty great shows. and a few blocks from the flying saucer there is the mercy lounge/cannery ballroom off of 8th st. they sometimes have some pretty good stuff going on too. for smaller shows there is the springwater tavern. i think its on 25th. it has more of the stoner rock/punk type of stuff.

The Country Music Hall of Fame is expensive by museum standards (18 bucks) but totally worth it, particularly if you like guitar porn. It's a couple of blocks off of lower Broad.Hitting the honky tonks on Broadway is generally a good time, too. Often, you'll see some really fantastic musicians--for free. The Ernest Tubb Record Shop is down there, too.

in some liner notes, Yo La Tengo once wrote:When in Nashville, visit Prince's Hot Chicken Shack.I've never been, but Yo La Tengo are reliably correct about most things.

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:Hitting the honky tonks on Broadway is generally a good time, too. Often, you'll see some really fantastic musicians--for free. The Ernest Tubb Record Shop is down there, too.Dude's right on about this. Did the same thing when I was in Nashville and had a great time.

Oh yeah, food advice, history/cemetery advice, hotel advice, off the beaten path advice would all be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot, everybody. I guess that Nashville is the place to be. If you have any more Memphis information, that'd be cool.I think we'll also hit up the Shiloh battlefield before Nashville.

Please tell me some awesome stuff to do in Memphis and Nashville. I never liked Elvis, but I think Graceland is a must. Other than that, I'm stumped...I've never been to either of these cities.This is a bit of an emergency thread as we're leaving tonight and I have no idea what to do really. We will never randomly have work off like this at the same time again, so we decided to go somewhere. Help?Thanking you all in advance,P.J.

get a cold one, and a sandwich at piranah's in nashville. great food!

Shangri-La Records in Memphis is always fun, and that's a good place to ask locals for recommendations on food and other fun stuff. They know all the local acts, so can tell you if any local band that you may never of heard of is playing.http://www.shangri.com