The Deep South

Tommy Sims performing. Courtesy of Nashville Events and Visitors Corporation. © Wolfgang Hoffman
Sarah Jeffery, GTO’s Partnership & Product Director, recently enjoyed a 12-night holiday, travelling across America’s Deep South on a tour organised by Travelsphere and led by tour manager Jackie O’Donoghue.

Sarah Jeffery outside Sun Studios
Georgia
Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, played an important part in both the Civil War and the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and this history can be discovered in the Atlanta History Center and at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site – dedicated to the African-American leader’s life and times.

Placards at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.
Downtown, the Centennial Olympic Park, built for the 1996 Olympics is well worth a visit – it’s now home to the massive Georgia Aquarium, which houses more than a 100,000 animals including whale sharks. There’s also a SkyView Ferris wheel, offering panoramic views of the surrounding area.
Tennessee
Historically a major railroad hub, Chattanooga is on the banks of the Tennessee River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Here, groups can stay at the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel, which opened in 1973 and was named after the famous tune that was originally recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra featuring in the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade.

Chattanooga’s Incline Railway

Country star, Dustin Lynch, and one of Sarah’s favourite performers.
Nearby, is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exploring the history of country music through dynamic state-of-the-art galleries and groups can also choose a unique experience that includes performances from Music City’s finest musicians and songwriters.

Enjoying the jazz band on the Steamboat Natchez in New Orleans
Memphis, on the Mississippi River in southwest Tennessee, is famous for the influential strains of blues, soul and rock ‘n’ roll that originated there. Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Johnny Cash recorded albums at the Sun Studio and groups can visit and stand in the very place that Elvis stood! Knowledgeable tour guides tell the inside stories of B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf and Ike Turner, and priceless memorabilia from the era is on show.

Sarah Jeffery at Sun Studios, standing where Elvis stood.

The Pink Cadillac in the Elvis Automobile Museum
Louisiana

St Louis Cemetery Nº 3
In the heart of the city’s French Quarter between the Jax Brewery Shopping Mall and the French Market and in front of the St. Louis Cathedral you’ll find the popular Jackson Square. It was known in the 18th century as Place d’Armes but was renamed in honour of the Battle of New Orleans hero, Andrew Jackson. Surrounding the square are historic buildings including the Presbytere and Cabildo, two of Louisiana’s State Museums, and the Lower and Upper Pontalba Apartments – the oldest apartment buildings in the United States. For over 50 years, local artists have come here to paint, draw, create portraits and caricatures, displaying their work on the square’s iron fence. It’s also here that the world-famous Café Du Monde has been serving up crispy beignets and creamy cafés au lait since 1862.

The decorative buildings in New Orleans’ French Quarter
New Orleans’ cemeteries with their ornate tombs, some dating back to the late 1700s, are major tourist attractions. There are dozens throughout the city so groups are advised to book a tour – most will take you through St. Louis Cemetery #1, home to Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau’s grave, and Lafayette Cemetery – a popular location for movies shot in New Orleans and situated directly across from Commander’s Place in the Garden District.
Around 25 miles outside of the city, groups can enjoy a trip on the bayou and explore the swamp with Cajun Encounters Eco-Tours, operated by New Orleans natives who are passionate about their home town, its history, and the surrounding wildlife. Groups will learn unique Cajun history and get up close to many of the swamp’s residents, including 10-foot alligators, turtles and raccoons, plus numerous birds and fauna. Smaller groups (16 people maximum) can book the Close Encounter VIP Tour. Swamp tours can be teamed with a tour of a local plantation, such as Destrehan Plantation, an antebellum mansion built in the French Colonial style in 1787.
Here, costumed guides will lead tours of the mansion and share the stories of the Destrehan family and the enslaved who lived on the plantation. There are daily craft demonstrations showcasing African-American herbal remedies, historical carpentry and quilting.
Organising trips to the Deep South
For this trip, Sarah joined an escorted group tour organised by Travelsphere but the itinerary can be tailored so that it suits the needs and specific interests of a group taking in preferred dates, destinations, accommodation or dining choices. A local tour manager will join your group too making sure everything runs smoothly and giving GTOs the chance to relax and enjoy the trip as much as their group.