Southern Soul: New Orleans to Nashville

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Graceland and the National Civil Rights Museum was an unforgettable experience. Hearing the stories behind each place brought the region’s history to life, from the music and culture at Graceland to the powerful and moving history of the civil rights movement. It made the whole trip feel personal, inspiring, and deeply memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Leader did an amazing job leading our Southern Soul adventure. She brought every place to life with her knowledge and passion, and made sure everyone felt included and cared for. Her energy, organisation and sense of fun really enhanced the whole experience, she went above and beyond to make it unforgettable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light because it gets hot and you’ll be on the move a lot. Bring comfortable walking shoes and be ready to explore both the well-known sights and hidden local gems. Keep an open mind, talk to locals, and take your time to soak up the music, culture, and history - it will make your trip unforgettable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to pick one. Preservation Hall and Grand Ole Opry were musical highlights. The Civil Rights Museum was so moving - located at the motel where MLK was assassinated - and very comprehensive. The Country Music Hall of Fame was worth at least half a day.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jay quite simply, made the trip. The bus journeys were enlivened with his knowledge and fabulous playlist designed to accompany the history and progression of musical styles as we journeyed north. He joined in the group banter in the bus, drove safely, worked hard, unloading and loading luggage, and was very helpful at ferrying us around even to optional activities.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book ahead for Preservation Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. Some of our group were disappointed not to get in or be seated r standing at the very back. The food was not to my taste - deep fried pecan pie anyone? And vegetables were hard to find with limited choice. I bought supplies at a health food store for my lunches (there was an ice box in the bus) Some prices were a shock . My last night dinner (1 course with veg and 2 glasses average wine) was $62 - then with sales tax, 20% obligatory gratuity and an extra tip for kitchen staff, the final bill was $93. The trip notes suggestions for tips for the guide are way out, considering that he drove, hauled luggage, saved us some taxi fares. $12-$15 pp per day is a more like it. Given the shocking amount of plastic waste (polystyrene plates and plastic cutlery) you might want to consider taking some travel cutlery with you.

Most Inspirational Moment

There so many great experiences on this trip that it's hard to choose. Overall, the music! But also the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis is wonderful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mike is a truly superb trip leader. Simply the best! Great driver, fun, unflappable and extremely knowledgeable. He MADE the trip - 100%. The drives from one city to another were fascinating thanks to his commentary, deep knowledge of music and history and wonderful playlists. He didn't just recommend places we could visit for music and great food, he took us there. If you followed his suggestions you really couldn't go wrong. He went above and beyond. I'd be happy to do any other trip that he was guiding, irrespective of destination.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely spend extra days pre-trip in New Orleans. There's so much to do. Make sure you tip everyone who's working. It's non-negotiable. This might make it a more expensive trip than you thought so be prepared. It's well worth going to the Grand Ole Opry. If you love jazz, blues, rock and roll or country music you have to do this trip (and even if you don't, you will by the time it's over!)

