ESCORTED TOURS DEEP SOUTH DESTINATIONS
I
t’s 1am in Nashville and I’m standing in a shoe shop on
Broadway breathing in the heady scent of leather and seriously considering buying a pair of cowboy boots. I’m not sure whether it’s down
to the bourbon I’ve glugged or the countrified version of Del Shannon’s Runaway that I can hear being played in the honky tonk bar next door, but this is Music City – where Stetsons and spurs are worn with pride – and it’s clearly got to me. Music courses through the
veins of America’s Deep South, whether it’s blues and rock ’n’ roll in Memphis, jazz in New Orleans or country in Nashville, and the Newmarket Holidays fam trip
I’ve joined is a pilgrimage set to each city’s beat. On our tour we learn the
stories of Johnny and Dolly, see the cotton fields where black workers sang the blues, and even walk in the steps of Elvis. Whether clients are music aficionados or not, it’s impossible not to be drawn into the history and the rhythm of each city. Mandy McGlade, long-haul
product manager at Newmarket Holidays, says: “The music theme of our tour and clients’ shared love of the music makes this a great trip for group travel. “Clients are shown all the
must-sees without the planning, and with travel by coach included. The tour managers
The music theme of our tour and clients’ shared love of the music makes this a great trip for groups
really bring the trip to life: they have a great passion for music and knowledge of the area, and plenty of stories to share.”
w NASHVILLE Step into any of the honky-tonk bars along Broadway’s neon strip and you’ll discover a great band strumming country tunes for
tips, keen to be spotted by the music agents who patrol the bars on open-mic nights. The locals go to Tootsie’s
Orchid Lounge, where Johnny Cash and Hank Williams used to drink, and to Robert’s Western World, where Stetson- toting locals eat fried bologna sandwiches, swill beer and dance. If it sounds intimidating, it’s the opposite: the vibe is unpretentious and authentic, and the locals are famously friendly. Southwest of Downtown is Music Row, home to myriad record companies, producers’ offices and recording studios, including RCA’s legendary Studio B. We’re greeted by the handsome Brad, who with
2 June 2016
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PICTURE: NASHVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS’ CORPORATION
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