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Nashville and Memphis
April 19 - April 25
$2675 – $3385
We have previously hosted a tour to both Nashville and Memphis TN. Everyone had a great time, by popular request we are scheduling a new Nashville – Memphis tour 2024. You won’t want to miss touring the highlights of these two FAMOUS MUSIC CITIES.
DAY 1: FRIDAY APRIL 19,2024
8:00 AM – Depart from Cedar Rapids Sam’s Club behind Burger King, The Motor Coach will be on site at 7:30 for loading.
Additional pick-up locations will be Super Target West off Edgewood Rd. Southwest corner of parking lot.
10:30 am – Lunch at Fiddlesticks Restaurant Hannibal Mo. On your own.
11:30 pm – Depart Fiddlesticks
1:30 – TBD Rest Stop
2:00 pm – Depart Rest area
5:00 pm – TBD rest and light dinner on your own.
8:00 pm – approx.. Arrive at OPRYLAND RESORT AND CONVENTION CENTER
Your next three nights are at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Situated in the heart of Nashville, this luxury hotel allows you to hit all the high notes of Music City both in the area and under their roof. Looking to make a splash? SoundWaves, an upscale water experience featuring 4 acres of combined indoor and outdoor water attractions, opened in December 2018. Enjoy 9 acres of lush indoor gardens and cascading waterfalls. There is also a full-service spa for a relaxing way to unwind.
The hotel is connected to Opry Mills. Opry Mills is a single level mall that contains over 200 stores or take center stage with your favorite star at Madame Tussauds Nashville.
Day 2: Saturday, April 20, 2024
8:30 AM – Depart for a guided tour through Nashville, Music City USA to see the highlights of downtown, Music Row, and more!
11:30 AM – Lunch is included at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Saloon in downtown Nashville for lunch and live music in one of Nashville’s favorite Broadway Honky Tonks.
Get up close and personal with tomorrow’s and today’s country stars at Ole Red, where the hottest talent comes to play and where you’ll find the biggest sound on a small stage. Grab your drink, put on your dancing shoes, and cozy right up to the stage and say you heard them when.
1:15 PM – Depart for a guided tour of the Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church” of Country Music. The Ryman Auditorium is a short walk from Ole Reds
1:30 PM – Tour Ryman Auditorium. A 2,362-seat live-performance venue. It is best known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. Join their expert guides for an unforgettable tour through more than a century of entertainment history. Hear the backstage stories, get to know the legends and icons, trace the history of a hundred years of renovations and understand the Ryman’s complex journey from revival house to world-renowned performance hall.
Return to Opryland Hotel.
4:45 PM – Depart for Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen.
5:00 PM – A Family style dinner is included at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen
Following dinner depart for the Grand Ole Opry.
What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925 is today a live entertainment phenomenon dedicated to honoring country music’s rich history and dynamic present. The Grand Ole Opry showcases a mix of country legends and the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. The Opry – an American icon and Nashville, Tennessee’s number-one attraction – is world-famous for creating one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences for audiences of all ages
7:00 PM – The show begins
Day 3: Sunday, April 21, 2024
8:30 AM – Depart for the Country Music Hall of Fame.
9:00 AM – Arrive the Country Music Hall of Fame.
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum adds a strikingly modern touch to the Nashville skyline. The museum, is called the “Smithsonian of country music” because of its unrivaled collection, In the museum’s core exhibition, Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music, visitors are immersed in the history and sounds of country music, its origins and traditions, and the stories and voices of many of its honored architects. The story is revealed through artifacts, photographs, and text panels, with a rich overlay of recorded sound, vintage video, and interactive touchscreens.
10:45 AM – Depart for lunch and entertainment on the General Jackson Riverboat.
Every Sunday, the General Jackson Showboat impresses with their Southern Homecoming show. This live entertainment show displays the best of Sunday music including Southern Gospel favorites and country music hits performed at the expansive theatre. Just a few of the artists who are featured in this show include Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, and Tim McGraw. The meal served during this show features fresh salads, hickory pit-smoked shoulder, Southern fried chicken, delicious southern-style sides, and a seasonal fruit cobbler for dessert.
11:15 AM – Boarding begins.
Noon – The cruise aboard the General Jackson departs.
2:30 PM – Return to the Opryland Hotel.
Take time to explore the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Included in your package is The Delta Riverboat Tour. This tour takes you on a gentle ride around the Atrium’s four and half acres of gardens and waterfalls. The tour guide provides information about the hotel and points out some interesting features within the gardens.
