Rhythms of the South

Kick off your adventure in New Orleans. Feel the strains of jazz floating through the historic French Quarter, see people dancing their way down Bourbon Street, smell the scent of spicy jambalaya, and try your first “Hurricane", New Orlean's sweet, signature cocktail. Catch a show at Preservation Hall and indulge in scrumptious beignets from famous Cafe Du Monde. Hit some of the renowned restaurants on Magazine Street and make sure you try a po' boy from a local dive.

Treat yourself to a ride on the historic New Orleans Streetcar and explore the tree-lined Garden District, filled with picturesque mansions. A visit to the Mardi-Gras museum may be a good option today too, as well as a cooking class. Before leaving NOLA, don't forget to discover the magic of Frenchmen Street at night.

Your next stop will be Montgomery, Alabama. Known as a civil rights capital and the setting of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the 1950s, this historic city tells the story of a complicated past. Today, you will find fascinating museums, top-notch restaurants, and noteworthy memorials that commemorate Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and other heroic activists.

Try a traditional Southern breakfast before leaving Montgomery, then continue on to Nashville, Tennessee. Along the way, you may want to stop in Birmingham to see historic civil rights landmarks, or Huntsville, home of the US Space and Rocket Center. As soon as you arrive in Nashville, you'll know why it’s called Music City. Feel your toe start tapping as you head to Broadway, nicknamed "Honky Tonk Highway," for some Tennessee barbecue and live country tunes.

Explore the treasures of Music City today. Visit RCA Studio B, where Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, and countless other legends recorded some of their greatest hits. Catch a live show or take a tour of the Grand Ole Opry, stroll down historic Music Row, visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, or tour Belle Meade Plantation to learn about the area’s antebellum history. Enjoy some traditional Southern comfort food for dinner, or sample Nashville’s up-and-coming food scene at a trendy new restaurant.

Take a 3-hour drive west towards the Mississippi River. Upon arrival in the riverside city of Memphis, check-in to your final hotel and spend the rest of your day getting to know the Bluff City. Head to the neon lights of Beale Street, the birthplace of the blues, and the heart and soul of Memphis culture. Music legends like B.B. King got their start in this historic district, where lively music spills out of bars and restaurants and street performers like the Beale Street Flippers bring fun and excitement. Top off your day with some iconic soul food in a cozy restaurant.

Dive into the soul of Memphis with a visit to Sun Studio, where greats like B.B. King, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash all recorded albums. See the Blues Hall of Fame, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, or the eclectic Pink Palace museum. And no visit to Memphis is complete without a walk in the King of Rock n’ Roll’s footsteps at Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion, and a dinner of tasty, tender Memphis-style BBQ.

Say “bye y’all” to the South and return your rental car at the Memphis airport before boarding your flight home.