January 26, 2009
We finished our daily chores at the hostel and we were off to Sun Studios, the birthplace of rock and roll. We got a very informative tour of the studio where Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis all got their start. Emily and I even got to stand in the same place as Elvis and hold one of the microphones he used! It was a great tour, one I would highly recommend. Sun Studios provided a shuttle to Graceland so after a quick stop in the gift shop we were off to the home of the King!
We toured Graceland; they provide an audio tour so you can walk through the rooms at your leisure. I particularly enjoyed the lime green shag carpet on the floor and ceiling of the jungle room. There was also a room with the same upholstery on the floor, ceiling and walls! Elvis’s life motto was the most interesting fun fact I have learned on the trip thus far. His slogan was TCB with a lightning bolt, which stands for “Taking Care of Business in a flash”. We also toured his collection of automobiles, two airplanes and the King’s jumpsuit collection. Graceland is frozen in time, not much has changed since the 1970’s. We both really enjoyed taking in the phenomenon that is Elvis Aron Presley. 
We also made a quick stop at the Rockabilly Grill for one of Elvis’s favorite snacks, fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, before we headed back into the city on the shuttle. We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and catching up on a few of our administrative duties.
For dinner we headed to Gus’s World Famous fried chicken, a fantastic recommendation made by Emily’s Dad. It was a small dive down near the Mississippi River, with only about 10-15 tables and it did not disappoint. This is the best-fried chicken I have ever had in my life. You could even order a 40 (so of course I had too!). The chicken was crispy and spicy but not too greasy and served on a Styrofoam plate with baked beans and slaw (we substituted slaw for potatoes salad and fries). I wasn’t sure if I should order a 2 piece or a 3 piece so I asked our waitress. She then asked me if I was hungry to which I replied very. To which she answered “We better get you a 3 piece white.” I loved it!
After our amazing fried chicken we stopped in The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, a suggestion from our waitress the night before at Rum Boogie. It was pint night and they have over 100 beers on tap for only $2.75. We thought she had said the blues band from the night before would be there but there was no band at all. We were a bit disappointed but still enjoyed seeing some of the nightlife and sampling some amazing beers. Memphis has been a great stop so far!
This concludes our broadcast day.
Dave