The Musical Highway | Music Cities of the Deep South

Days 1-3

Nashville

Arriving into Nashville, go to your downtown hotel, drop your cases and head into the streets to get your first feel of the Music City. Pop into a honky tonk (bar) to hear a live band, relax and let the stresses of the journey melt away.

During your stay, visit the main sites such as Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Historic RCA Studio B and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum which covers all genres of music. If you are in Nashville over a weekend, be sure to get Frontier America to get you tickets for a performance at the Grand Ole Opry or aboard the General Jackson Showboat with live Country Music.

3 nights Nashville

Days 4-6

Nashville to Memphis

Leave the Music City for another musical legend: Memphis. Grab some ribs from the very casual Rendezvous before strolling down Beale Street. You are in Memphis for three nights which will give you time to visit the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, the Sun Studio, the Stax Museum of American Soul Museum and, of course, Graceland. See where Elvis lived and entertained and marvel at his collection of private jets and cars including his iconic pink Cadillac. Away from the music scene, you might also want to see the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, the scene of the murder of Martin Luther King Jr.

3 nights Memphis

Days 7-8

Memphis to The Shoals

Today you will head for the Shoals, a conglomeration of four small towns known as the “Hit Recording Capital of the World”.  Visit the Muscle Shoals FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio still operational today. Between them and a few others, they have hosted dozens of famous musicians including the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Rod Stewart. Visit the Alabama Music Hall of Fame with memorabilia from such Alabama luminaries as Hank Williams, Lionel Ritchie and Nat King Cole and 3614 Jackson Highway, home of the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation.  Away from the music scene, you can also see the inspirational Helen Keller’s home.

2 nights The Shoals

Day 9

The Shoals to Birmingham

One of Alabama’s most vibrant cities, with its multitudinous live music venues, where one of the most influential movements of the Civil Rights campaigns took place. You can visit the Civil Rights Institute and also learn about the Sloss Furnaces, an old ironworks, and see the 17 metres high statue of Vulcan – the world’s largest cast iron statue.

1 night Birmingham

Day 10

Birmingham to Montgomery

Continue your musical journey and arrive in Montgomery, the capital of Alabama where we can organise a private city tour for you. Soak up the history of Alabama, from the Civil War to Civil Rights at places such as the First White House of the Confederacy, the Civil Rights Memorial Center and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr preached. Spend the evening downtown in a relaxed atmosphere listening to everything from Country Music to Rock N Roll.

1 night Montgomery

Day 11

Montgomery to Mobile

After a leisure drive to historic Mobile, the first capital of the French colony of Louisiana, you might want to visit the Bellingrath Gardens and original home of the Bellingrath family, who made their wealth bottling Coca Cola. Spend the evening at one of Mobile’s unique and innovated music venues from a relax venue, such as The Listening Room or a more upbeat dance hall at Veets Bar or Country/Western at The Saddle Up Saloon!

1 night Mobile

Days 12-13

Mobile to New Orleans

Take a private walking tour guide who will let you into all the secrets of the area. Visit Fort Conde, a replica of the original colonial fort guarding Mobile and the historic centre, tour the USS Alabama Battleship before driving to New Orleans for the last three nights of your holiday.  Drop the car off as you will not need it in New Orleans

You will have two full days to explore New Orleans. Explore the atmospheric French Quarter with all your senses, have your pick of music venues, from duelling pianos to smooth blues and funky jazz clubs hop on a streetcar, see the mansions on St. Charles Avenue and the revolving carousel bar at the Hotel Monteleone.

New Orleans is music lovers’ paradise that’s home to Jazz, Zydeco, R&B and Soul, It has produced its share of musical giants, from greats like Louis Armstrong to contemporary acts like Trombone Shorty, Jon Batiste, Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. Explore Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny, an original Creole neighborhood that’s a mecca for nightclubs, bars and restaurants. Live music occurs every day and night of the year, and many venues feature award-winning performers throughout the week. A must-stop is Preservation Hall, dedicated to preserving the New Orleans Jazz tradition.

Step away from the music and explore Lafayette Cemetery, with a spooky history, and unique, ornate tombs which is a popular movie location or take an exciting swamp airboat tour to see alligators, pelicans and osprey.

2 nights New Orleans

TIP – Get Frontier America to book you a lively jazz dinner at the Palm Court Jazz Café, Arnauds, one of the oldest and most elegant in New Orleans or on board a paddle-steamer.

Day 14

New Orleans

Time to say “Goodbye” to the Deep South and go to the airport in time for your homeward journey.