Cultural Journey to the American South: The Blues Highway

Summary: The day begins with our flight from Barcelona to Nashville, with a stopover in Washington. Arrival in Nashville, the epicentre of country music, is expected in the afternoon. A first encounter with the birthplace of country that will set the tone for this unforgettable musical journey.

Development: As there are no direct flights from Barcelona to Nashville, we will make a three-hour stopover at Washington Dulles (IAD), where we will board a second United Airlines flight of approximately one hour to our final destination.

The estimated arrival time in Nashville is 18:10 local time. Upon arrival, our guide will welcome us at the airport and we will transfer to the Holiday Inn & Suites Downtown – Broadway ****, right in the heart of Nashville.

After check-in and a brief rest, we will gather for a welcome dinner, the ideal start to our immersion in the vibrant life of the city.

After dinner, those who wish may enjoy live music on Broadway Street or return to the hotel to rest after the long journey. Tomorrow a great day awaits us.

Summary: We will visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a true sanctuary of country where legends come to life, and the legendary RCA Studio B on Music Row, the birthplace of the "Nashville Sound" where icons such as Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton recorded. In the afternoon, we will explore the historic Printers Alley and the lively Broadway Street, letting ourselves be swept up by the inexhaustible energy of this enchanting Nashville journey.

Development: The second day presents itself as a deep immersion into the musical soul of the city, a day designed to explore it on foot and feel its authentic pulse at every turn.

After breakfast, we begin with a visit to the iconic Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Far more than a museum, this space is a true sanctuary of country: an enveloping journey through the history of a genre that has shaped the cultural identity of the country.

Through original artefacts, historic recordings, legendary instruments and carefully designed stage sets, we discover the lives, voices and myths of artists who have defined generations. We then continue to the legendary RCA Studio B on Music Row, the true epicentre of the music industry. This studio, considered the birthplace of the "Nashville Sound", witnessed Elvis Presley record more than 240 songs, as well as Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. To cross its doors is to enter a space steeped in history.
After a lunch break, we continue exploring Nashville on foot, discovering the unique character of Printers Alley and the lively Broadway Street.

The afternoon and evening are free to continue at your own pace.

Summary: Visit to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, which pays tribute to session musicians, the unsung heroes behind the great hits. In the afternoon, we head to the impressive Gaylord Opryland Resort and round off the day attending a special "Opry 100" concert at the legendary Grand Ole Opry. To feel the vibration of this stage is to connect directly with the beating heart of country music history.

Development: After breakfast, a pleasant walk to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum ,a true sanctuary for music lovers, paying tribute to session musicians across soul, rock, pop and country, with original instruments, recreated studios and interactive experiences.

After a lunch break, we board our coach to the impressive Gaylord Opryland Resort, a unique experience with its enormous indoor gardens, navigable canals and glass domes.

The day culminates with the special "Opry 100" concert at the legendary Grand Ole Opry, commemorating the centenary of one of the most important musical institutions in the United States, in an evening that promises to be moving, authentic and deeply memorable.

Summary: A stroll to the Johnny Cash Museum, an intimate space dedicated to one of the most influential voices in American music. In the afternoon, a visit to Nashville's surprising Parthenon, and as evening falls, a bluegrass concert at the historic Station Inn. A perfect farewell to Nashville.

Development: After breakfast, a walk with our guide to the Johnny Cash Museum, dedicated to one of the most influential voices in American music, offering an intimate journey through his life with personal objects, historic recordings and audiovisual material.

After lunch, we visit the Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the Athens Parthenon, today functioning as an art museum and symbol of Nashville as "the Athens of the South".

As evening falls, we attend a bluegrass session at the historic Station Inn, beginning at 19:00. This genre, rooted in the Appalachian tradition, is characterised by acoustic instruments and vocal harmonies. A perfect farewell to Nashville before Memphis awaits us tomorrow.

Summary: Coach journey to Memphis, venturing into the mythical blues route. A deeply moving visit to the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel, an essential space for understanding the struggle for equality. In the afternoon, we travel to the origins of rock and roll.

Development: We set off by coach to Memphis, one of the country's most iconic cities for its history and musical legacy. Upon arrival, we visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel, the site where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, considered one of the most important museums in the United States for the quality and depth of its exhibitions.

After lunch, we head to the legendary Sun Studio, the birthplace of rock and roll, where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded. We then check in at the historic The Peabody Memphis ****, famous for its daily "duck march" tradition.

In the evening, dinner at B.B. King's Blues Club on mythical Beale Street, with live music.

Summary: We attend the famous "duck march" at the Peabody Hotel before visiting Graceland, Elvis Presley's incredible mansion. In the afternoon, we continue to Natchez, staying at the elegant The Guest House Historic Mansion ****.

Development: The morning begins at a leisurely pace at The Peabody Memphis ****. At 11:00 we attend the famous "duck march", a ritual dating back to the 1930s that transforms the hotel lobby into an almost cinematic scene.