Most Inspirational Moment

It has to be day 8 on the itinerary, which I named “Super Saturday”: the day we left Clarksdale for Memphis, going down to the Crossroads at Clarksdale where legend has it Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil for the gift of music; spending 4 hours at Graceland visiting Elvis’ house and the extensive collection of memorabilia on display in the adjacent museums; an emotional visit to the historic Sun Studios to see exactly where Elvis made his first recordings; a meal of dry-rubbed ribs at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous restaurant, a favourite of Elvis’; a walk along bustling Beale Street in the evening before dropping into The Blues City Cafe to hear real Delta blues played by Blind Mississippi Morris, then riding the trolley car back to the hotel. Days don’t get any better than that!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Invariably one of things that makes an Exodus trip such a memorable experience is the quality of its group leaders, and this trip was no exception. I must confess one or two within the group wondered if Lana Haugberg would be up to the job: relative young, petite in stature, she would be working solo as both driver and guide throughout the long trip. But any initial doubts were soon dispelled: word got round that she had just completed an ultra race in which she ran 120 miles in 24 hours, and we also learned that she is a very experienced driver, having taken television film crews across America. In the course of the trip, Lana drove 1500+ miles as well as giving us detailed information about all locations and sites visited. Lana explained all options on offer, particularly for the free days, and made herself available to support individual choices. She was careful to advise on personal safety and ensure everyone knew the safest options for transport. Nothing was too much trouble, and Lana did everything within her power to make the trip run smoothly and to give us the best possible experience. A few examples: she had put together a Spotify playlist of music appropriate to each destination and leg of the itinerary; she purchased a folding step to facilitate access in and out of the minibus, which had a high drop; and while the group was enjoying a self-guided walking tour of Natchez, she checked everyone into the hotel, unloaded the luggage and took the bags to our individual rooms so that we could all go straight there to rest after a long day on the road. She was always cheerful, attentive and responsive, able to engage with everyone in our group, and always good company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

* the itinerary may change due to circumstances: embrace the options your group leader gives you. On our trip the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham was closed, so we took a detour to Montgomery to visit the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace & Justice, a very moving exhibition. It was not possible to book the Lynchburg option for the final day due to possible departure flight logistics, but our group leader came up with a pleasantly surprising alternative. * there will be plenty of opportunities to do your own thing at the different cities visited. * be prepare to be shocked by the amount of single-use plastics, particularly in hotels, and a lack of recycling facilities - maybe take your own travel cutlery. * try the local food and drink: have a Hurricane in NOLA, eat beignets, gumbo, jambalaya, and catfish (delicious!) there; try dry rubbed ribs in Memphis, or southern fried chicken; drink Jack Daniels in Tennessee. But there are plenty of alternatives if you fancy a change. * beware American sized portions: consider sharing with another person. Many portions are more than enough for two. * there are some long days on the road, but frequently broken up with comfort breaks and lunch stops at a variety of interesting places. Bring your own playlists and ear buds, if you like to chill out to your personal music along the way.

Suggestions

* there are plenty of opportunities to hear live music for little or no cost. Apart from a $5 per person cover charge to enter B B King’s Blues Club in Memphis, all the other live music we heard in New Orleans, Natchez, Memphis and Nashville was free - but please do place some dollars in the artists’ tips buckets. * the hotel accommodation is not high end (more 2 star in quality) but is functional with clean rooms, comfortable beds and good showers. Breakfasts were rather basic, often self-service, but adequate and offering a reasonable choice. * the excursions outside the itinerary gave us some of the most interesting and memorable moments: stops at Dockery Farm, and the Hopson Commissary (Clarksdale), Lorraine Motel (Memphis), Centennial Park (Nashville) … * … and be prepared for a few surprises along the way!

Most Inspirational Moment

Historically - walking over the bridge at Selma, which although not on the original itinary, was made possible by our guide. Musically - listening to great Blues band at a Juke Joint called 'Reds' in Clarksdale.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Top bloke. On a scale of 1-10 we would score him 12 Jay Burleson knew his music, knew the history and did all he could to make the trip special for us. (eg he found out one of the worlds best blues guitarists was playing in a cafe on the outskirts of Nashville and helped us get to see him play!)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Embrace it all - every day and every night - you can always rest when you get home!

Most Inspirational Moment

New Orleans is great and the included steamboat dinner on the Mississippi was fantastic. Would also highly recommend the Honey Island swamp tour, we saw much more wildlife than just alligators. Elvis Birthplace & Graceland also amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Nicole was fantastic, she went above and beyond and was really helpful. There were a few timing issues which meant a couple of important sights were rushed. Sadly her boyfriend turned up for the last 4 days which turned the trip a little sour and spoilt the group dynamic.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It’s a great trip but do your research. If you’re not into the music scene then this trip might not be for you. Food is great and atms are everywhere.