5:15 PM – Depart for Nashville Nightlife.
Nashville Nightlife
Begin with an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet that includes entrees such as fried chicken, ribs, Swedish meatballs, sausage w/peppers, fish, pasta, an array of vegetables, baked potatoes, salads, hot rolls, and cobblers for dessert.
Experience a celebration of Country Music from both past and present. Hear songs from many of the great artists in country music history along with today’s hottest superstars. Enjoy the music of everyone from Hank Williams Sr. and Patsy Cline to the superstars of today like Sara Evans and Toby Keith!
Day 4: Monday, April 22, 2024
9:15 AM – Depart the Opryland Hotel.
9:30 AM – Arrive at the Grand Ole Opry for a Backstage Tour of the Grand Ole Opry Ole. The tour starts with their state-of-the-art Circle Room theater experience in the premium lounge hosted by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. Then set off on an all-access look at the stars’ dressing rooms, backstage area and get a chance to stand on the legendary Opry stage. Hear stories about the Opry and country music greats with exclusive photos from the Opry’s biggest moments. See the Artist Entrance, where stars walk into the world-famous Opry House every night.
10:45 AM – Depart for Colton’s Steakhouse
Colton’s Steak House & Grill
11:45 AM – Lunch is included at Colton’s Steak House & Grill.
1:00 PM – Depart for Johnny Cash’s Hideaway Farm and Storytellers Museum
1:15 PM – Arrive Johnny Cash’s Hideaway Farm.
Enjoy the peace and tranquility of the 107 acre property that Johnny cash called the center of his universe. You will have the opportunity to explore the home of this legendary figure, delve into his life in this place, and view the impressive collection of memorabilia he accumulated throughout the years. And make sure not to miss the iconic “One Piece at a Time” car. Johnny’s nephew, the talented Mark Alan Cash, is set to entertain your group, and introduce even the most dedicated Johnny Cash fans to a whole new side of his legendary uncle.
2:15 PM – Depart for the Storyteller’s Museum.
Just down the street from the farm lies Storytellers! This building boasts deep roots, not just to Johnny Cash, but also to Sun Studios! Learn how incredibly important this building was to the evolution of music! It’s amazing to think about the stories that have been shared within those walls and the incredible music created there.
3:30 PM – Depart for Memphis. (It is 183 miles from the Storyteller’s Museum to the Guest House at Graceland.
6:30 PM – DINNER AND RESTSTOP OYO TBD
7:30 PM – ARRIVE AT THE GUESTHOUSE AT GRACELAND FOR 3 NIGHTS
Less than a 5-minute walk from Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion, The Guest House at Graceland offers accommodations with 2 on-site restaurants, a theater and outdoor pool with pool bar in season, an evening Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar is offered. A flat-screen cable TV, work desk and coffee maker is provided in each room. There is also a seating area and compact refrigerator. Room service is offered for guest convenience. A fitness center, business center and gift shop are available to guests. There are several lounge areas around the property for guests to relax or converse. Guests can enjoy the outdoor lawn and courtyard area. Delta’s Kitchen offers an array of Southern comfort dishes, including contemporary twists on some of Elvis Presley’s favorite foods. Guests can grab a drink and a bite for breakfast, lunch and dinner at EP’s Bar & Grill. Beale Street is 8 mi from The Guest House at Graceland, and the Memphis Zoo is a 15-minute drive away.
DAY 5: TUESDAY APRIL 23, 2024
Breakfast included at the Hotel.
8:30 AM – Depart for “BACKBEAT TOURS”
9:00 AM – ARRIVE AT BACKBEAT TOURS.
The Home of the Blues comes alive on this city tour aboard the nation’s only music bus. All of the guides on this tour are professional Beale Street musicians who play and sing selections from the city’s rich musical heritage, while entertaining you with comedy, history, and behind-the-scenes stories of your favorite Memphis personalities.
way, you will see
- Sun Studio
- Beale Street
- Stax Studio
- The Lorraine Motel
- Cotton Row
- Peabody Hotel
- Overton Park
- Historic Central Gardens
- St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
- Early homes of Elvis, B. B. King, and Johnny Cash
Enjoy an exciting introduction to Memphis on this action-packed drive through the city. It’s great fun for all ages!
