Advice for 2 week trip: Nashville - Memphis - New Orleans

[Jo Bennett]

My friend and I are planning an 17 day road trip starting on 5 Sept in Nashville (2 days), probably heading to Memphis then down to New Orleans (where we'll spend 4-5 days) and then a few days in other parts of Louisiana (because we hear its great!) before we fly out of Houston on 22 Sept (no particular plan to spend time there though).

We love music so tracking down great local venues and musical delights will be a priority. We feel confident about discovering stuff in Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans but what we are really keen for is suggestions on great places to pass through or stop at between the major cities, we want to get a feel for the culture of the South - meet locals, see some beautiful spots, catch a bit of the history, etc.- so we're trying to work out a route that will maximise the experience for us.

Also (and this is probably a total novice question!), is it easy enough just to find motels and cheap-ish accommodation along the way or should be be trying to book ahead?

thanks!

[Lifemagician]

Hi Jo, and Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Since I am not all that familiar with the area, I will leave it up to others to answer your route questions. Meanwhile though, if you go to routes and attractions on the green bar above, you are bound to find some cultural and music attractions along your way.

As for hotels, by September you should be able to pretty well find accommodation in most places. I would check beforehand just to make sure there are no local festivals or other events in the area. These often book out a whole town, if not region. When travelling on interstates check at the rest areas for hotel and motel discount coupon booklets. These are normally for walkins only, and many do not include weekends. You will also find these at Welcome Centres, some Truck Stops and tourist information centres. These can also be found on the internet.

Lifey

[Jo Bennett]

thanks! the coupons are a great tip. appreciate it.

[DonnaR57]

we want to get a feel for the culture of the South - meet locals, see some beautiful spots, catch a bit of the history, etc.

One great way to meet locals is to find a non-chain restaurant in a town, something that could be called "a hole in the wall place", that appears to attract the local folks. We've found more than one of these places by asking at the motel, "where's a great place to eat that isn't a chain in this area?" Then when you're there, talk to others that are there. The waiter/waitress is a good one to start with, but talk to folks in the bathrooms or who are in line. Another place to meet locals is in the grocery store!!!!! Same there -- talk to the other customers in line, the cashier, the stockers.

You can also ask locally for some recommendations of places to see and do. Most folks love to tell you, "oh you really should go see xxxxx". (Just today, I was chatting with a woman who gave me all sorts of ideas of what to see and do in HER hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. This was in Rocheport, MO.) These places will almost always include some history.

Many of the 2-lane roads will have signs that say, "Historical marker ahead". Those can be nice ways to learn some of the history of a given area.


Donna