Compare Signature City Memphis: Magic on the Mississippi by Road Scholar vs Country Roads of the Deep South 2022 Classic Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Memphis, TN D Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Road Scholar check in is at 4:15. After you have your room assignment, come to the lobby area conference room to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, other important information, and to learn when and where the Orientation session will take place. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At a local restaurant on the historic Beale Street, we will enjoy a barbeque dinner, with coffee, tea, water, along with live music; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 2
Danny Thomas, Botanic Garden, Old Dominick Distillery
Memphis, TN B,L Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach. Minimal walking on paved and unpaved/uneven surfaces in the Botanic Garden and Danny Thomas Pavilion.

Breakfast: In the hotel lobby, we will enjoy a buffet breakfast, featuring hot and cold dishes, plus coffee, tea, water.

Morning: This morning we will travel by motor coach with a local expert to the Danny Thomas Pavilion to learn about the life of Danny Thomas, the history of ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities), and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, located on the campus of St. Jude. The architecturally-unique building contains memorabilia of late entertainer Danny Thomas, founder of St. Jude, including entertainment and humanitarian awards and honors like his Congressional Gold Medal. We will then ride to the Memphis Botanic Garden for an expert led field trip to see the three working greenhouses onsite, as well as many orchids and a renowned cactus collection.

Lunch: At the restaurant at the botanical gardens, we will enjoy a plated lunch featuring soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will enjoy an expert led field trip and raise a glass to "Share a Sip of Pure Memphis" at The Old Dominick Distillery, a 150 year family legacy. In 2016 Old Dominick produced its very first batch of Tennessee whiskey, an occasion that marked the first time since prohibition that whiskey was legally distilled in Memphis.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own tonight.

Evening: After dinner, we'll meet back at the hotel to see a special film on the early years of Elvis Presley in the conference room, with an introduction from our group leader.

Day 3
Beale St History, Belz & Rock n Soul Museums, BB Kings
Memphis, TN B,D Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach to Beethoven Club. Walking through museums. Minimal walking through Beale St/downtown area.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This morning, we will enjoy a private session with a local expert who will talk about Beale Street and the Memphis music scene. Next, we will ride to the Beethoven Club, a local musical institution, where our expert will discuss music history and perform examples of Memphis styles of music. We’ll clap and sing along to old time favorites while learning about syncopation.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will meet in the hotel lobby to walk to the Belz Museum with our leader. The museum's collection is based on the private collection of Memphis developers Jack and Marilyn Belz, who owned the Peabody Hotel and Peabody Place. The Belz features over 1,000 objects, including works of jade, tapestries, furniture, carvings, and other historical and artistic objects. The museum also houses one of the finest collections of pieces from the Qing dynasty. After visiting the Belz, we will walk as a group to the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, the first museum ever jointly developed by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of American History. Debuted in August 2004, it came out of a traveling exhibition on the roots of uniquely American music in the South, from “field hollers” to work songs, blues, country, and gospel. These more countrified forms gradually met and mingled with their urban cousins: blues, jazz, and what became rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, and soul music.. It charts the story of a field of music that has had a tremendous impact on popular culture and lifestyles from the mid-20th Century through today. It also documents the story of musical pioneers who overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create music that changed our world. The museum’s digital audio guide lets us move at our own pace on a self-guided visit through seven galleries of audio-visual programs, instruments, costumes, other musical treasures, and more than 300 minutes of information including more than 100 songs.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 4
Mighty Mississippi, Sun Studio, Graceland
Memphis, TN B,L,D Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach to Sun Studio. Minimal walking on some uneven terrain at Graceland.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This morning in the hotel we will learn from an expert about the mighty Mississippi River. The Mississippi River is the chief river of the largest drainage system in North America that flows 2,530 miles from northern Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico. We’ll learn about its role in the growth of Memphis and the nation as a whole. Afterwards, we will take the motorcoach to Sun Studio, a recording studio opened by rock pioneer Sam Phillips in 1950 and claimed to be the birthplace of rock ‘n roll. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and many more made their name here through the ‘50s.

Lunch: Lunch will be at a restaurant on Graceland property.

Afternoon: We will take a field trip to the 14-acre estate Graceland that was the home of Elvis Presley, now a virtual shrine, with museums, films, and exhibits for a unique glimpse into the life and times of The King. We’ll explore Graceland Mansion on our own and see his personal mementos and gold and platinum awards.

Dinner: Dinner will be at the famous B.B. King's Blues Club. The house band is B.B. King’s All Stars, and guest musicians include some of the best in the business for one of the most diverse, sophisticated lineups of modern blues and R&B in Memphis — a good show every night of the week. Feel free to jump up and dance or sit back and relax. This is the real deal! Then go out and hear music up and down Beale Street on your own.

Evening: After dinner, we will enjoy great live music on world-famous Beale Street before returning to the hotel.

Day 5
Stax Museum, National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street
Memphis, TN B,L,D Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach to the National Civil Rights Museum and Stax Museum. Minimal walking through downtown area.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After breakfast, we will travel by motor coach to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, one of few museums dedicated to soul music. Along with classic Stax artists like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes, and the Staple Singers, the museum also celebrates the legacy of soul artists from Motown and other labels. We will learn about the gospel roots of soul from a carefully reassembled c.1906 Mississippi Delta church and dance along to Soul Train videos on the Express Yourself dancefloor.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated lunch, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will travel by motorcoach to the National Civil Rights Museum, a privately-owned complex of museums and historic buildings built around the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. We’ll follow a timeline that charts the course of events around the assassination and the impact and legacy of the civil rights movement.

