Seven States in 19 Days, calling at, Atlanta – Chattanooga – Memphis – Nashville – Jackson – New Orleans – Pensacola Beach – Tallahassee – Atlanta

4 April

Edinburgh to Atlanta

Arrived in Atlanta via Paris after a long 13 hour journey. The transfer at Charles Dr Gaul was very smooth, as was immigration and customs in Atlanta.The only hiccup was the rental car which was only covered for Georgia and neighbouring states. All worked out eventually and we had an uneventful drive to the Hampton Inn at Georgia Tech.

5 April

Atlanta to Chattanooga

After a 10 hour sleep at the Hampton Inn near Georgia Tech, we had a quick breakfast. It was nothing special before our fairly early start at 9.00am. Forgot to tell you about our vehicle for this trip. It’s a Volvo, really nice, almost drives itself.

Chattanooga is about 120 miles north of Atlanta on the I75, driving through The Walking Dead country. It was a uneventful journey but for a 20 minute tailback due to rubbernecking at a accident. We arrived in Chattanooga just after 11.00am. Public parking was chargeable and you should pick your spot carefully.

We parked near the aquarium and paid $12 for 2-5 hours. If we had parked a block away we could have got the whole day for $5. The Republic parking lots are probably the most expensive.After walking around near the aquarium we decided to go for lunch at the River Bar and Grill. Shout out to colleagues Ally, Chris and Alistair back home. Here’s the first food photo.

Chattanooga is a nice little city. Easy to walk around and fairly compact. A ideal place for a one night stop-over.

After lunch we headed up to Lookout Mountain to see the views of the city. You can go and see the caves and waterfall at Ruby Falls prices start at $22 for the basic tour. We decided not to go in as we had done a similar experience in 2014 during our Route 66 trip. Once you’ve seen one cave as the saying goes.

As we are getting on a bit we like to have a nap in the afternoon. so we drove down the other side of the mountain and headed for our motel, Best Western Royal Inn. After a short snooze we headed for the Walmart near the motel to pick up some supplies, beer, wine and munchies for the evening. For my family back home here are a couple of photos that will bring back memories.

I could live in Walmart. Stocked up for the evening and a few other bits and pieces picked up as well it was back to the motel. Hooked up to the WiFi and the VPN on it was time for beer and catch-up of our TV shows. We travel 4000 miles to watch EastEnders (Pauline not me).

6 April

Chattanooga to Nashville (Music City)

We left the Best Western Royal Inn after breakfast around 9.30am. About 10 miles up the I24 we crossed the state line into Tennessee. At that point the time went back an hour. As we had plenty of time the plan was to drive the two hours up to Nashville and park up in the city. The plan changed when we hit a traffic jam which took us an hour to travel 2 miles. We stopped of for a quick snack at McDonalds before heading for the Woodspring Suites about 13 miles northeast of Nashville. It was about 12.30pm when we got there so we decided to chance it for an early check-in. The lady on reception wasn’t having it, check-in was strictly 3.00pm.As we now had a couple of hours to kill we went across the road to the shopping area. Pauline picked up a new Samsung Galaxy Tab E for $180. The stomach was rumbling again so we tried Panda Express, Chinese fast food. Sorry Ally I forgot to take a picture. I had Angus steak strips in some sort of sauce and fried rice, Pauline had Teriyaki Chicken with rice. It was surprisingly very nice.After lunch it was back to the Woodspring Suites to check-in, unpack for the next 3 nights and have the obligatory afternoon nap.The highlight of the day was our visit in the evening to The Grand Ole Opry.

The Opry has been going since 1925. It moved from its original location in the Ryman Theatre in Nashville to its present site at Opry Mills in 1974. The site has hotels, restaurants and entertainment. The centre piece is of course the Grand Ole Opry itself, the home of country music. Many stars have played there including, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton.

The show is actually a live radio show from the Opry auditorium and lasts for two and a half hours. You shouldn’t miss this if you visit Nashville.

