By: Bree Rodriguez
AffordableTours.com Tour Consultant
Filled with history and music, and a dash of whiskey and race horses, Globus’ Sights and Sounds of the South introduces travelers to the hospitable culture of three states south of the Mason-Dixon line: Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina. I traveled on this memorable itinerary with my husband last June, and we were surprised at how much we learned from our knowledgeable tour director and local guides at the various sightseeing stops.
Our first hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, was right beside the trolley stop that runs directly to wonderful Beale Street. Here, brass bands play on the streets and clubs rock with blues tunes. Everyone on our tour was wowed by nearby Graceland, the palatial home of Elvis Presley. The National Civil Rights Museum was another highlight in Memphis. Located at the Lorraine Motel, site of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the museum traces the Civil Rights movement.
From Memphis, we motored to Nashville, home of “Music Row” – one street that houses the major country-music recording studios. At RCA Studio B we even recorded our own CD (no, it’s not destined for Billboard’s Top 100). In Nashville, we were thrilled to overnight at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, with nine lush acres of indoor gardens, plus waterfalls and a giant pool with a huge television for your viewing pleasure while swimming. With more than 2,800 hotel rooms, more than a dozen shops, a spa, variety of restaurants and club that plays live music, the property is nearly its own city!
Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace, the Jim Beam Distillery and the world-famous Churchill Downs were the highlight visits in Louisville, Kentucky. At the home of the Kentucky Derby we were regaled with stories of some of the most famous racing horses in history: Man o’ War, Secretariat and Seabiscuit. We encountered beautiful scenery on our drive through a working thoroughbred horse farm: bright white fences weaving through rolling green pastures.
The tour wrapped up with a visit to Gatlinburg, Kentucky, at the foot of the glorious Great Smoky Mountains. We had a ball at Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s upbeat theme park, where my husband rode the wooden roller coaster four times! Onward to Asheville, North Carolina, we were awed by the splendor of the 8,000-acre Biltmore Estate and its gorgeous gardens. After more than a week’s worth of sightseeing in the U.S. South, we were tired, but so pleased to have experienced an area of the country filled with charm, history and beauty.
What’s Included: Explore Pigeon Forge, Dollywood, Churchill Downs—”Home of the Kentucky Derby” and more!
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About the Author
Bree Rodriguez is a Tour Specialist at AffordableTours.com
Contact Information:
Tel: 800.935.2620 Ext 128
Email: [email protected]
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