Dinner: Our farewell dinner will take place at a local restaurant. We will enjoy a plated meal, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. Enjoy each other's company on your last night in Memphis!

Day 6
Program Concludes
Memphis, TN B
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet. This concludes our program.

Morning: We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Day 1: Arrive in Nashville

Welcome to Nashville, the capital of Tennessee and the USA’s glittering centre stage. From the Everly Brothers' “Bye Bye Love," to Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman," the streets are paved with talent. Your airport transfer will whisk you to your hotel.Relax and unwind before meeting your Travel Director and mingling with guests at 18:00 followed by a Welcome Dinner with wine.

Day 2: Take centre stage in Nashville

Start your day with an orientation tour of music city. You'll visit the picturesque Riverfront Park, Tennessee State Capitol and the 132 acre Centennial State Park, where you'll encounter an exact replica of the Parthenon. Pass by the city's lively honky-tonks and street performers on Broadway, as you make your way to the Ryman Auditorium, former home of the Grand Ole Opry. Built in 1885 as a building for religious gatherings, it held its first concert in 1892, before opening its doors to Hollywood greats. It is here where Johnny Cash first met June Carter, where bluegrass was born and where country music found an audience. Tonight, head to the famous Grand Ole Opry, the world-renowned country music stage and longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.

Day 3: A day of legends

Go behind the scenes of a Nashville recording studio. This intimate experience introduces you to a performing artist, musicians and the techniques behind a song’s development. Make a stop at Nashville’s Farmers' Market and Market House to explore its artisanal crafts and produce.Explore Nashville with Insight Choice. Choose to visit Nelson’s Green Brier, a local Tennessee distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. Alternatively, visit the National Museum of African American Music, which shares the story of the American soundtrack through history and interactive technology.Tonight's dinner at Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant will introduce you to the colourful flavours of Nashville. Perhaps try the crabmeat cheesecake.

Day 4: Heading back home to Memphis

This morning you'll head to Memphis. Whether it’s your first or hundredth time visiting this vibrant city, you’ll be drawn in by the lively melodies coming from Beale Street.Spend the morning on a sightseeing tour of the city, followed by a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the National Civil Rights Museum. While there, you’ll be guided through five centuries of The Civil Rights Movement history and its impact on our culture today.End your day by joining a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a private evening at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum is part of The Soulsville Foundation, which aims to prepare young adults for life success and inspire future artists.

Day 5: A day dedicated to the King

Begin you day with a visit to Sun Studio, the “birthplace of rock and roll”, where music legends, including B.B. King, Johnny Cash and Elvis recorded.Make your way to the magnificent Graceland, the former home of the "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley.Dinner this evening will be served at The Beauty Shop, a former parlour turned whimsical New American eatery where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, was said to get her hair done.

Day 6: Memphis to Greenwood

Travel through the Mississippi Delta down the Mississippi Blues Trail, a route that tells the stories of bluesmen and women. Explore the Delta town of Greenwood at your own pace, before heading to the Viking Cooking School for a hot tamales cooking demonstration - a regional specialty.Later, dine on a mouthwatering dinner at a James Beard Award finalist restaurant that features southern inspired dishes that include produce local to the area.

Day 7: Moving on to Natchez

Learn more about Southern history and hospitality as you head to Natchez. Tour the historic antebellum mansions, and discover the preservation efforts of later generations to tell the story of African-Americans through the decades, understanding that slavery and cotton allowed plantation owners to build these mansions. Test your mixologist skills as you concoct a traditional Southern cocktail, the Mint Julep. Minty, cooling and with a touch of sweetness, you're sure to learn a few party tricks to bring back home with you. Enjoy an evening to yourself. Ask your Travel Director for restaurant suggestions and discover one of the wonderful options in town.

Day 8: Natchez to Lafayette

Move on to Lafayette for a taste of the Cajun and Creole culture. Get to know more about Cajun culture and how it is defined by its roots.Head to the Acadian Cultural Center followed by a unique Cajun music experience.A genre rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians, it is both eclectic and joyous. Learn more about this fast tempo music and its history from a local accordion maker and musician.In the evening, indulge in a delicious dinner with your fellow travellers.

Day 9: Lafayette for foodies

Start the day with a crawfish farm tour just outside the city. You will be joined by a Local Expert who will help you catch your lunch the old-fashioned way, using hand nets. You’ll be taught how to prepare a traditional boil, before sitting down to the meal. If crawfish are out of season, you'll take part in a boil experience with seasonal seafood. Later, enjoy time at leisure or head out on an optional swamp tour.

Day 10: Welcome to the Big Easy

New Orleans is a lively and dynamic city, known for its vibrant culture and electric jazz festivals. On the way down south, stop at the Tabasco® Factory for a self-guided tour and discover how the world-famous red hot pepper sauce is made. This afternoon, head to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, where you’ll learn more about the city’s diverse cuisine with a guided tour and included lunch.

Day 11: Festivities in New Orleans Relaxed Start

Get to know the city with a Local Expert as you discover each neighborhood's unique architecture and explore the vibrant art scene. See how the community comes together through celebration.In the afternoon, take your pick of optional activities, perhaps getting to know the local culture through a jazz music experience or by meeting a voodoo specialist.End your day by joining your fellow travellers at a Celebration Dinner at the Palace Cafe - a contemporary and upbeat Creole restaurant at the foot of the French Quarter.

Day 12: Depart New Orleans

It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers as your adventure comes to an end with a departure to the airport.