In case you love stay music, nice meals, and cities that don’t consider in early nights, this Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary is for you. In just some stops, this itinerary will take you thru locations that formed whole genres of music, every with its personal soundtrack from jazz to blues to rock ‘n’ roll and nation.
Constructed round legendary music cities, this street journey runs from The Huge Straightforward (New Orleans) to Elvis’ Memphis and on to Music Metropolis (Nashville, Tennessee). Whereas it really works to take this deep south street journey itinerary in both course, we selected to begin in New Orleans and end in Nashville, saving the late nights and vigorous bar scene for the top.
For these simply beginning their Deep South Highway Journey itinerary analysis, the Deep South refers to a selected area deep within the southeastern a part of the USA. Historically, the Deep South consists of: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Typically components of Tennessee and Florida are included as nicely.
Okay, let’s get into planning your Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary…
Attending to/from New Orleans and Nashville
Most travellers getting into the U.S. will want an Digital System for Journey Authorisation (ESTA), which may be utilized for on-line and is normally processed inside 72 hours. Be sure to do that nicely upfront of your flight departure.
British Airways flies direct between London Heathrow and each New Orleans and Nashville. In case you’re wanting to economize in your Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary, it’s normally cheaper to attach by way of cities like New York, Chicago, Orlando, Miami or Dallas. We spent a number of nights in New York as a result of it was the most cost effective direct flight from the UK to the U.S., after which flew to New Orleans with United Airways for beneath £100.
Renting a automobile in your Deep South street journey
We rented a automobile with Avis by way of Reserving.com, choosing it up in New Orleans and returning it in Nashville. Though we had no points on this journey, we have now since discovered it higher to guide insurance coverage immediately with the rental firm, as Reserving.com’s supplier reimburses you after you pay any prices upfront.
At first, I used to be intimidated by our seven-seater Kia Telluride, however I’m glad we selected a big automobile. Most automobiles on the street are massive, and I felt a lot safer driving in it than in a smaller automobile.
When to go to the Deep South
We visited in July, and the warmth and humidity have been intense. We struggled strolling anyplace for too lengthy, particularly in Memphis and Nashville, and had rain showers in New Orleans.
For extra comfy temperatures, I’d suggest travelling throughout the shoulder seasons of April to Might or September to October. Take into accout occasions like Mardi Gras in New Orleans (the Tuesday earlier than Ash Wednesday) or CMA Fest and Bonnaroo in Nashville (normally in June) could make the cities a lot busier.
Day 1 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
Rise and shine, it’s your first day in NOLA! Begin your journey at Café Du Monde, New Orleans’ iconic espresso stand well-known for its chicory espresso and powdered-sugar-covered beignets.
Prime tip: Carry money! Cafe Du Monde is strictly cash-only, and because it’s open 24/7, you’ll need to be prepared each time a beignet craving strikes. Money can be helpful for jazz bars, the place it’s customary to tip the musicians (sometimes $10 to $20 per particular person).
When you’re fueled up, it’s time to start exploring the historic coronary heart of New Orleans. Be sure that to go to:
- French Market
- Jackson Sq.
- St Louis Cathedral
- Royal Road
- Outdated Ursuline Convent
You’ll want to cease for a drink on the Vampire Cafe and take a look at their novelty Blood Bag Cocktail.
For dinner, we headed to Coop’s Place, a Decatur Road favorite and the right pit cease earlier than exploring the jazz bars at Frenchman Road. This native staple serves up traditional New Orleans delicacies with a aspect of angle – assume Karen’s Diner, however with a Creole twist and strictly over 21.
We then headed to The Noticed Cat Music Membership, open seven days every week, 2pm to 2am, with native musicians taking part in their hearts out.
Day 2 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
No Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary is full with no swamp tour. We booked by Cajun Encounters Swamp Tour and may extremely suggest it. Our 12:15 PM tour included a ten:15 AM pickup from one in every of six places. The hour-long coach journey flew by because of our entertaining information.
Upon arrival, we boarded small, flat-bottomed boats captained by locals, recognizing alligators, raccoons, spiders, grasshoppers and crawfish whereas studying about swamp life and the impression of Hurricane Katrina.
