The Southern Music Journey
Taking this journey through Louisiana, Mississippi
and Tennessee will have you learning about some
significant U.S. history, experiencing amazing live
music, feasting on superb local cuisine and retracing
the steps of some of your musical heroes.
Nashville
7 days/6 nights Suggested Self-Drive
TENNESSEE
Memphis
Day 1: New Orleans – Baton Rouge – Natchez (315km)
Head along the Great River Road, alongside the Mississippi River between
New Orleans and Baton Rouge to see a number of plantation homes such
as Oak Alley and Laura Plantation. Check out the new and old capitol
buildings of Baton Rouge.
Day 2: Natchez – Vicksburg (116km)
Natchez is perched on a high bluff above the Mississippi River and has
over 430 antebellum homes. Leave Natchez and get onto the beginning of
Highway 61, or the Blues Highway, which takes you through the Mississippi
Delta, the birthplace of the blues. Take a self-guided driving tour of the
Vicksburg National Military Park.
Day 3: Vicksburg – Clarksdale (250km)
Detour via Indianola to visit the BB King Museum before arriving in
Clarksdale, in the Mississippi Delta, which is a great place to see the blues!
Day 4: Clarksdale – Memphis (125km)
Stop at the Gateway to the Blues Museum, housed in an old train depot,
which gives a great overview of the blues in the area.
Day 5: Memphis
Check out the attractions such as the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Graceland
and the Civil Rights Museum as well as enjoying live music on Beale Street.
Day: 6 Memphis – Nashville (340km)
MISSISSIPPI
Vicksburg
LOUISIANA
Baton Rouge
Natchez
New Orleans
GULF OF MEXICO
Highlights worth seeing along the way
Laura Plantation – This creole style home, is a more modest, brightly
coloured home with a fascinating family history.
Frogmore Plantation – This cotton plantation provides a fascinating
history of cotton in the region and is still a working cotton operation today.
Mississippi Blues Highway – Along the highway there are many blue
markers where you can read about famous musicians who have an
association to this area.
Day 7: Nashville
From the home of the blues to the home of country music you’ll enjoy
checking out the County Music Hall of Fame, RCA Studio B, Grand Ole
Opry and of course the honky tonks on Lower Broadway. Vicksburg National Military Park – With 1,800 acres and a 25 kilometre
driving route with over 1300 markers, monuments and plaques honouring
the lives lost during the battle of Vicksburg during the Civil War.
Rental car: Hertz (Group B) from $81 per day Ground Zero Blues Club – This music venue, partly owned by Morgan
Freeman, is a great spot to grab a bite and a beer and listen to some great
local blues musicians.
Our favourite places to stay:
•
Hampton Inn & Suites Natchez
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