We then depart for Graceland Mansion, Elvis Presley's home and today a place of pilgrimage for music lovers worldwide. The complex includes the mansion, exhibitions of iconic costumes, his car collection, gold records and personal objects, as well as his private planes.

We then travel to Natchez and check in at The Guest House Historic Mansion, whose architecture and atmosphere transport us to another era.

Summary: We explore Natchez, the oldest city on the banks of the Mississippi, famous for its majestic antebellum architecture. Visit to the iconic Longwood Mansion, whose unfinished beauty tells stories of a turbulent past. In the afternoon, we travel towards New Orleans, checking in at the Kimpton Fontenot Hotel ****.

Development: After breakfast, we devote the day to exploring Natchez, a small but fascinating enclave that allows us to understand the society of the antebellum South. With more than 1,000 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places, cobbled streets, wrought-iron balconies and lush gardens, the city is a remarkable open-air museum.

The main visit is to Longwood Mansion, unique for its octagonal floor plan and Byzantine dome, whose construction was interrupted by the Civil War, symbolising the abrupt end of an era.

After lunch, we travel towards New Orleans, arriving as night falls and checking in at the Kimpton Fontenot Hotel ****.

Summary: A truly special Thanksgiving celebration: a jazz cruise along the majestic Mississippi River. In the afternoon, a walking tour of the French Quarter, visiting the St. Louis Cathedral and the Katrina Hurricane Museum. An evocative ride on a historic streetcar through the elegant Garden District closes a day full of contrasts.

Development: Today dawns with a very special atmosphere, it is Thanksgiving.

After breakfast, we head to the waterfront and embark on a jazz cruise along the Mississippi, celebrating our Thanksgiving lunch on board to the rhythm of live music.

We then explore the historic French Quarter on foot, visiting the St. Louis Cathedral and the Katrina Hurricane Museum, as well as spaces linked to Mardi Gras and voodoo culture. We then board a historic streetcar to the elegant Garden District, known for its majestic mansions and tree-lined avenues, a setting that has inspired films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Interview with the Vampire.

We return by streetcar to the hotel, with the evening free to discover the city's incredible musical offerings.

Summary: An intense and reflective day on the outskirts of New Orleans. Visit to Whitney Plantation, dedicated to narrating history from the perspective of enslaved people. Continuation to Oak Alley Plantation, where its legendary avenue of centuries-old oak trees will take our breath away.

Development: We travel by coach through the Louisiana landscape to Whitney Plantation, a singular place dedicated exclusively to narrating the history of slavery from the perspective of the enslaved, through testimonies, sculptures, installations and reconstructions.

We then continue to Oak Alley Plantation, one of the most beautiful and photographed plantations in the country. The legendary avenue of centuries-old oak trees leading to the main house is an experience difficult to describe, one that left us literally breathless the first time we saw it at Tempodart.

Oak Alley has also served as a film location for Interview with the Vampire (1994) and Primary Colors (1998), while nearby plantations featured in Django Unchained (2012) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). We return to New Orleans in the evening.

Summary: Visit to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) in City Park. In the afternoon, a tour of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, linked to voodoo culture. A jazz concert at the iconic Preservation Hall brings this cultural journey to a close.

Development: After breakfast, we transfer to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) in City Park for a guided visit exploring permanent and temporary collections, including Roy Lichtenstein's monumental "Five Brushstrokes" and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden with works by Rodin, Henry Moore, Louise Bourgeois and Do Ho Suh.

After visiting the museum café, we head to Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, a remarkable example of the city's funerary tradition, intimately linked to voodoo culture.

The day concludes with a jazz concert at Preservation Hall, an iconic venue where the authentic spirit of NOLA jazz is preserved, in an experience of intensity and authenticity that is truly unique.

Summary: A free morning with the option of attending an authentic gospel mass. In the afternoon, a boat swamp tour through Honey Island Bayou. A farewell dinner to toast the melodies, landscapes and emotions shared on this unforgettable Blues Highway journey.

Development: Our last day begins with a relaxed breakfast.

The morning is free: those who wish may attend the gospel mass at St. Stephen Baptist Church; others may rest or stroll at leisure.

In the early afternoon, we transfer by coach to Honey Island Bayou for a two-hour boat swamp tour through the wetlands, home to alligators, herons, turtles, otters and a great diversity of birds.

Summary: Transfer to the airport for the return flight to Barcelona, with a stopover in New York. Arrival in Barcelona on 1 November. We return home, but the stories and chords of this journey through the American South will continue to resonate within us forever

Development: After breakfast, we transfer to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

We fly with United Airlines flight 2677, departing at 13:00, with a stopover at Newark Liberty International Airport in New York (approximately three hours).

We then board United Airlines flight 120 at 19:10, arriving in Barcelona at 09:00 on the morning of 1 November. End of journey.