Nile wrote:
>>>> a motor tour starting from Atlanta...Chattanooga
>
> Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga is interesting -- site of a Civil War
> battle and, no surprise, a lookout point over the city. Someone else
> mentioned the Great Smoky Mountains. That would be a fine detour, but
> decide if you have the time; you already have a lot of driving, maybe
> too much, for two weeks. And yes, it will almost certainly be
> sweltering throughout your entire itinerary in late July-August.
>
>>>> Nashville
>
> For country and western music, the Grand Ole Opry plays on Friday and
> Saturday nights at Opryland. A motel in that area would be good with
> an RV. There are several bars and semi-respectable honky-tonks, and
> some unrespectable ones, along Second Avenue and Broadway downtown.
> Best seen in the evenings. The Country Music Hall of Fame is not too
> far up Broadway, more or less. Up Belle Meade Boulevard and back is
> a pretty drive. Good restaurants are found primarily on Second
> Avenue, on West End Boulevard (Broadway) near Vanderbilt University.
>
>>>> Memphis
>
> The blues are on Beale Street, downtown. (Thursday - Sunday are
> liveliest; I'd avoid Saturday night.) The Hampton Inn at Third and
> Peabody is well-located, although perhaps difficult with an RV.
> Someone else who posted made the mistake of staying near Graceland;
> that area is for visiting-only. Graceland will be fine and a good
> stop if you're interested in music. The Civil Rights Museum, where
> M.L. King was assassinated, is a short trolley ride or walk from the
> Hampton Inn. An exhibit, The Art of the Motorcycle, based on an
> exhibit shown at the New York Museum of Modern Art, is at the Pyramid
> -- a trolley ride in the opposite direction. Sunset along the river,
> either on Mud Island down from the residential section, or on Tom Lee
> Park downtown, is relaxing. Go for a Redbirds baseball game at the
> stadium two blocks from the Hampton Inn. A hot dog and a beer are de
> rigeur, although this being Memphis, barbecue works just as well.
> Fine dining is at Chez Phillippe in the Peabody Hotel; very good
> casual dining can be found at Automatic Slim's across the street;
> McEwen's a few blocks away; the Madison Hotel; and a few other places
> in the downtown area. Barbecue is the Memphis delicacy, however;
> Rendezvous across from the Peabody, or Interstate Barbecue on your
> way out of town on Third Street/Highway 61, are both good choices.
>
>>>> Jackson...Natchez
>
> You might consider Highway 61 (Third Street in Memphis) south of
> Memphis. Highway 61 is a famous road in blues history; most of the
> old blues players were from towns along 61 in the Mississippi Delta
> (area of western Mississippi from Memphis south to, say, Vicksburg.).
> There is a blues museum in Clarksdale and another in Helena, Ark.,
> across the Mississippi River. Clarksdale has a blues festival in
> mid-August: http://www.sunflowerfest.org as does Indianola. Go over
> to Highway 1 for awhile, say Clarksdale to Rosedale, to see what 61
> used to look like, as 61 is 4-lane now. There are several casinos
> (and hotels) just north of Tunica (although only 30 miles from
> Memphis), and here and there southward.
>
>>>> Lafayette...New Orleans (2 nights)
>
> Check out recent threads on New Orleans in this group on Google.com.
> One must-see is Preservation Hall for authentic Dixieland Jazz. A
> walk through the French Quarter, the Garden District, and maybe
> Audubon Park in the Garden District (there's a walking loop through
> the park), will also be highlights. Good restaurants in New Orleans
> are everywhere and found in any guidebook.
>
>>>> Birmingham
>
> Consider hugging the Gulf of Mexico on your way back. Biloxi has
> casinos; Gulf Shores and Pensacola have sugar-white sand beaches.
Thanks for this excellent set of suggestions! We are staying in the Peabody
Hotel, so will definitely be following up those suggestions.
Much appreciated.
John.
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