When you talk Deep South USA holidays, you think Florida right? Wrong. We’re talking about the heart of Dixie; the states of Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. These states can lay claim to being the birthplace of all music; Blues was born from chanting on the cotton fields and everything that’s developed since is all linked back. They’re the states that gave us Cajun cuisine, that house iconic swamps and offer nostalgic steamboat rides down the Mississippi. If you’re after a celebration of life through a unique culture of friendliness, civic pride and music, lots and lots of music, then holidays to USA Deep South might just be for you.
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New Orleans joie de vivre is captured perfectly on Bourbon Street. One of the most famous destinations for live music on the planet, Bourbon Street is located in the heart of the city’s iconic French Quarter. With more bars on one street than you’re likely to see anywhere else, each one offering drinks deals aplenty (some places give you three beers for the price of one) and live music from dawn ‘til dusk, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, you will be hard-pressed to find a better place to celebrate being alive. The Big Easy’s number one street is a must-visit on your Deep South USA holidays.
The USA Deep South’s most visited attractions (yes, more visitors than the Grand Canyon), the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Tennessee is the Southern part of the Appalachian Mountain group and as such is the oldest mountain range in the world. Named after the mist that hangs above them (this is because of the humidity of the Mexican Gulf rapidly cooling in the Appalachian’s elevation) The Smoky Mountains offer plenty of sites beyond their namesake; coves, waterfalls and trails are located within the park, as well as thousands of bears! The National Park is also free of charge and will always stay that way as part of the terms and conditions of a grant received from the Rockefeller family.
As the birthplace of popular music, many holidays to USA Deep South are pilgrimages from fans of all manner of genres, looking to pay homage to the artists and sounds that have sound tracked their lives. They’re most abundant in Tennessee, with Memphis offering Graceland, Sun Studio and Stax Records and Nashville the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry. The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, MS pays homage to the music that started it all while New Orleans Museum houses the remnants from the cities former Jazz Museum. Whether you’re a fan of Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz and Gospel or not, the Deep South’s music museums can’t be missed.
There’s far more to Georgia than capital Atlanta and its manic airport. The state’s first city Savannah is a green and persistently warm destination with majestic pre-Civil War architecture. The famous Southern charm is at its peak on Savannah holidays, where locals are always hospitable and sporting a smile. There are so many sites and things to do in Savannah that are just as beautiful as the leafy city itself; Forsyth Park, City Market, the Savannah Bells Ferry and so much more are there to be experienced on your visit. Cheap South USA holidays don’t come quite so special.
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National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum is a stark and poignant reminder of the Deep South’s shameful and unnervingly recent past. Located within the building that was once the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, the Museum is comprised of a tasteful set of exhibits celebrating and remembering the good and horrifyingly bad in the struggle for Civil Rights.
Essential info
Currency: Dollar
Language: English
Visa: British tourists visiting the United States for less than 90 days must apply for an ESTA.
Vaccinations: N/A
Dress code: N/A
Important numbers: Embassy: 020 7499 9000
Other info: The drinking and age in the USA is 21, not 18.