3X3 Itineraries

DAY 1
Downtown and Around

Head to the World of Coca-Cola where the famous soft drink’s story is told through exhibits including “Scent Discovery: A New Aromatic Experience”, Vault of the Secret Formula and Beverage Lab. Taste more than 100 Coca-Cola products from around the world. Next door, visit Georgia Aquarium where you can see more than 500 different species in more than 10 million gallons of water, including the world’s largest fish, whale sharks. See more sharks at the new gallery SHARKS! Predators of the Deep. Just around the corner, learn about the Civil Rights Movement and how it connects to today’s global human rights movements at National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Sweet Auburn Historic District is the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In this area, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park includes a visitor center, King Birth Home, Ebenezer Baptist Church where three generations of the King Family preached and the King burial site.

DAY TWO
Cultural Quickies

Atlanta Botanical Garden features one of the world’s largest permanent displays of tropical orchids, 30 acres of outdoor gardens, a children’s garden, the Storza Woods featuring a unique Canopy Walk and a restaurant. High Museum of Art hosts European and American painting, special exhibitions, African, decorative, folk and 20th century art and photography, as well as traveling exhibitions. Center for Puppetry Arts houses the largest museum dedicated to the art of puppetry and hosts shows for all ages. The Worlds of Puppetry Museum features the Jim Henson Collection Gallery. In the evening, visit the opulent Fox Theatre, which was designed in the late 1920’s and presents Broadway musical, a summer movie festival, concerts and more.

DAY 3
All Day Outdoors

Enjoy the beauty of Atlanta, known as “The City in the Forest.” Lush parks and green spaces stretch underneath a wide canopy of trees – a literal urban oasis perfect for relaxation and exhilaration. Start on Atlanta BeltLine, 35 kilometers of paved, multi-use trails featuring a diverse collection of art, music, food and culture and connecting several Atlanta neighborhoods. The Northside Trail begins at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Buckhead and meanders along Tanyard Creek, perfect for an afternoon jog or evening picnic with modern dining and entertainment. Historic Fourth Ward Park (a skater’s paradise) is on the Eastside Trail, which also connects two food halls – Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market – with restaurants, bars and shopping.

DAY 1

On your way from Atlanta to Nashville, visit the Jack Daniel Distillery in charming Lynchburg, TN. Licensed in 1866, Jack Daniel is the oldest registered distillery in the country and a National Historic Site. Your personally guided tour of this distillery includes story-filled stops, where you’ll observe how they make Tennessee sipping whiskey — the very same way Mr. Jack made it.

Spend your evening listening to the music that made Music City! Holler & Swaller on Honky Tonk Highway or take in a songwriter in the round show and hear the stories behind the songs at the world famous Bluebird Café. 

DAY 2

Begin your day with Nashville’s first and only Hop-on, Hop-off Trolley Tour, operated by Gray Line! Check out all the major attractions of Historic Downtown; see the Stars’ favorite hangouts and world famous Music Row; learn about the history and present day happenings of Music City as you stay on and ride along…or get off and explore on your own. With seven stops to choose from, including the historic Ryman Auditorium, the State Capitol, Bicentennial Mall and Farmers’ Market, The Parthenon, the Frist Art Museum, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as well as where the fun all begins at 2nd Avenue and Broadway; you can’t go wrong either way. The one-hour tour is fully narrated, and a trolley ticket is good for 24 hours.

Enjoy some great barbeque at Jack’s Bar-B-Que, Rippy’s Smokin’ Bar & Grill, the Wildhorse Saloon or Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant.

Spend your afternoon with a personally guided tour of historic RCA Studio B, Home of 1,000 Hits, where music legends recorded timeless songs. You’ll be inspired by the studio where Elvis himself stood to record over 200 songs.

Then it’s off to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where you can hear rare recordings of country’s legendary performers, see behind-the-scenes films by today’s stars, along with costumes, instruments and personal treasures from country music’s past and present.

Experience the Grand Ole Opry — Nashville’s must-see attraction and the world’s longest running live radio show. As the show that made country music famous, the Opry offers an incredible mix of talent to create an American experience like no other! Opry Backstage Tours are a must-see for everyone visiting Music City and daytime and post show tours are available. 

DAY 3

Spend the morning visiting The Johnny Cash Museum! Officially authorized by the Estate of Johnny Cash, the museum features the most comprehensive collection of Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia in the world.

Before departing for New Orleans, make sure to walk the Music City Walk of Fame honoring the men and women who write, perform, promote and produce the Nashville sound around the world, or explore the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, which honors the stars and studio musicians who have played on the biggest selling albums of all time.

