mikey wrote:
Jean - hope you see this, I am thinking of doing a road trip this summer.
Atlanta - Chattanooga - Memphis - Nashville - New Orleans.
Any advice or things not to miss, good places to stay, bars and restaurants. Sounds like you are an expert
Anybody else got any advice?
thanks
In Memphis, there are all the obvious places - Sun Studios, Graceland,Stax Studios, Beale Street...on Beale street I enjoyed visiting A.Schwab's dry goods - a real old-timey store where you can buy stuff like toiletries and voodoo potions..! Beale Street is like a milder version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans - it's a wider street and not as long and has lots of music at night, but it's good fun, albeit very aimed at tourists. When I was there I had a good night out at Autozone park, home of the Memphis Redbirds Minor League Baseball team. Get there early and the first in their seats get freebies handed out on the gate; I've still got my Rocky Redbird bobble-head toy that I picked up from one of the cheerleaders who was handing them out
I never got to the Civil Rights Museum - the Peabody Hotel has a big reputation, but it's part of a modern mall. Go and see the ducks and you can tick that box.
I love New Orleans for all its even more touristy nature. Bourbon Street is wild at all times and safe but seedy - don't pee in any alleyways though, or you'll end up in the slammer, which happened to one of my mates when we were over in Louisiana. The police are hugely corrupt, so make sure you behave. Loads to do - Cafe Du Monde for beignet (doughnut-type confectioneries covered with icing sugar that you'll never remove from your clothing) never shuts....next to the Cafe Du Monde is the French market which sells fruit as well as great souvenirs and t-shirts. The Old US Mint at the end of the French market is now a jazz museum and I've played in one of its courtyards (twice) at the French Quarter Festival. If you are after the local nightlife, then head beyond Bourbon street to Frenchman's Street where you may find the likes of Coco Ribocheaux jamming in a bar or catch some salsa with Fredy Omar con su Banda (Fredy owes me a beer by the way - long story - we met in San Francisco, after he and his girlfriend fled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) Don't venture into Louis Armstrong park or the cemeteries unaccompanied - dodgy places - be very careful if taking tours to see the Ninth ward - the areas most devasted by Katrina. A friend of mine from Monroe in North Louisiana wouldn't venture there without a shotgun...
Food-wise, there's almost infinite choice but I'd suggest Mulates for some gumbo and Cajun music - talking of which, if I was heading to New Orleans, I wouldn't stay in the city - I'd be heading west along the I-10 to Lafayette to see the real Cajun country - catch live music at the Blue Moon Saloon or go and see my mate Jay Cormier at Mulates in Breaux Bridge, just off the I-10. If you can find it there's a legendary Sunday afternoon club at Henderson, on the levee - Whisky River Landing - they're fully expecting to get wiped out by the opening of the Mississippi flood gates any time now, but by the time you go, I'm sure they'll be rebuilt - it's not as though it hasn't happened before. Last time I was over in 2008, they got destroyed by Hurricane Rita, but rebuilt the club and were up and running within months. Head a bit further up to Eunice to the Cajun Music Hall of Fame and join the audience for the free TV recordings of Cajun and Zydeco bands at the Liberty Theater on a Saturday evening. Rosie's cafe is just round the corner and is a working class cajun cafe selling the spiciest gumbo you'll ever taste...
Want to buy an accordion - Marc Savoy's accordion shop is on Highway 190 heading east out of Eunice - he holds Saturday morning jam sessions and everyone's invited; Marc was in the film Southern Comfort and is regarded as one of the godfathers of Cajun music. There are loads of music and food festivals to look out for in the Cajun Heartland and the quality of the music and the musicians is outstanding - in Jay Cormier's house band at Mulates in Breaux Bridge, for example, two of the band have played on Grammy-nominated albums!
Nashville - if there's one place you must seek out live music it's the Station Inn - about a mile out of the centre of town and the house bands and guests who turn up frequently number some of the finest bluegrass musicians amongst their number. On Broadway, there's Roberts' Western World, where BR549 got their start and where you'll catch music like this -
http://youtu.be/b7yruJ4S2QA
Country Music Hall of Fame - an absolute must see. I drooled over Gram Parsons' Nudie suit for a good ten minutes. There's so much stuff in there. Avoid places like the Wild Horse saloon..dreadful...
This has so made me want to go back...
A video of a road trip I did which took in part of Alabama and a lot of Texas -
http://youtu.be/urP1zDMCB00