Memphis and Nashville

Tennessee’s Musical Highway Tour

Monday, June 16: Today is a travel day anticipating the excitement of the week ahead and enjoying the company of old friends and meeting new friends. Before arriving at our hotel for the night, we will enjoy a buffet dinner in the 180-room featuring the world-class barbecue of Joe’s Kansas City. Following dinner, we will overnight at the Hampton Inn in Clinton, MO.

Tuesday, June 17: Following breakfast, we will depart for Branson, MO to enjoy “Smoke on the Mountain”, a hilarious Gospel musical comedy. Set in North Carolina in 1938, Smoke on the Mountain follows the Sanders Family Singers as they perform at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church’s Saturday Night Gospel Sing! Meet a talented family….quirky, flawed and uniquely entertaining! Become the congregation and enjoy over 30 classic gospel tunes that bring us all back to a much simpler time. Following the musical, we will have lunch at McFarlain’s Restaurant before departing for Memphis.

After arriving in Memphis, we will check into the Guest House at Graceland. Enjoy the next three nights at an extraordinary hotel in the heart
of Elvis Presley’s Graceland! We will enjoy a delicious group dinner in Delta’s Kitchen.

 

Wednesday, June 18: Following a delicious breakfast buffet, we will explore the sights and sounds that made Memphis the “Home of the Blues” and the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll” on our three-hour guided city tour! Enjoy stops at Historic Levitt Shell (where Elvis gave his first paid concert), The Pyramid and more! After the city tour, we will enjoy lunch at Memphis’ most famous barbecue restaurant, Rendezvous.

The afternoon we will experience the best studio tour in Memphis! It has been said that “if music was a religion, then Memphis would be Jerusalem and Sun Studio its most holy shrine”! In 1954, an unknown Elvis Presley, grabbed a mic and sang his heart out, making Sun the most famous recording studio in the world.

We will stop at the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum for a self-guided tour. The museum tells the story of musical pioneers who, for the love of music, overcame racial and socioeconomic barriers to create the music that shook the entire world.

Next it is on to the Blues City Café, “Beale Street” for dinner, entertained by a live Memphis Band playing early Blues, Rock and Roll or Rock-a-Billy. We will have a rocking good time on Beale Street!

Thursday, June 19: Following breakfast, we will meet our step-on-guide and explore the mansion Elvis called home as well as exhibits showcasing Elvis’ career, his automobiles, his wardrobe, his gold records and much more from the Graceland Archives.

Following lunch at Vernon’s Smokehouse, we will visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The tour starts off with a short introductory video. From there we will see an amazing collection of more than 2,000 interactive exhibits, films, artifacts, items of memorabilia, galleries, and -of course- Isaac Hayes’ gold-plated, peacock blue 1972 Superfly Cadillac El Dorado. While touring the museum, we will hear Stax hits including “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, “Green Onions” by Booker T. and the MGS, “Do the Funky Chicken” by Rufus Thomas, and “Theme from Shaft” by Isaac Hayes.

We will have dinner at Marlowe’s Rib & Restaurant, home to world-championship BBQ and loaded with Elvis’s memorabilia. Family owned and operated for 35 year and featured on Food Network, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

Friday, June 20: Following breakfast it is time to pack up and depart Memphis and travel to Bon Aqua, TN. We will be stopping at Johnny Cash’s Hideaway Farm for a group tour and lunch. Explore Johnny Cash’s Hideaway Farm, which Johnny Cash owned for 33 years and called the “center of the universe”. We will visit the 200-year-old farmhouse and see displayed artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia from the various Cash homes and Johnny’s life, including rare video footage taken at various locations around the farm. Explore the newest exhibition hall, The American Garage, filled with many diverse Americana vintage displays. The famous One-Piece-At-A-Time car, created from Johnny’s own song of the same name, as well as other interesting unique automobiles are all on display. After the tour, enjoy lunch in Johnny Cash’s barn.

 

Then it is on to Nashville to enjoy the next three nights at the Holiday Inn Express Nashville Downtown, located in the heart of Downtown Nashville. Upon arrival in Music City, our local guide will meet us to ensure our evening goes efficient and flawless!

