Memphis | Sun Studio | Beale Street | Head | food | Huey

At the end of the tour, I realize I've made a critical error. Sun Studio, my next stop, runs a free shuttle between itself, Beale Street, and Graceland. I could have saved $1.15! It's a good thing this afternoon's duck march will be free, but more on that later. Time waits for no man, and the hourly shuttle is here. I simply don't have time to stop by Elvis' favorite spot for cheeseburgers, a joint down Elvis Pres­ley Boulevard called the Gridiron Diner. I hop aboard the shuttle and head for another Memphis institution.

It was inside the soundproof walls of Sun Studio that Elvis birthed rock-and-roll's first record, "That's All Right (Mama)," in 1954. When released to radio the next day, it was played 14 times in the first three hours alone. On the tour ($9.50), you can stand in the very spot where it all went down.

Sun Studio used to serve food (including the King's beloved fried peanut butter and banana sandwich), but these days it sticks to music. Still, a man's gotta eat, and I simply can't afford lunch at any place as nice as the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art's The Brushmark Restaurant, which offers panoramic views of Overton Park along with its $9 fried-green-tomato BLTs. So it looks like burgers at Huey's are in order.

The beef at this local icon is consistently voted the best in town by Memphis magazine's annual reader's poll. The decor, I quickly notice, isn't half bad, either. Although the walls are covered with a fascinating array of Memphis memorabilia, it's the thousands of frill picks stuck in the ceiling that are this joint's standout feature. For $1, you can try to guess exactly how many there are. Sadly, gambling is for no man on a budget. Sure bets are the gut-busting World Famous Huey Burger ($4.60) and some of the biggest onion rings I have ever laid eyes on ($1.60).