Distance: 160 miles

Montgomery is another bustling city of the New South where old and new blend with contradictory history as is true in so many other locations. It was a hotbed of activity for the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and ironically, this is also the place where Confederate President Jefferson Davis lived at the birth of the Confederacy. His home, now restored to appear during the period he was in residence, is considered the First White House of the Confederacy. Nearby, the Rosa Parks Library is located on the campus of Troy University. Exhibits let you place yourself in the shoes of Mrs. Parks when she refused to give up her seat on the bus in 1955, effectively beginning the American Civil Rights movement.

Another must see attraction in Montgomery is the Alabama State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark. It was the place where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as the President of the Confederate States of America. It is also the location where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his moving speech at the bottom of the steps, at the end of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights March. Old Alabama Town, one of the South’s premier history villages, is a collection of authentically restored 19th and 20th century buildings stretching along six blocks in the heart of historic Montgomery. Over 40 restored structures include an original 1850s townhouse, schoolhouse, a cotton gin, blacksmith shop, grist mill, tavern, log cabin, pole barn, a southern mansion, and more. Here, you can experience life in Montgomery during the infancy of the state’s history.

Deluxe accommodation: Historic Redmont Hotel or similar

Distance: 144 miles

It’s a very pleasant drive along the coast from Mobile to New Orleans, where the French Quarter awaits. New Orleans is a culturally and historically very rich city. A stop at the French Quarter Visitor Centre unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and a walk through the French Quarter with a ranger introduces you to the traditions and story of this very special place. You’ll hear the terms Cajun and Creole time and time again. They are both part of the “cultural gumbo” of the city. Creoles are not Cajuns and Cajuns are not Creoles. Cajuns are always of French descent. Creoles may or may not be and are generally multi-cultural in descent. Not that it matters. The diversity of New Orleans is a normal part of life.

Settled in 1718, it served as the commercial hub of the upper Caribbean while changing hands between the Spanish and the French until it was ultimately sold to the United States in 1803. You can learn the whole story at the Historic New Orleans Collection, a museum and research centre dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Gulf South region.

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art at the University of New Orleans takes the story even further, illustrating it with great art and decorative items. At some point, you’ll want to retire to your accommodations, leaving the rest of your exploration until tomorrow. There’s music playing in the French Quarter every evening.

Deluxe accommodation: Omni Royal Orleans or similar

Distance: 135 miles

There should be plenty of time to explore a part of this quintessential Cajun city today. At the Acadian Cultural Centre unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, you’ll discover the story of the Acadian “Cajuns” who settled in the bayous and marshes of this French province after they left Nova Scotia. Exhibits explain the migration as a natural one from one French province to another, as well as the contemporary culture of the Acadians. Nearby Vermilionville is a 23-acre Cajun Creole heritage and folklife park that recreates life in the Acadiana area from 1765 to 1890.

A half-day Atchafalaya Experience is headed by the father and son team who also own the Bois des Chenes. The tour was honoured by Rand McNally Company with their “Best of the Road Award. The Atchafalaya Swamp, America’s largest river swamp is Louisiana’s answer to the Grand Canyon. Protected as a National Wildlife area, the vistas are pristine. The trips are designed to enable visitors to get out into the wild portion of the Atchafalaya and explore six distinctly different areas. Not to worry, the boats are equipped with all the latest communications and safety features.

If you’re up for a drive, the Jean Lafitte Scenic Byway takes you through several authentic historic towns deep in the bayous and back ways. The Alexandre Mounton House and Lafayette Museum introduces you to the local history and culture in the home built by Jean Mouton, founder of Vermilionville. Leave yourself some time for nightlife in Lafayette. There’s usually music playing somewhere. Enjoy. These are fun people!

Deluxe accommodation: The Juliet Hotel or similar

Distance: 324 miles

There are few places with as much music as Memphis, Tennessee. Your first stop of course, has to be Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home. A tour there satisfies the curiosity of most visitors. The house itself is not historic; its significance is only because it was owned by Elvis. You will learn the story of how Elvis, born into the most humble of circumstances, evolved into one of the most influential performers in the world.

From Graceland, there’s more than music on famed Beale Street. The historic district, which has recently remerged as a bustling entertainment centre, has an interesting history all its own. Serving as Union General Grant’s headquarters during the Civil War, Beale Street also witnessed the whiskey peddling of Machine Gun Kelly. The City of Memphis purchased nearly all of the properties along a three block area in the 1970s and the renaissance that you will witness today began. The Centre for Southern Folklore and Cafe on nearby Main Street is a microcosm of music lore with exhibits related to music in Memphis.

The Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange was created on the carefully restored “Members Only” trading floor to reflect its 1939 heyday. Here you’ll learn the story of cotton in the south, how it influenced society, the economy, the culture, and even the music. The Mississippi River Museum is in Mud Island River Park, located right off Front Street. Exhibits present the

History of the origin of the Mississippi River, its first native inhabitants, the first European inhabitants and other local highlights. If you choose, you can also take the historic Main Street Trolley on a trip through historic downtown Memphis and the Riverfront Loop. This evening, a dinner cruise on Memphis Riverboats will let you enjoy the skyline of the city from the river.

Deluxe accommodation: The Peabody Hotel or similar

Distance: 240 miles

Even though it’s not Alabama’s capital, Birmingham is the state’s largest city. It too was heavily involved in the Civil Rights movement, although today is better known today for its playful mode. All of the locations in Birmingham are included on the “top 10 to visit” list. In addition to this great list, there is a motorsports park, a Robert Trent Jones golf trail, and The Summit, one of the best shopping malls in the region.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is the largest municipal museum in the southeast. Its collection of 21,000 works includes the Charles W. Ireland Sculpture Garden and the Beeson Collection of Wedgwood, unique to this facility. Holdings also include a collection of Native American art that sprung originally from the Native American influences in the region.

Birmingham’s version of the Civil Rights story is told at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Different from a static museum, the Institute works at taking the lessons from the past to chart new directions for the future. A drive to Vulcan Park lets you view Birmingham and the greatest panorama of the Red Mountains. Back on the ground, the 67-acre Birmingham Botanical Gardens will give you a respite among the flowers if it’s a warm day.

Deluxe accommodation: Renaissance Ross Bridge or similar