One of the coolest road trips we’ve ever taken – a musical pilgrimage that begins in Memphis, Tennessee, passes through Louisville, Kentucky, and culminates in Cleveland, Ohio and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2,270 miles in 7 days, we covered a lot of ground, heard amazing music, experienced musical, cultural and architectural history, and ate and drank our way around a very special part of the USA. It’s a lot take in, so let’s focus here on part 1 of our journey.
Memphis has an authenticity about it, and it comes through in the welcoming warmth of the people who live there. We can’t recall a shuttle driver, bartender, Uber driver, waiter or waitress that didn’t serve as an ambassador to their beloved city. Every person we encountered had favorites, recommendations and stories to share, and made us feel right at home. It is a special place.
There was simply too much to see and do in the 3 days we had…but we did fit in a lot! Listed below, in no particular order, are the must-see, must-experience choices we made, and highly recommend to anyone and everyone who enjoys (what we consider) the good things in life.
It started with out our great tour of the south. To celebrate 30 amazing years of marriage, we wanted to begin in one of our favorite places on earth, the always happy and happening New Orleans. Second on our list was Nashville (a blog to come), where we wanted our fill of BBQ, Bourbon (I know its really Kentucky, but go with me on the alliteration) and Blues (of the Country sort).
OK, anyway, we knew a stop in between would be a must. Carla isn’t happy in the car that long. So, we’d detour to Memphis. We have a plan! I’m thinking, great, everything we want (the three B’s), and a lot of nights to get it all in.
But as we started Google mapping the route, it occurred to us that without adding much distance we could add an additional ‘B’ – Beach ! After the New Orleans nights and before the Nashville scene, we could get in some R & R for few days (and dry out a bit…LOL). The gulf shore would fit in perfectly, just head east before North. And through all the great choices, one stood out: Pensacola.
So here are the reasons we went, the reasons we loved it, the reasons to go back, and the reasons why you should consider it as well!