After the show we headed back to the suite for a 🍺 and some munchies before calling it a night.

7 April

Nashville Day 2

The hotel didn’t do breakfast so we opted for the cheapest option, McDonalds, for sausage mcmuffins and coffee. It was overcast when we left for McDonalds but it started to rain while we were there.

The plan was to drive into downtown Nashville and spend the day there. To be honest we hadn’t prepared well as we hadn’t brought our jackets.As we drove into the city the rain got really bad, there were thunderstorms all around. I had checked for the best price parking near Music City on the internet. The prices vary from $10 – $40 a day. We parked in an SP parking garage on 6th Avenue a block from the Country Music Hall of Fame for $10 weekend rate.As it was still raining hard we sat in the car for about half an hour arguing about whose fault it was that we were totally unprepared for the weather.It was still raining but we decided to chance it and walked the short distance to the Country Music Hall of Fame. There are various ticket/tour options, we went for the self guided museum tour. It took us a couple of hours to go around but you could spend the whole day there.

When we came out the sun was trying to break through and the temperature had gone up considerably. We passed the Bridgestone Arena where the local NHL team play.

Broadway is the famous street that runs down to the Tennessee River. It is a vibrant street full if bars playing live music, very loud. You can ride on a bike cart and have a drink as you tour the area. You need to pedal the cart. Some of the bigger bars are on 3-4 levels with rooftop bars. Each level has a different act playing. We called into Kid Rocks bar for something to eat. The first two levels were very busy but there were plenty seats on the 3rd floor. The band playing were very good. Not the place to have a conversation though. We ordered a couple of Bud Lights and Chicken Strips with fries and a honey and mustard dip. Ally, Chris and Alastair, this is a starter.

After eating we had a walkabout the rest of Downtown then headed back to the car as there was thunder in the air again. We made it back just in time before the heavy rain started.

The weather wasn’t great so we spent the evening in the hotel.

8 April

Nashville area Day 3

After a quick breakfast in the hotel room of donuts, banana and coffee we headed east of Nashville to the Lebanon Factory Outlets. It was only 23 miles away but Google took us a route avoiding jams. We arrived about 10.30am. It was very quiet which was great for getting around quickly. There were all the usual shops Nike, Gap, Sketchers, Van Heusen etc I bought some Sketchers and shirts and Pauline got Sketchers, shoes and trousers.For lunch we went to Logan’s roadhouse for steak, ribs and, chocolate brownie and ice cream.

After lunch we were quite tired so we had a nap in the car for an hour before heading to the Roxy cinema to see Us, a strange horror movie. I thought it was OK but Pauline didn’t like it. When we got back to the car the tyre pressure warning was on. There was a gas station around the corner which was fortunate. I took the opportunity to fill the car up as well. Finally a quick visit to Walmart for beer, donuts and provisions before heading back to the digs.

9 April

Nashville to Memphis

Not a good start to the day. The tyre was now as flat as a pancake. Thankfully after phoning Sixt car rental someone was with us to put the temporary spare wheel on. We then had to go to a local auto shop to get a new tyre. It was 11.00am before we left the Nashville area. It would be a 3.5 hour drive to Memphis but we stopped halfway to get lunch/breakfast at a burger joint just off the I40. We arrived at our lodgings, Apple Tree suites just after 3.00pm. That’s when the day got worse. As soon as I walked through the door my first thought was ‘this is a dive’ and the first impression didn’t disappoint. We were allocated a Queen Room but it had a mouldy smell so we asked to get it changed, which they did. The second room wasn’t any better as it was smelling of smoke even although it was a non-smoking room. We were then given s suite but to be honest it wasn’t much better. We were stuck as the $164 was non- refundable and it would cost us twice that again to get somewhere else. We were just going to have to put up with it. The room was very grubby so we went to Walmart and purchased anti bacterial spray, bleach, air freshener and wipes. The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning the room. Most of it done by Pauline.In the evening we took a short drive to s local Applebee’s for dinner and a well deserved drink.

Not one of the best days.

