Hey I'm near Ft. Smith.

In Memphis
we like to eat at
Gus's Fried Chicken-inexpensive, spicy chicken, fried green tomatoes
Blues City Cafe-hole in the wall everything is good
Rendevouz-dry rub ribs
Peabody Hotel-Good Sunday Brunch and see "The Ducks" go up the elevator(the brunch is pricey)
Spend the better part of a day at Graceland

In Nashville
Eat at The Loveless Cafe (my parents always eat breakfast and dinner there) We've eaten lunch there a couple of times and it is very good
and Pasteletos Popsicles($2.50 each-very good)I had an avacado popsicle last time-very good, tasted somewhat like banana popsicle
Do Country Music Hall of Fame and there are plenty of other country music sights to see if that is an interest to you
The Hermitage-Andrew Jackson home is good to see.

Maybe see some of the historic homes in Natchez

Maybe take northern route on the return and see Smoky Mnt National Park and Mammoth Cave National Park. If you do Mammoth add the Corvette Museum and Factory tour(two different buildings near each other)

Dam Goode Pies(the name annoys me) in Little Rock is a good place for pizza coming or going if you happen to be hungry then.

We really like a lot of the State Parks in Arkansas. Petit Jean would be on you way. You would probably need a day there if you did much hiking.

Drive 35 miles S of Memphis on Hwy. 61 to Clarksdale, MS for lunch and a few hours touring the Blues Museum and downtown Clarksdale. 2/3 hours should be all the time you need there. Have lunch at Ground Zero, Abes or The Ranchero. Have you been to Oxford, MS. After lunch you could drive 60 miles E to Oxford and have dinner at City Grocery, Waltz or Lenora's then head back to Tunica. Go through the Ole Miss campus and walk around the Grove. Walk around the Square downtown and visit William Faulkner's home also. You might like to have dinner at Taylor Grocery in an old store a few miles S of Oxford.

Don't miss the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis if you value history, and as for music history, there are several places in the city worth visiting -- besides Graceland.

Going to Plains, Georgia? What a destination!

Keeping in mind your proposed route certainly Little Rock with Clinton Library and Memphis with Blues Museum (and more in each place but we avoid Graceland) are musts if not seen before. I think Kentucky and Smoky Mnts too far north but good suggestion of going a bit south of Memphis to Clarksdale with Blues Museum and then on east with a stop in Oxford (incl. the Ground Zero, Taylor Grocery eateries).

One other possible idea is a detour in Alabama through Florence to see Helen Keller house and Hustsville for the wonderful historic homes.

Bill in Boston