Day 1: Travel to Lima, OH
Start your journey south, travelling through Ontario, Michigan and into Ohio for an overnight stay. Enjoy an included dinner and get to know your fellow travellers.
Stay: Hampton Inn, Lima, OH (1 night)
Meals: D
Day 2: Lima, OH to Nashville, TN
Travel to Nashville, Tennessee, through the Great Smokie Mountains and admire the amazing scenery. Arrive at the home of country music by mid-afternoon and get an introduction to the Grand Ole Opry with a Backstage tour. Arrive at the opulent Gaylord Opryland Hotel
in time to freshen up before enjoying a free evening. With two nights at this centrally located hotel, you are close to all the honkytonk action, and the hotel has live entertainment every night!
Stay:
Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN
(2 nights)
Meals:
B
Day 3: Guided tour of Nashville, The Ryman Auditorium & The Grand Ole Opry
Enjoy a guided tour of Nashville, with the tour ending at the Ryman Auditorium, a red brick building that has launched country music careers for over 130 years. You’ll have a free afternoon for lunch and sightseeing. Suggestions for the afternoon include the Country Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum, Patsy Cline Museum, and RCA Studio B. This evening, enjoy The Grand Ole Opry Live Radio Show.
Meals: B
Day 4: Nashville, TN to Biloxi, MS
Travel south to the Gulf Coast and Biloxi, Mississippi. Arrive at the hotel where you’ll settle in for the next four nights.
Stay: Double Tree by Hilton, Biloxi, MS. (4 nights)
Meals:
B, D
Day 5: Shrimping Expedition, Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum, Tour of Biloxi
Let's go "shrimpin’"! Board the ship for a 70-minute ride, where you will learn how to set a trawl net and fish the Mississippi Sound for blue crabs, oysterfish, flounder, stingrays, squid, pufferfish, and shrimp! Back on land, enjoy the daily catch with a traditional shrimp boil. After lunch, visit the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum
and discover 300 years of Mississippi’s gritty heritage on a guided tour through informative exhibits and replica displays. Then, enjoy a guided tour of Biloxi, including the Visitors Center, which contains artifacts from Hurricane Katrina and Lighthouse Park, with beautiful views of the Mississippi Sound.
Meals:
B, L
Day 6: Bay St. Louis & Pascagoula
After breakfast, board the coach and meet our local guide, who will personally show us around the coastal city of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and the St. Rose de Lima Church,
the Mardi Gras Museum, and the L&N Train Station. After lunch, travel to Moss Point to the Pascagoula River Audubon Centre
for an introduction to the unique ecosystem in the bayou. Then, enjoy an unforgettable experience with a tour of the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch and an airboat swamp tour. During dinner, there’s sure to be some fun discussions of favourite features of the day!
Meals: B, D
Day 7: New Orleans
Today’s adventure is in the "Big Easy", New Orleans. A local guide will provide an overview of the city, followed by a jazz brunch at the award-winning Court of Two Sisters.
After lunch, enjoy free time in the famous French Quarter before returning to the hotel in Biloxi.
Meals:
B, L
Day 8: Biloxi, MS to Memphis, TN
Travel from Mississippi to Tennessee, and on the way stop at the home of HGTV “My Home Town” for lunch. Arrive in Memphis late in the afternoon, and check into your hotel, a resort experience inspired by Elvis Presley. The Guest House at Graceland
is just steps away from the music world’s important and beloved landmark, Graceland, and offers a perfect blend of style and Southern hospitality,
Stay:
Guest House at Graceland, Memphis, TN (2 nights)
Meals:
B
Day 9: Graceland & Memphis
Enjoy a full morning touring Graceland!
With your VIP ticket gain full access to Elvis Presley’s Memphis Entertainment Complex which is home to 3 museums. Tour the mansion and see his cars, custom jets, lavish costumes and more. The afternoon will focus on the history of the “Home of the Blues” with a tour of Sun Studios and a tour of the city of Memphis. As a perfect conclusion for our stay in Memphis, for dinner, enjoy special seating overlooking the stage at B.B. King’s Blues Club!
Meals:
B, D
Day 10: Memphis, TN to St. Louis, MO
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll follow the mighty Mississippi, heading northward to St Louis, the “Gateway to the West”. Take a one-of-a-kind ride to the top of the Gateway Arch
for wonderful pictures of the Mississippi River. We’ll arrive at the hotel and “Kick Back” and have some fun this evening.
Stay: Drury’s Plaza St. Louis Arch, St. Louis, MO (1 night)
Meals:
B, L
Day 11: Kalamazoo, MI
Board the motorcoach after breakfast and relax as we travel north to Kalamazoo, Michigan today. Tonight, gather with your fellow travellers and new friends for a farewell dinner.
Stay:
The Fours Points by Sheraton, Kalamazoo, Michigan (1 night)
Meals:
B, D
Day 12: Travel Home
Journey homeward with a border crossing at Sarnia. Bid ‘adieu’ to new friends as you savour your memories made in the South.
Meals:
B
