Blues, Bourbon & BBQ Motorcycle Tour Guided New Orleans to Los Angeles 15 Days / 14 Nights Available Spring, Autumn Ride EagleRider s Blues, Bourbon, and BBQ Tour, and you will find great roads, food, and music at every turn. The rolling mountain roads will have you on cloud nine, while the soulful sounds of the South penetrate to the bone. From New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz, to the Country Music capital of Nashville, all the way to the Chicago Blues, the roads sing the history of America. Nightclubs, juke joints, speakeasys, and honky-tonks abound, and the mouth-watering BBQ and bourbon will satisfy the biggest of appetites. Day 1 - Welcome to New Orleans Welcome to New Orleans, the Big Easy! Retaining much of its French colonial influence, this unique American city is famous around the world for its culture, cuisine, and music. Tonight you ll get a chance to meet your Tour Guides and the rest of your group at your Welcome Dinner on Bourbon Street, and get ready for the ride of lifetime!
Day 2 - New Orleans Plantation Ride After picking up our bikes in the late morning, we ll head out and get to know southern Louisiana. We ll spend the day exploring some backcountry bayous and antebellum (pre-civil War) Plantations and gardens, soaking in the landscape and cultural history of the American South. We ll return to N awlins for some live jazz music, and one last night on the town. Day 3 - New Orleans - Natchez Now it s time to hit the road! We ll leave Louisiana behind and begin our tour with a journey up the Mississippi Blues Trail, with markers commemorating the birth, growth, and influence of Delta Blues throughout the state of Mississippi. Day 4 - Natchez - Merigold This morning s ride along the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway follows the historical Natchez Trace, a 400-mile long trail system connecting central Tennessee with the Mississippi River. On our way we ll see more Blues-influenced destinations such as the Blue Front Café in Betonia, the street corner in Indianola where B.B. King played, and Po Monkeys Lounge in Merigold, one of the last original juke joints in the South. Day 5 - Merigold - Tupelo No trip to the South is complete without visiting the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, which preserves and promotes awareness of the Blues. We ll cross over the state of Mississippi to Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley.
Day 6 - Tupelo - Memphis Music lovers around the world know Beale Street, a national historical landmark which showcases the impact Memphis has had on the Blues and Jazz. Legends such as Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie, and most notably B.B. King, all helped develop the style known as Memphis Blues. One of the city s most important Rock and Roll icons is Sun Studio, which discovered the talents of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison. Day 7 - Memphis Take the day to discover your inner Elvis at Graceland, celebrating his life and music. Tonight we feast on some of the best BBQ in the world, so bring your appetite! And don t forget to see Memphis local celebrities during the Duck March at the Peabody Hotel! Day 8 - Memphis - Lynchburg The Bourbon part of our tour begins today as we head East and ride through the heart of Tennessee to Lynchburg, home to the Jack Daniel s distillery. We ll finish another gorgeous riding day with a tour at the Visitor Center, sampling some of the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Day 9 - Lynchburg - Nashville This morning s ride takes us to Nashville, the Country Music capital of the world. Tonight we ll experience more incredible BBQ, and listen to some live music at one of the many honky tonks along Broadway Street, where legends like Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and Patsy Cline got their start.
Day 10 - Nashville Our music-appreciation switches from Delta Blues to Country Music here in Nashville. We ll use our free day to explore some of its museums and icons, such as the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.in town. Day 11 - Nashville - Louisville Another beautiful backroads ride is in store today, as we head north into central Kentucky. Along the way we ll stop in Bowling Green at the National Corvette Museum, to see how America s favorite sports car is made, then we ll sample more delicious bourbon at the Maker s Mark distillery in Loretto. We overnight in Louisville. Day 12 - Louisville / Churchill Downs Race Day Today we ll get a sneak peek at the Sport of Kings as we visit Churchill Downs, the most famous Thoroughbred horse-racing track in America and host of the Kentucky Derby. This magnificent facility boasts up to 150,000 people on Derby Day! Day 13 - Nashville - Chicago On our final riding day we ll blast through the state of Indiana on our way to Chicago, where even more great music, great food, and great culture awaits us. We ll return our motorcycles in the afternoon and celebrate our amazing trip together all night!
Day 14 - One last night in Chicago The Chicago Blues is an urban evolution of the southern Delta Blues, and tonight we ll listen to the best the Windy City has to offer! We ll overload our senses with the sights and sounds of Chicago on the last night of the tour, cherishing memories that will last a lifetime. Day 15 - See you soon! We hope you had a wonderful tour with EagleRider, and we ll see you on your next great motorcycle adventure!