DAY 1

First things first: Beignets. Crispy, warm and sweet, these Creole doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar are technically a “square” meal, especially when combined with a café au lait (equal parts coffee & chicory and milk). Café Du Monde, open 24/7, is ready for breakfast when you are and offers the quintessential New Orleans wake up. After breakfast, a guided tour of the city allows visitors to get their bearings in several of New Orleans’ most active neighborhoods: the French Quarter, Garden District, Central Business District (CBD), the Warehouse/Arts District and Uptown.

After the tour, visitors can tuck into a New Orleans café to fill up on local flavor. A Po-Boy, whether filled with roast beef and gravy or BBQ-style fried oysters (or anything in between) is classic lunchtime fare. Offered everywhere from high-end dining rooms to value-conscious lunch counters, Po-Boys are hard to miss in the French Quarter — and who would want to? Alternately, food lovers can check out one of New Orleans’ culinary schools for a lesson in Creole and/or Cajun cuisine. Then dine on the specialty prepared by the chef. After lunch, experience a French Quarter Walking Tour and bask in the glory of 18th- and 19th- century buildings, wrought iron balconies and copious bougainvilleas (when in season!). Tired of walking? Hop on the streetcar for just $1.25 and let the good times roll.

Explore Frenchmen Street, a compact musical enclave where locals hang out. Frenchmen Street is a 2-block long entertainment district just minutes from the French Quarter. Then it’s back to the Quarter and on to St. Peter Street for an inspired session at Preservation Hall. For those with energy to spare, the good times are always rolling on Bourbon Street. Named for French royalty — not for the libation — this nighttime pedestrian thoroughfare is nevertheless a bastion of great bars and clubs. Of course, there’s live entertainment on every corner as well.

DAY 2

If you’re up for a half-day or full-day excursion, several historic plantation homes are within 75 miles of the city and can be considered for a day trip or even an overnight visit — some are now bed and breakfast inns and provide the ultimate in antebellum romance. Or, venture out and experience
the Cajun way of life on the bayou. It’s no secret that much of New Orleans is reclaimed swampland, and with that comes the native wildlife, nutria and egrets and alligators…all of which offer great sightseeing opportunities. Visitors should head back to the water for a boat tour of Louisiana’s teeming estuaries and/or a land tour of the Jean Lafitte National Park Wetlands Preserve.

Explore the Garden District for lunch, where retro diners, eclectic bistros and fine dining establishments line Magazine Street. Or, hop on the Magazine Street bus and journey toward downtown through an odyssey of funky, hip shops and art galleries into the Central Business and Arts District for a bite to eat before checking out the galleries. Standouts here are numerous museums, some of which offer free glassblowing and printmaking demonstrations.

Get your Cajun on at one of New Orleans’ dinner and dance venues. Dance instructors teach visitors the “Cajun Waltz” while they dine on Cajun specialties and listen to live Cajun and Zydeco music. Late-night opportunities can be Cajun, bluesy or funky, thanks to a few New Orleans’ originals: Rock-N-Bowl offers Cajun, Zydeco, swing and rhythm & blues alongside late-night bowling; in the Quarter, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop is an 18th-century candlelit cavern with live piano music.

DAY 3

If it’s Sunday, visitors should soak up the spirit of New Orleans with a “Gospel” or “Jazz” Brunch. With high-end cuisine or down-home soul food, the essence of New Orleans is captured in food, friendship and just the right kind of joyous celebration that makes the most distant visitors a part of the grand mosaic of the city.

Set your sights on the water for a cruise on a Mississippi River paddlewheeler. Several operators run two-hour excursions around the harbor or along the river and some offer a buffet spread along the way (in case you skipped the Jazz Brunch). Afterwards, walk just a few blocks to the New Orleans Audubon Aquarium or check what’s playing at the IMAX Theater. Shoppers will want to meander to the French Quarter for excellent local products and tons of jewelry, voodoo dolls, carnival masks and more, and take advantage of Tax Free Shopping for International Visitors.

Leave an hour to freshen up at your hotel because tonight is the night for a uniquely New Orleans repast. Among the Grandes Dames of Creole are several French Quarter restaurants, where locals and visitors revel in NOLA decadence. Leaving the restaurant, visitors will inevitably hear the clickety-clack of carriage horses as they make their way down the charming avenues. Take a last chance to hop in for a ride. Sated with the food, fun and friendship, visitors cannot help but understand why New Orleans is called America’s Most Unique City.

Atlanta, Nashville and New Orleans | FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC!

American Trails music editor Donivan Berube and photographer Robert Lindholm took a 7-day road trip through the historic recording studios and musical tool sheds of Atlanta, Nashville, and New Orleans in search of residence in Southern rhythm. Read the article on americantrailsmag.com.