Prime tip: Carry money to tip each your tour information and driver.
We returned to the French Quarter round 3pm and headed to Napoleon Home, a historic restaurant as soon as meant for Napoleon Bonaparte. We skipped the well-known Muffuletta for Creole Jambalaya, which didn’t disappoint.
Being in one in every of America’s most haunted cities, a ghost tour is a should, delving into the darkish histories of LaLaurie Mansion, Jackson Sq., and the Bourbon Orleans Lodge. As soon as your spooks are happy, unwind at The Carousel Bar in Lodge Monteleone, a rotating 25-seat bar as soon as frequented by Hemingway and Tennessee Williams. Prime tip: It’s first-come, first-served with stay leisure from Wednesday to Sunday.
For a livelier evening, head to Bourbon Road for bars, golf equipment, and stay music. Look out for revellers tossing beads from the balconies above, and you’ll want to strive the well-known “hand grenade” cocktail, and go to the historic (and reportedly haunted) Latiffe’s Blacksmith Store for his or her signature Voodoo daiquiri, aka Purple Drank.
Day 3 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
At this time, it’s time to discover one other aspect of town with a journey on the St. Charles streetcar to the Backyard District. This charming Nineteenth-century neighbourhood is thought for its oak-lined streets and gorgeous antebellum mansions. Highlights embody properties as soon as owned by celebrities such as Sandra Bullock and Nicolas Cage, the long-lasting Buckner Mansion, featured in American Horror Story: Coven, and Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, one of many oldest city-governed cemeteries. You’ll want to stroll down Journal Road, looking boutique outlets and cafes, or go to the long-lasting Commander’s Palace for famend Creole delicacies.
Spend your night aboard the Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise. Get pleasure from a two-hour cruise alongside the Mississippi River that blends stay conventional jazz music with fascinating historic insights in regards to the river and town. For the perfect expertise, attempt to time your cruise with sundown for gorgeous views alongside the water.
Day 4 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
The Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary formally begins!
After choosing up the rental automobile, we set off for our first cease: Parkway Bakery & Tavern. Numerous suggestions and deep-dive analysis all pointed to this spot as dwelling to among the finest po’ boys in New Orleans, and it didn’t disappoint. Only a 10-minute drive from Bourbon Road, Parkway has been serving up the long-lasting po’ boys for the reason that Nineteen Twenties, they usually’ve actually perfected the craft.
What’s a po’ boy?
A sandwich initially from Louisiana. It historically consists of a filling, which is normally roast beef, ham, or fried seafood on a New Orleans French bread roll.
With meals sorted, it’s time to hit the legendary Blues Freeway and start the six-hour drive to Memphis, Tennessee. We selected to sort out the journey in a single go. For individuals who want to interrupt up the drive, nevertheless, there are many worthwhile stops alongside the best way.
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana: historic plantations and Louisiana historical past
- Natchez, Mississippi: Natchez Hint Parkway and historic properties
- Jackson, Mississippi: Civil Rights historical past and museums
- Vicksburg, Mississippi: Civil Warfare battlefield historical past
- Tupelo, Mississippi: Elvis Presley’s birthplace (306 Elvis Presley Drive, the place he lived till the age of 13)
After a protracted day on the street, we arrived in Memphis after darkish and opted for an early evening, able to profit from our one full day within the metropolis.
Day 5 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
Begin your Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary, day 5 at Graceland, Elvis Presley’s well-known Memphis dwelling!
I wasn’t fairly certain what to anticipate, however I actually didn’t anticipate it being positioned proper off a serious freeway, with the Graceland Mansion on one aspect and the archives and Elvis’ jets on the opposite, linked by a gentle stream of mini-buses ferrying guests backwards and forwards.
We booked the Elvis Expertise on-line, which included a self-guided tour of the mansion, the EPM Leisure Complicated, and Elvis’ customized jets. We spent round three hours exploring, although my dad and mom spent a lot of the day once they visited a number of years in the past.
Prime tip: In case you plan to go to round Elvis’ birthday (January 8) or Elvis Week (round August 16), you’ll want to guide tickets nicely upfront, as these are extremely popular instances to go to.