11:00 AM – Tour Famous “Beale Street” Lunch on Your own at “BB Kings” or at one of several other famous Beale St. restaurants.
12:30 PM – Depart for the THE PEABODY HOTEL
1:00 pm – Arrive at the PEABODY HOTEL
Back in the 1930s Frank Shutt, General Manager of The Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Tennessee sippin’ whiskey, and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal then for hunters to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were selected as “guinea pigs,” and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Thus began a Peabody tradition which was to become internationally famous.®
In 1940, Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day and taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March. Mr. Pembroke became Peabody Duckmaster, serving in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement in 1991.
2:00 PM -Depart the Peabody Hotel for the “BASS PRO SHOP”
2:30 PM – Arrive at the Bass Pro Shop. You have never seen an outdoor shop like this.
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid in Memphis is one of the most dynamic and immersive retail experiences in the world. It’s more than a store; it’s an adventure! In addition to an incredible assortment of fishing, boating, hunting and outdoor gear, the mega store includes a 103-room hotel with treehouse cabins (see Big Cypress Lodge below); 600,000 gallons of water teeming with over 1,800 fish; a cypress swamp with alligator pools and duck aviaries; and a breathtaking observation deck at the top of the 32-story steel pyramid.
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid offers something for everyone, from the serious outdoor enthusiast to families looking to have fun. Check out these features:
5:00 PM – Depart The Bass Pro Shop for THE GUESTHOUSE AT GRACELAND
5:30 PM – Arrive the GUESTHOUSE AT GRACELAND FOR DINNER. A Guesthouse dinner voucher is included for tonight or tomorrow evening dinner.
7:00 PM – The evening is yours to do what you would like. Enjoy the hotel facilities or take our motor coach to the nearby SOUTHLAND CASINO for a couple of hours of gaming.
10:00 PM – Return to the GUESTHOUSE AT GRACELAND.
DAY 6 WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2024
7:00 – 8:30 AM – BREAKFAST, GUESTHOUSE AT GRACELAND.
9:00 AM – Depart for “GRACELAND” Home of Elvis Presley.
9:30 AM – Arrive at Graceland for tour.
Graceland is so much more than a Mansion. It was the private retreat of the King of Rock ‘n Roll. It was where his family grew up, spent their time together and enjoyed life. Today, you’re invited to explore Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland Mansion, and immerse yourself in his life and legacy at Elvis Presley’s Memphis Entertainment Complex. Featuring over 10 Elvis themed exibits and attractions. 4 full service restaurants plus additional grab and go options and so much more,
AN ALTERNATIVE TO GRACELAND IS THE MEMPHIS ZOO.
Memphis Zoo is home to 3,500+ animals. Find your favorites and discover new species to Love.
After dropping participants at Graceland we will proceed to drop interest guest at the Memphis zoo.
1:00 PM – Depart Graceland
1:30 PM – Depart Memphis Zoo.
There are light lunch options available at Graceland and zoo.
BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE EVENT CHOICES, FEE’S AT GRACELAND OR AT THE ZOO ARE ON YOUR OWN, WE WILL NEGOTIATE THE BEST GROUP RATE UPON ARRIVAL AT EACH EVENT AND PAY THE MOST DECIDED UPON FEES. YOU THEN CAN REIMBURSE US. WE KNOW THIS SOUNDS SOMEWHAT COMPLICATE BUT BY EXPERIENCE, THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THESE EVENTS.
2:00 PM – Arrive at GUESTHOUSE AT GRACELAND For a little free time fun and games prior to heading back to Cedar Rapids tomorrow morning. If you didn’t use your dinner voucher last night you can use it tonight. We will again provide shuttle service to the Southland Casino.
5:00 PM – Shuttle to Southland Casino. Dinner on your own at casino or Graceland.
10:00 PM – Depart for Guesthouse at Graceland
DAY 7, THURSDAY APRIL 25, 2024
7:00 AM – Bags ready for departure per. Instructions.
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM – Breakfast at hotel.
8:30 AM – Depart for Cedar Rapids
10:30 AM – Rest Stop tbd.
1:30 PM – Rest Stop tbd
4:00 PM – Dinner at Fiddlesticks Hannibal Mo. “On own”
5:00 PM – Depart Hannibal Mo. For Cedar Rapids.
8:00 PM – Arrive Sam’s Club Cedar Rapids.
Price
$2835 pp.dbl.oc.
$3385 Sig.oc.
$2675 Triple oc
