Here LISA BOND from Travelwise (far left) reviews a famil to Nashville and Memphis in Tennessee.
Prior to this famil opportunity neither Nashville or Memphis were on my travel radar – the most I knew was that Nashville was the Country Music capital of the world.
I have never been more surprised at the warm welcome each city offered…Southern hospitality at its very best!
After an exceptional flight with Delta Air Lines from Sydney and an early arrival at LAX, we cleared immigration and made our way to the Delta One lounge before enjoying breakfast at the Delta Sky Club.
We enjoyed Mimosa’s and a shower before boarding our next flight to Nashville. Everything was on time and we enjoyed a seamless experience airside.
After a quick refresh and welcome with canapes at the Tempo by Hilton Nashville Downtown we were transferred to the famous Grand Ole Opry and it was amazing to hear live music on our very first night.
Next morning we were up early ready to explore RCA Studio B where Elvis and Roy Orbison recorded some of their music, not to mention we also recorded our own song (hopefully never to be released!).
We powered onto the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which was massive and certainly worth a visit, before ending up at Assembly Food Hall for lunch, where the variety available was diverse and delicious.
We continued our day visiting the National Museum of African Music before heading to the gorgeous Noelle Nashville for a site inspection and then finishing with tastings at Nelson’s Greenbrier Distillery.
Our final night was spent at the Listening Room Cafe, which I found to be particularly moving as I enjoyed both the new and old talent. The Honky Tonks were so much fun and the live music scene in Nashville was outstanding.
We were hosted by the lovely Laurel and Margaret from Nashville Tourism, who went above and beyond to make sure our visit was memorable.
After a busy three days in Nashville, we took the luxurious coach service Vonlane to Memphis. The service was fantastic and the bus was super comfortable.
We checked into the Westin Downtown Memphis where we were welcomed by the lovely ‘Hope’ playing her music for us and the wonderful team from Memphis Tourism, Lisa, Chris and Taleisha.
We had dinner at the award-winning Catherine and Mary’s, followed by exploring the Beale Street nightlife with its amazing soul music.
The following morning we hit the infamous Arcade restaurant which Elvis was well known to frequent and also the oldest cafe in Memphis. This was followed by the National Civil Rights Museum, the Four Way Soul Food restaurant (fried green tomatoes are a must-try), Stax Museum and the famous Peabody Ducks (Google it!).
Dinner was at the Rendezvous BBQ, which is a bit hidden and hard to find unless you knew where you are going. Regardless, the food is something not to be missed here.
The Chess Club for breakfast was another highlight and another local secret. Sun Studios and Graceland, a must on any Memphis visit, filled the rest of our afternoon followed by a lovely dinner with the group in the evening, Our last night out in Memphis featured a visit to B.B. King’s bar to hear more jazz and soul music.
We were up early for breakfast at Paulette’s, which was another sumptuous affair, followed by a meeting with Elaine Lee, who was our tour guide for the morning.
This proved to be yet another highlight of the trip as she and her sisters were pioneers of the civil rights movement in Memphis and having her tell her personal story was absolutely incredible.
I cannot thank the Nashville/Memphis and Tennessee tourism team enough for making this famil an absolute dream experience, along with Delta Airlines for being the best transport.
It was an experience I highly recommend and continue to recommend to my customers. A stopover in Tennessee is now a must!