For lunch, cease at Gus’ World Well-known Fried Hen, then stroll down Beale Road, often known as the “House of the Blues”, and luxuriate in a drink at Rum Boogie Cafe, with its wall of autographed guitars.
A must-see exercise is watching the well-known Peabody Lodge March of the Geese. Each day at 11am and 5pm, the geese parade alongside a purple carpet from the roof to the foyer fountain and again, guided by the “Duckmaster”. Prime tip: Arrive 15-Half-hour early for a very good view.
Dinner at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous restaurant, a basement BBQ spot, is a Memphis traditional. After loading up on ribs, nachos, and beef brisket, we made our approach again alongside Beale Road, hopping between bars and absorbing the stay music at its iconic venues.
Prime tip: If time permits, go to Solar Studio, “The Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, the place legends like B.B. King, Elvis Presley and Johnny Money recorded.
Day 6 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
To maintain prices down, we rented our automobile for simply 48 hours, which meant returning it to Nashville by 11 am. This required an early begin, leaving Memphis at 7 am to start the three-hour drive to Nashville.
As soon as we arrived and dropped our baggage at our Airbnb, we headed to the Meeting Meals Corridor for a fast lunch earlier than making our approach to soak up the wild and fantastic sights of Broadway.
After confirming that, sure, we might completely slot in with our cowboy boots and hats, we checked in and acquired able to spend the remainder of the day and evening hopping between multi-story honky tonks and rooftop bars, chasing down as a lot stay nation music as we might discover.
Day 7 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
Begin the day by shaking off final evening’s festivities with brunch at Biscuit Love within the Gulch. Afterwards, take a while to wander round this stylish neighbourhood, looking stylish boutiques and snapping pictures of its many Instagram-worthy murals.
Tonight, expertise one in every of Nashville’s most iconic traditions on the Grand Ole Opry. House to nation music legends, rising stars, and the world’s longest-running radio present since 1925, the Opry delivers an unforgettable stay efficiency. Reveals sometimes run for about two hours and embody a 15-minute intermission.
Day 8 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
Kick off day eight with a espresso at Frothy Monkey earlier than heading to the Nation Music Corridor of Fame, also known as the “Smithsonian of nation music”. Spend the morning exploring the style’s evolution, from legends like Jimmie Rodgers and Dolly Parton to trendy stars resembling Taylor Swift and Lainey Wilson.
Afterwards, make your option to East Nashville. Recognized for its mural-covered buildings, quirky outlets, and artistic spirit, this vibrant neighbourhood is the right place to wander within the afternoon.
When starvation strikes, cease by The Pharmacy Burger Parlour & Beer Backyard, the place the burgers have been described as medication for the soul.
For a extra intimate stay music expertise than Broadway’s busting honky-tonks, head to The Bluebird Cafe. This legendary 90-seat venue is thought for locating and internet hosting stars resembling Taylor Swift, Keith City and LeAnn Rimes – reservations are extremely really useful, as exhibits usually promote out.
Day 9 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
We determined to spend the final full day of our Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary in Nashville absorbing the solar and enjoyable by a pool.
We bought a day cross for Conrad Nashville by way of ResortPass for $30 per particular person, which offered entry to the out of doors pool and lounge chairs (first-come, first-served) in addition to towels, with meals and drinks obtainable for buy. It was the right, enjoyable finish to a busy journey.
In case you’re not able to relaxation your legs up simply but, I’d counsel a day journey to a close-by city like Franklin (20 miles/25-minute drive) or Leiper’s Fork (30 miles/40-minute drive).
Day 10 Deep South Highway Journey Itinerary
It’s dwelling time! Earlier than saying goodbye to Nashville, head again to your favorite brunch spot for one final chunk or swing by Meeting Corridor to revisit a favorite meals stall. After absorbing the final of town’s flavours and ambiance, make your option to the airport, both with a fast 15-minute taxi journey or by hopping on the WeGo Public Transit Route 18 bus.
Have you ever been to the Deep South?
Thanks a lot for studying! I hope it’s given you all of the inspiration to plan and guide your personal epic Deep South Highway Journey.
You’ll be able to observe Kirstie’s adventures on TikTok right here.
