Jackson Square New Orleans

Day 1

NEW ORLEANS

Arrive in New Orleans and proceed to your hotel. “Let the good times roll” is a Louisiana way of life, one that New Orleans is determined to uphold. A city unlike any other American city, New Orleans’ particular melting pot of peoples and cultures make it perhaps the most American of cities. The birthplace of jazz and the home of Mardi Gras, New Orleans is also the perfect place to begin your tour of the South

Day 2

NEW ORLEANS

The capital of the French colony of Louisiana, New Orleans was established as a fortress by French settlers in the 18th Century. Begin with a walking tour through Jackson Square and the heart of the French quarter, which offers all kinds of attractions, sights, restaurants, and of course, music. Experience the intimate and subtle architecture while learning about the history, art, and musical culture that is this city’s unique heritage

Day 3

NEW ORLEANS » VICKSBURG (275 mi / 440 km)

Depart New Orleans this morning to pick up the legendary Highway 61, “The Blues Highway” that carried so many musicians from the cotton towns and plantations of the Mississippi Delta to Memphis and Chicago and, from there, to the rest of the world. The heart of Delta Blues Country begins in Vicksburg, the site of the most important Civil War battle fought in the South, and unofficially the southernmost point of the Mississippi Delta Blues Country

Day 4

VICKSBURG » CLARKSDALE » MEMPHIS (220 mi / 350 km)

Continue through the cotton fields and small towns where blues greats Robert Johnson, BB King, Muddy Waters and many others played their music. In Clarksdale, the epicenter of the Blues, you can visit the Delta Blues Museum, stop by an authentic ‘juke joint’, and sample some of the best BBQ in the South. Arrive in Memphis, Tennessee, in the late afternoon or early evening. Tonight, head down to Beale Street to enjoy the music and nightlife that made Memphis famous, the perfect destination for your Blues Highway journey.

Day 5

MEMPHIS

Memphis’ number one attraction is Graceland, where Elvis fans from around the world make the pilgrimage to the King’s former home and final resting place. An audio tour is available in all languages offered by AlliedTPro’s Fly-Drive program. Sun Studios, the legendary birthplace of Rock and Roll, is a must-see for fans, as is Staxville, home of soul music’s Stax Records. And if that’s still not enough, the Smithsonian Institue, America’s premier museum association, has opened the Rock’n’Soul Museum at the corner of Beale St and Highway 61. Memphis displays a serious side, too. In the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated, the National Civil Rights Museum tells the story of the struggle for racial equality in the United States.

Day 6

MEMPHIS » NATCHEZ (310 mi / 500 km)

Backtrack down Highway 61 to visit something you may have missed, or take the Interstate to make the most of your time in Natchez. Located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi, Natchez was the center of the Mississippi Delta’s cotton region and one of the wealthiest cities in the United States before the Civil War. In the historic district above the river, more than a dozen antebellum homes and gardens are open to visitors, while down below on the banks of the Mississippi, a variety of evening entertainments can be found, including restaurants, saloons and a riverboat casino.

Day 7

NATCHEZ » NEW ORLEANS (180 mi / 290 km)

Depart directly for New Orleans, or visit the Great River Road’s plantations along the way. Highlights include Oak Alley (1839), the Grande Dame of the River Road, surrounded by majestic columns and antebellum opulence. Laura Plantation (1805), the finest remaining example of a Creole plantation in existence, is also the only plantation where the original slave cabins still stand. The historic tour is one of the best in the country. Tonight, you’re back in the Big Easy for a final night on the town

Day 8	NEW ORLEANS (325 mi / 520 km)
Departure for your return trip home