10 April

Memphis Day 2

We spent the morning and afternoon today at Graceland. As there was so much to see I have included the content in a separate post. Click here to view the Graceland post.In the evening we decided to head into Downtown Memphis and the famous Beale Street. We went by Uber which was around $50 there and back.Beale St is a vibrant street covering 3-4 blocks with bars and restaurants playing live music from across all the modern genres.

There are also live street performances.We went into Coyote Ugly for a couple of beers. The bar is famous for the ladies dancing on the bar.

It was fairly quiet as it was early in the evening. The barmaid did a dance on the bar.Pauline was itching to have a go and I couldn’t stop her.After Coyote Ugly we walked up the street to take in more sites.

We ended up in the Jerry Lee Lewis bar where an excellent 3 piece band were playing.

We stayed until closing chatting with a couple, Dave and Katrina from Doncaster. We swapped numbers and may meet up with them in New Orleans. It was now time to take an Uber back to our wonderful hotel.

11 April

Memphis Day 3

First stop today was a visit to The STAX Soulville record museum. The museum charts the history of the record label and it’s influence on soul music. The label had some big stars including Otis Redding and Issac Hayes.

It was now lunchtime so we paid a visit to the world famous Gus Fried Chicken

Spicy chicken tenders, yummy. Did not disappoint.After lunch we had a good walk around central Memphis taking the waterfront and the Mississippi River.

We walked to the Pyramid which houses a hotel, restaurant and themed outdoor shopping retailers.

We walked back to downtown and took a short drive to Sun Records to see where legends like Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis made their initial recordings.

Before heading back to the hotel we had a beer on Beale St and dinner in The Hard Rock cafe.

Although the food was great as usual it was over priced compared to the other bars and restaurants on Beale St and Pauline’s cocktail was poor. Leaving Memphis early tomorrow to head for Jackson, Mississippi.

12 April

Memphis to Jackson(Mississippi)

It was a 3.5 hour drive down the I55 to Jackson where we would stop for a night to break up our journey to New Orleans. Jackson is the Mississippi state capital. We met a couple from North Carolina in our hotel who told us it had the third highest murder rate for US cities. This was a shock as it looked really nice as we drove through.We arrived at our hotel about 3.00pm.

After checking in we headed out for some pizza. We found a rather posh kind of food court about 2 miles from the hotel.

The hotel had a welcome reception from 5.30 to 7.30 where you could have complimentary drinks and snacks (popcorn). This was where we met the NC couple. We chatted for a few hours then headed to our room for an early night.

13 April

Jackson to New Orleans

It’s only a 2.5 hour drive to New Orleans from Jackson but we had an early breakfast and were on the the road for 7.45am. We stopped once for a rest break on the drive down the I55 and arrived in New Orleans around 10.45. We decided to spend the day in The French Quarter which had a festival on. Parking was expensive $25.Our first port of call was a walk along Bourbon St.

We strolled around for a good few hours taking in the sights, sounds and smells of this fascinating city. There was music everywhere you turned. We had some lunch in the Gazebo cafe at the French Market listening to a three piece band.

We headed to the hotel to check-in about 6.00pm. After a short nap we went to Golden Corral for dinner. Food was OK but it was like a cattle market with kids running around everywhere. After dinner it was back to the hotel for an early night.

14 April

New Orleans-The Sunday Sesh

After breakfast and a swim in the hotel pool we took an Uber into the French Quarter. This time with no car we spent the day and night checking out the bars and clubs. Including sampling the famous Hand Grenade cocktail. We got an Uber back well after midnight.in

15 April

New Orleans-Canal St, River cruise

After our heavy session yesterday we had a lie in to recover. It was lunchtime when we drove into the city and parked up. We walked down Canal Street which is the main street that borders the French Quarter and the modern shopping and business district of the city.At the south end of Canal Street you come to Riverside Walk where there is a large outlet shopping mall and steamboats berthed at the quayside. Some of the boats are huge cruise steamers that will travel up the Mississippi through Memphis and St Louis. We decided to take one of the day tours. The tour lasted about 2.5 hours with a guide narrating the history of Nes Orleans and the battles over the city betwen the British, French and the US.

