Walkin' in Memphis: Part 1

Over the weekend, Rach and I went down to Memphis/Germantown to visit a firm that has extended her an offer. I learned a lot about Memphis that, maybe, I had been keeping away from myself. It's actually not as bad as you might think (as long as you don't travel too far north or south). Here are a few highlights:
--Huey's: With several locations all over the Memphis area, Huey's is not to be missed. We ate lunch at the downtown location. The burgers were great, but they were not for the faint of heart. These things were heavily seasoned. I think most of what I tasted was salt and pepper, but I'm sure they added a few other spices as well. And it's fitting; Huey's is known for their distinctive burgers. But it's what they don't advertise that really blows you away: the HUGE ONION RINGS! Not only are they huge, but they're hand-battered and just too good.
Dessert followed a similar vein. We chose the homemade fudge brownie a la mode (and sans nuts). Two bites of heaven were really about all we could stand before popping. The decor is hole-in-the-wall, more like writing-on-the-wall (we left our mark over our booth). Highly recommended.
--Gibson: One of Gibson's three guitar manufacturing facilities is in Memphis; it's where they make the hollowbody styles. The tour they offer is up-close and personal-- at only one point are you behind protective glass: the paint booth. The rest of the time, you are out on the floor, mere feet (sometimes inches) away from the people and raw materials that go into making a quality instrument. I was amazed at how little attention they paid to any of the tourists, but I guess they're used to it by now. For $10, this is easily a must-see attraction in downtown Memphis.
--The Rock n' Soul Museum: Located just across the street from Gibson, this Smithsonian affiliate is packed with history and artifacts. The movie at the beginning sets a great tone for the rest of the exhibit. In high-tech style, each customer is given a headset at the start of the exhibit. With it, you can listen to the self-guided audio tour, or you can just listen to the wealth of oldies on hand (there's actually a jukebox at each "era" featuring the associated songs of the time). The only problem Rach and I had was that we ran out of time and had to speed through the second half of it. Still, definitely felt like we got our $10 worth.
Still to come: more reviews; driving through the city; why Memphis is better than Knoxville; pictures