This evening, we will cruise down the historic Cumberland River on the grandest vessel afloat, the General Jackson Showboat! Enjoy a delicious three-course meal followed by a fantastic show. A magnificent 8-piece showband fronts five of Nashville’s finest singers supported by dazzling costumes, dynamic choreography and s spectacular visual multimedia and light display. We’ll be rockin’ and Rolling’ on the River on the General Jackson Showboat’s evening dinner cruise!

Saturday, June 21: Nashville is home to the largest songwriting community in the world. Today, one of Nashville’s singer-songwriter step-on guides will join us on a tour of Music City, including world-famous Music Row, where we will learn about the recording industry straight from an aspiring songwriter. The city tour also takes you through the heart of Downtown Nashville and past many of the historic buildings, including the Ryman Auditorium, Tennessee State Capitol,

Bicentennial Mall State Park, Vanderbilt University, Belmont University, Centennial Park, the Parthenon and much more. The Songwriter guide will also perform a few of his/her original songs along the way. After the city tour, we will enjoy lunch at Jimmy Buffett’s famous Margaritaville. Menu choices must be preselected prior to arrival; entrée choices are Cheddar BBQ Burger, Chicken Terriyaki, Crispy Coconut Shrimp, Hand-Battered Chicken Tenders, or Chicken & Broccoli Pasta. (When making your reservation, please let us know what meal choice you prefer).

Following lunch at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, we will experience the Johnny Cash Museum, featuring the largest collection of artifacts and memorabilia in the world!

We will enjoy dinner at Paula Dean’s Family Kitchen before going to the Grand Ole Opry. What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925 is today an entertainment phenomenon showcasing a mix of country music greats—new stars, new superstars, and legends.

Sunday, June 22: Today we will begin our day on Nashville’s famed Music Row with a tour of Historic RCA Studio B, Nashville’s remaining recording studio. Following the guided tour, groups will gather around the legendary microphone for a recording session with a professional sound engineer. Then it’s off to the County Music Hall of Fame & Museum to complete your tour experience (self-guided). Every traveler will receive a copy of their RCA Studio B recording!

Lunch will be enjoyed at Ole Red Nashville. Inspired by Opry member Blake Sheldon’s clever chart hit, “Ol’ Red,” is a restaurant, live music venue, and retail space. Following lunch, we will enjoy a little free time in downtown Music City to experience the fantastic live music and of course, some souvenir shopping.

Then it’s on to the Lyrical Legends Performance and dinner at Sante Fe Cattle Co. In this up-close-and -personal experience, we will enjoy a delicious meal and be entertained by one of Nashville’s most successful songwriters. This is a unique opportunity to hear major hit songs in their original form and get the inside scoop on what was going on in the songwriter’s life that inspired these classics! In this interactive experience, groups are invited to ask questions about the songwriting process. There will be a meet and greet with the songwriter following the performance, where all members of the group will get a photo, autograph, and time to say “hello”.

Monday, June 23: Today we pack up our bags and depart for home after enjoying the sights and sounds of Nashville. We will stop for lunch at Lambert’s Café in Sikeston before continuing north to Independence, MO.

We arrive in Independence just in time for another exciting evening! We will enjoy dinner and live music, followed by an educational wagon ride through history. Experience the history of Independence by mule-drawn covered wagons. Learn about the pioneers, the James brothers, Harry S. Truman and more!

We will overnight at the Drury Inn & Suites, Kansas City Independence, Blue Springs MO.

Tuesday, June 24: Following breakfast we will depart for home, reflecting on the memories made!

TOUR INCLUDES

• “Smoke on the Mountain” in Branson
• Guided City Tour of Memphis
• Sun Studio
• Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum
• Elvis Presley’s Graceland
• Stax Museum
• Johnny Cash’s Hideaway Farm
• General Jackson Showboat
• Nashville City Tour
• Johnny Cash Museum
• Grand Ole Opry
• RCA Studio B
• Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum
• Lyrical Legends Performances
• Pioneer Trails Adventures
• 8 breakfasts/7 lunches 8 Dinners
• Overnight Accommodations, including luggage handling
• Roundtrip motor coach transportation
• Tour Director

$4390 per person
Based on double occupancy.
Single-$5460 per person
Triple-$4050 per person
Quad-$3875 per person
Deposit-$500.00 per person

Final payment is due by April 30, 2025.
Cancellations received prior to April 30, 2025 will receive a full refund.
Cancellations made after April 30, 2025, will not receive any refund.
Credit Cards payments are subject to a 4.5% processing fee.