After the cruise we had a quick look at the shopping mall before heading back towards the hotel. We stopped for a quick dinner at the Golden Corral.

16 April

New Orleans to Pensacola Beach

It was a 2.5 hour drive today, crossing back into Mississippi ans briefly through Alabama before entering the Florida panhandle. We drove over several magnificent causeways on our way. One of them was nearly seven miles long. We reached Pensacola Beach just about lunchtime. The beaches here are amazing. White soft sand stretching as far as the eye can see. At this time of year the beaches are quiet. For lunch we went to Hooters before checking in at our hotel at Gulf Breeze.

In the evening we had a beer on the deck at a local bar near the hotel. The Bridge Sunset Lounge.

17 April

Pensacola Beach

We spent the day enjoying several beaches in the area. There are so many to choose from and at this time of year they are very quiet.

After lunch we went back to our hotel at Gulf Breeze and spent some time on the private beach. We had our usual afternoon nap before having dinner at Lillis restaurant in the hotel. After dinner we had a couple of beers at The Bridge bar then it was off to bed.

18 April

Pensacola

After lazing on the beach for a few hours today we went for lunch at The Boardwalk Cafe. The menu had so much choice offering Greek, Turkish and American cuisine. I opted for the Philly Rib Eye sandwich and Pauline had a Chicken burger.

i8 in in

We decided to visit the National Naval Air Museum in the afternoon. I set the sat nav and drove the 30 minutes to the gate of the naval base where we were informed that it was the wrong gate. We were kindly given directions to the West Gate which was a out another 15 minute drive. You have to show ID to get onto the base. As We pulled up to the checkpoint I got my driving licence out to show the guard at the gate. We were then informed that we needed passports to vet entry. We were really disappointed but decided to drive all the way back to the hotel to get our passports.An hour and a half later we eventually got into the base and drove to the museum. We had to tour the museum quickly as it was 3.30 and it closed at 5.00. The entry is free and there is so much to see. It was a shame we didn’t have more time. I paid $36 to go on three simulators, fighter jet, blue angels flight and the Apollo II VR moon landing. They were all good but the fighter jet was amazing as you got to fly the jet.The weather forecast was not good for the evening with tornado warnings out as a double strom system was sweeping across the southern US states. It was expected to hit Pensacola around 11.00-2.00. We went for a couple of beers at the Bridge Bar before heading for the safety of the hotel around 8.30 to pack for our departure to Tallahassee.

19 April (Good Friday)

Pensacola to Tallahassee

We didn’t do much today apart for the drive to Tallahassee. The worst of the storms came through overnight but there were still some thunder showers about as we drove along the I10. I set the sat nav for the wrong hotel which added another half hour to our journey. It did however give us the opportunity to drive through downtown. Tallahassee is a beautiful city, even the suburbs are nice. We grabbed something to eat and did some shopping which took us into the early evening. As it would be around a four hour drive tomorrow we settled down in the hotel around 7.00pm with some munchies and wine. Alarm set for 6.00am.

20 April

Tallahassee to Atlanta

We decided to drive up to Atlanta by the US27 instead of the interstate. We were glad we did as although for the mist part it was dual carriageway you were able to take in more of the scenery. We only stopped to refuel and arrived in Atlanta just after Noon. The temperature was unusually cold at 10C for this time of year and it was raining. The Regency Suites in Midtown allowed us to check in early. The hotel was going through extensive refurbishment; however, the room was by far the best of our trip.

After unpacking we headed out for some lunch and a look around. We ate at Marlows Tavern a few blocks south of the hotel. We didn’t do much looking around at this point as it was miserable and we were tired from the journey. We returned to the room for a rest.

Later we had a walk around the local area including a brief visit to Piedmont Park.

