LA to Miss to AL to GA to TN to Ark to LA

[JohnnyOnTheSpot]

I'm planning on doing about a 8-9 day loop in late May from Bossier City, LA covering the following cities:
Bossier City, LA
Vicksburg, Miss
Jackson, Miss
Birmingham, AL
Atlanta, GA (for a Braves game)
Gatlinburg, TN (National Park, whitewater rafting)
Nashville, TN (Opryland, Grand Ole Opry)
Memphis, TN (Graceland, Beale St, barbeque)
Hot Springs, Ark (professional bath, spa, etc.)
Bossier City, LA

I plan on spending one day in each city except for two days in Memphis.

Does anyone have any suggestions about routes, things to see, places to eat in these cities or between them?

TIA

[lhuff]

I can't add much to your list, but if you're taking I-20 to Vicksburg you'll pass within 15 miles of Poverty Point. It's off of the Delhi exit. Unfortunately this is a LA State park. So that means that there is little upkeep of the property, but the formations are really interesting and still visible. Also in Vicksburg they've done a good job of presenting the Siege of Vicksburg in the National Park there. I highly recommend it.

Laura

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

It sounds like the main purpose of your trip is to see the city sights and enjoy some night life. In that case, you should probably keep your routing straightforward and stick to the interstates as much as possible. I-20 to Atlanta; US-23, US-74 and US 441-to Gatlinburg; I-40 to Little Rock; I-30 to Texarkana; and US-71 back into Bossier City.

I drove the stretch from Shreveport through Alabama last summer. You can find my report here. Maybe some of my stops might appeal to you as well. Since your trip seems to be music oriented, you might also want to consider a side trip to Tupelo, MS to see Elvis' birthplace, and by all means, while in Memphis make the pilgrimage to what many consider the nursery of Rock and Roll: Sun Records' studio.

AZBuck

[travel_monkeys]

If you're hitting Vicksburg you should stop in Natchez, MS too if you like colonial architecture. If you like the blues check out 930 Blues Cafe in downtown Jackson. A nice atmosphere complete with the sometimes surly bartender. Good music too, although it varies from the blues to r&b depending on who's playing. Other than that and the state capital building, Jackson is kind of dull.
The thing to see in Birmingham is the Civil Rights Institute. In fact, if you're interested in the civil rights movement there are 3 great museums on your trip - The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The best one IMO is the latter one. It's set at the Lorraine Motel which is where MLK was shot, and the exhibits are great. I expected to make a quick stop there and spent 4 hrs.
As for other attractions, in Atlanta you can take a tour of CNN headquarters. If you have any interest in bluegrass music, the best spot in the country to see live bluegrass IMO is the Station Inn in on 12th Ave. in Nashville. They have great music and it still has a little bit of a hole-in-the-wall atmosphere.
Downtown Chattanooga, TN is nice too, and if you stop there check out the Lookout Mountain Incline, which takes you to the top of Lookout Mountain where on a clear day you can see 7 states.
Have fun!

[JohnnyOnTheSpot]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

It sounds like the main purpose of your trip is to see the city sights and enjoy some night life. In that case, you should probably keep your routing straightforward and stick to the interstates as much as possible. I-20 to Atlanta; US-23, US-74 and US 441-to Gatlinburg; I-40 to Little Rock; I-30 to Texarkana; and US-71 back into Bossier City.

I drove the stretch from Shreveport through Alabama last summer. You can find my report here. Maybe some of my stops might appeal to you as well. Since your trip seems to be music oriented, you might also want to consider a side trip to Tupelo, MS to see Elvis' birthplace, and by all means, while in Memphis make the pilgrimage to what many consider the nursery of Rock and Roll: Sun Records' studio.

AZBuck

Thanks for giving me your suggested route, AZBuck. I read the first part of your report here. My grandparents live in Gibsland. Quaint little town. Thanks also for your tips of places to see. I didn't intend my trip to be music oriented, but I did want to spend some quality time in Tennessee.

[JohnnyOnTheSpot]

If you're hitting Vicksburg you should stop in Natchez, MS too if you like colonial architecture. If you like the blues check out 930 Blues Cafe in downtown Jackson. A nice atmosphere complete with the sometimes surly bartender. Good music too, although it varies from the blues to r&b depending on who's playing. Other than that and the state capital building, Jackson is kind of dull.
The thing to see in Birmingham is the Civil Rights Institute. In fact, if you're interested in the civil rights movement there are 3 great museums on your trip - The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The best one IMO is the latter one. It's set at the Lorraine Motel which is where MLK was shot, and the exhibits are great. I expected to make a quick stop there and spent 4 hrs.
As for other attractions, in Atlanta you can take a tour of CNN headquarters. If you have any interest in bluegrass music, the best spot in the country to see live bluegrass IMO is the Station Inn in on 12th Ave. in Nashville. They have great music and it still has a little bit of a hole-in-the-wall atmosphere.
Downtown Chattanooga, TN is nice too, and if you stop there check out the Lookout Mountain Incline, which takes you to the top of Lookout Mountain where on a clear day you can see 7 states.
Have fun!

Thanks for all of your great suggestions, travel_monkeys. I'm actually not real excited about Vicksburg and Jackson, MS. They're mostly just stops along the way to Atlanta, Gatlinburg, Nashville, & Memphis. I just don't like to drive for long spells. I'm excited about spending some time in the mountains. (The highest "mountain" in Louisiana is 535 feet high.) Memphis looks exciting and I have family in Nashville. Hot Springs will be the relaxing end to our vacation.

[Badduke]

The Rendezvous in Memphis is great for dry ribs. It's located at 52 S. Second St., Memphis (901) 523-2746. My wife and I and my sister and her husband are heading to Tunica, MS on 2/26. We will definitely take a day trip to Memphis to eat at Rendezvous and visit the Rock 'n Soul museum.
By the way, we evacuated to Minden for Hurricane Katrina. We visited Bossier City and Shreveport...thanks for the hospitality.

[JohnnyOnTheSpot]

The Rendezvous in Memphis is great for dry ribs. It's located at 52 S. Second St., Memphis (901) 523-2746. My wife and I and my sister and her husband are heading to Tunica, MS on 2/26. We will definitely take a day trip to Memphis to eat at Rendezvous and visit the Rock 'n Soul museum.
By the way, we evacuated to Minden for Hurricane Katrina. We visited Bossier City and Shreveport...thanks for the hospitality.

I will make a note to eat at the Rendezvous. I love to eat, and I especially love barbeque, so thanks for the tip. I'm getting several suggestions about the Rock 'n Soul museum, so I'll have to check that out, too.

I'm glad you enjoyed Minden; that's were I grew up. Did you stay at the Methodist Camp at Caney Lake? Sandra Bullock is filming a scene for her new movie this week on Main Street (the brick road downtown). It's all over the news in Minden.

[Badduke]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Sibley Rd. We met some wonderful people there. I can imagine the excitement with the movie being filmed there.
Hope you enjoy your trip. When we get back I'll let you know if The Rendezvous is still as good as it was 4 years ago.

[heatherbug737]

If you're hitting Vicksburg you should stop in Natchez, MS too if you like colonial architecture. If you like the blues check out 930 Blues Cafe in downtown Jackson. A nice atmosphere complete with the sometimes surly bartender. Good music too, although it varies from the blues to r&b depending on who's playing. Other than that and the state capital building, Jackson is kind of dull.

If you do go to Natchez, stop by Fat Mama's and get a knock ya naked margarita. They're well known around the South.