21 April

Atlanta – Downtown, Midtown and Auburn Avenue

After breakfast we took the Marta subway down to Centennial Olympic Park. Most of the park was closed due to a music and comedy festival being held over the Easter Weekend. The Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola and The National Civil and Human Rights Museum are located in the park area. Coca-Cola’s World HQ and CNN, the 24 hour news broadcaster are based in Atlanta.

It was a short street car ride to Auburn Ave the birth and final resting place of Dr Martin Luther King Jnr. The area is in a poor part of Atlanta. It was sad ti see the number of homeless people on the streets, many if them military vets.

The area where the great man was born, grew up, preached and was finally laid to rest after his assassination  in Memphis in April 1968 is a US National Park. There is an extensive visitor centre, the church where he worshipped and, preached, his home and his resting place.

We took the streetcar and subway back to Midtown and made our way to Piedmont Park. On our way we came across the house of the lady who wrote “Gone with the Wind”0

Before heading to the park we went for lunch at Tin Lizzy, a mexican cafe.

Piedmont Park was bathed in sunshine. There were lots of families enjoying the weather on Easter Sunday. The park is huge and has many activities fir all ages.We fell asleep in the park for about forty minutes. You could have strolled around the park for hours. It was time to quench our thirst so we popped into a local Irish bar for a cider and beer before heading back to the hotel to get things ready for our journey home tomorrow.

22 April

Atlanta – Paris

Our journey through the southern states was coming to an end. We checked out of the hotel just before noon and headed towards Hartfield-Jackson International airport. It was a stunning day in Atlanta, clear blue skies and fairly hot. On our way to the airport we stopped to re-fuel the car and grab some lunch. We chose The Happy Buddah chinese restaurant, an inconspicuous little place. We must have drove past dozens of similar places on our long journey. For around $12 in total we had a decent lunch, probably one of the cheapest of the whole trip.

The car rental centre is at the other side of the airport from the international terminal. After returning the car and ensuring that I got a refund for the tyre that I had to buy we boarded the shuttle bus to the terminal. The bag drop and security was a breeze so we made our way to the lounge as we had around a four hour wait before boarding.

The lounge was very busy and to be honest was quite disappointing. We eventually got a couple of comfy seats at the window. There wasn’t a great deal of choice food wise so we made up for the disappointment by consuming alcohol in Airbus A380 about an hour before take off. I was disappointed as for a relatively new aircraft the interior looked a little drab and in need of a refresh. However we were allocated seats with extra leg room, which was a bonus for a night flight.

Shortly after take off we were served dinner, which was decent for economy travel. Although I put a movie on we both fell asleep fairly quickly. I slept for around five hours of the eight and a half hour flight. I was only wakened by a rude french man across the aisle who nudged me to wake me up. I can only assume it was because I was snoring. Still thought it was rude as there was a lot of other noise from crying kids etc. There was only about an hour and a half of the flight left. Just enough time for breakfast before we landed at Charles de Gaule in Paris.

23 April

Paris – Edinburgh

We had a five hour lay over in the airport. We couldn’t use the lounge as it was in a different part of Terminal 2E. We had a look around the shops then found some comfy seats to relax in. I caught up with some TV on my tablet and Pauline caught up with Facebook on hers, then had a short sleep before heading to board our final flight.

It was a short flight to Edinburgh and we both slept most of the way.

When we landed in Edinburgh it was a breeze going through passport control. Then there was the usual delay you get at Edinburgh waiting for your baggage. We landed at 4.20pm and after a taxi home we were in the house for 5.30pm.

Summary

We enjoyed the whole trip and it certainly lived up to our expectations. If we was doing it again we would like to have had a good night out on Broadway in Nashville. I think it would be fair to say the highlights were probably our visit to Graceland and the time we spent in New Orleans. I would definitely consider a relaxing holiday in a beachfront house at Pensacola Beach. Although Atlanta was nice, particularly Piedmont Park it wasn’t a city we felt particularly safe in. It was hard to put your finger on it but as a tourist we felt a lot safer in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles on previous visits to the US. Overall an excellent nineteen days.