Tennessee
Music Cities USA: Nashville to Memphis
Program No. 21154RJ
Join us on a musical adventure, where you’ll explore Graceland, the Country Music Hall of Fame and see live shows in legendary venues like the Grand Ole Opry and B.B King's Blues Club.
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7 days
6 nights
13 meals
6B 3L 4D
1
Check-In, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Nashville, TN
3
Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry House & Performance
Nashville, TN
6
Graceland, Stax Museum
Memphis, TN
7
Program Concludes
Memphis, TN
At a Glance
The blues made its home on Beale Street, while country music immortalized the Grand Ole Opry — and the residence of the “King” remains an iconic pilgrimage for fans of Rock ’n‘ Roll. Feel the rhythm of America’s music as you explore the legendary and historic landmarks of Nashville and Memphis, and attend live performances at venues including the Listening Room Café and B.B. King’s Blues Club. Walk along Music Row and enjoy a field trip to Studio B, formerly RCA records.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking up to 1.5-2 miles at moderate pace. Standing for on-site lectures on field trips. Frequent getting on/off coach. Stairs only in historic buildings and homes.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Experience the heart of country music at Ryman Auditorium — a National Historic Landmark — the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Walk in the footsteps of “the King” during a field trip to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis.
- Discover the origins of the blues as you experience Beale Street and explore the Rock ’n‘ Soul Museum.
General Notes
Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less. For a 9-night version of this program that includes New Orleans, check out "Music Cities USA: Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans" (#21979).
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Peggy Benton
Peggy has traveled extensively in the United States, Caribbean, and Eastern and Western Europe. She has been the owner, operator and USCG Licensed Captain of a 48' sailboat, chartered a yacht out of St. Thomas and Tortola and taught sailing and snorkeling. She has held leadership positions that include president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Navy League and vice president of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas. She currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Peggy Benton
View biography
Peggy has traveled extensively in the United States, Caribbean, and Eastern and Western Europe. She has been the owner, operator and USCG Licensed Captain of a 48' sailboat, chartered a yacht out of St. Thomas and Tortola and taught sailing and snorkeling. She has held leadership positions that include president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Navy League and vice president of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas. She currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Dick Cockrell
View biography
Dick is a lifelong Memphian. A product of Memphis public schools and a graduate of the University of Memphis, he has been married to his wife, Ellen, for 46 years and is the father of two. Dick spent his career in selling food services to restaurants. He retired after 32 years from Sysco Food Service. He has been a Memphis city group leader since 2015.
Suggested Reading List
(8 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Music Cities USA: Nashville to Memphis
Program Number: 21154
A Guide to Historic Nashville, Tennessee [Paperback]
Written by accomplished historian James Hoobler, senior curator of art and architecture at the Tennessee State Museum and former executive director of the Tennessee Historical Society, this book offers extraordinary insight into Nashville's heritage. Carefully researched and exceptionally written, it is a wonderful companion, both for visitors and for Nashville residents who want to see their hometown in a new light.
How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: 50 Years of Music Row [Paperback]
How did a medium-sized Southern river town become arguably the most important music center in America? In How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A. , we learn how a single studio in a tiny duplex house became Music Row, a ten-block area populated by hundreds of talented people whose job is to simply make music. The book features stories from publishers, songwriters and others who help tell the evolution of this fabled center of music. It's where Elvis ushered in the commercial rock 'n' roll explosion by recording "Heartbreak Hotel," Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, and Willie Nelson taught mainstream America to love soulful ballads, and Bob Dylan recorded three of his most important albums. The full-length CD includes 12 recordings made in the early studios of Music Row, giving listeners a rare chance to hear the demos made by some of Nashville's most talented artists. Songs include "Bye, Bye, Love," "Crazy," "King of the Road," "Walkin' After Midnight" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today."
Memphis Beat : The Lives and Times of America's Musical Crossroads
This book fills in what isn't so familiar: Memphis, it reveals, is our great cultural mixing board, where all the black and white folk have met and done musical business for two centuries or more. Larry Nager, former music editor of the "Memphis Commercial Appeal," offers more than a casual history. His chronicle reaches back into the nineteenth century, when Memphis was a wild frontier town full of whiskey, fiddle players, and minstrelsy. It hits cruising speed at the turn of the century, as W. C. Handy discovered the blues, women like Lil Armstrong and Memphis Minnie kept up with the men, and a Memphis deejay dreamed up the Grand Ole Opry. It chronicles the strange alchemy by which local rhythm 'n' blues, hard country, and black and white gospel got remade into powerful rock and roll in Sam Phillips's Sun Records studio on Union Avenue. The beat goes on into the '60s and the era of Stax and Hi Records - when the first integrated generations, raised on Sun 45s, started waxing their own sounds. And it follows Memphis even into contemporary times, through Big Star's adventures at Ardent Records, the difficult revival of Beale Street, and the birth of the House of Blues. There is triumph and tragedy here, and much in between - from the stalwart presence of lifelong musicians like Gus Cannon and Furry Lewis, through the horrific accident that killed Otis Redding, the Bar-Kays, and years and years of musical dreams.
Hidden History of Memphis (Tennessee) (Hidden Histories)
Step inside the fascinating annals of the Bluff City's history and discover the Memphis that only few know. G. Wayne Dowdy, longtime archivist for the Memphis Public Library, examines the history and culture of the Mid-South during its most important decades. Well-known faces like Clarence Saunders, Elvis Presley and W.C. Handy are joined by some of the more obscure characters from the past, like the Memphis gangster who inspired one of William Faulkner's most famous novels, the local Boy Scout who captured German spies during World War I, the Memphis radio station that pioneered wireless broadcasting and so many more. Also included are the previously unpublished private papers and correspondence of former mayor E.H. Crump, giving us new insight and a front-row seat to the machine that shaped Tennessee politics in the twentieth century.
Hidden History of Nashville (TN) [Paperback]
Perched on the banks of the Cumberland River, Nashville is best known for its role in the civil rights movement, world-class education and, of course, country music. In this unique collection of columns, longtime journalist and Tennessee native George Zepp illuminates a less familiar side of the city. Learn the secrets of Timothy Demonbreun, one of the city's first residents, who lived with his family in a cliff-top cave; Cortelia Clark, the blind bluesman who continued to perform on street corners after winning a Grammy award; and Nashville's own Cinderella story, which involved legendary radio personality Edgar Bergen and his ventriloquist protegee. Cleverly rendered, using questions from readers across the nation, these little-known tales abound with Music City mystery and charm.
Battling the Plantation Mentality: Memphis and the Black Freedom Struggle (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture)
African American freedom is often defined in terms of emancipation and civil rights legislation, but it did not arrive with the stroke of a pen or the rap of a gavel.No single event makes this more plain, Laurie Green argues, than the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers' strike, which culminated in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Exploring the notion of "freedom" in postwar Memphis, Green demonstrates that the civil rights movement was battling an ongoing "plantation mentality" based on race, gender, and power that permeated southern culture long before--and even after--the groundbreaking legislation of the mid-1960s.
With its slogan "I AM a Man!" the Memphis strike provides a clarion example of how the movement fought for a black freedom that consisted of not only constitutional rights but also social and human rights. As the sharecropping system crumbled and migrants streamed to the cities during and after World War II, the struggle for black freedom touched all aspects of daily life. Green traces the movement to new locations, from protests against police brutality and racist movie censorship policies to innovations in mass culture, such as black-oriented radio stations. Incorporating scores of oral histories, Green demonstrates that the interplay of politics, culture, and consciousness is critical to truly understanding freedom and the black struggle for it.
Nashville Streets and Their Stories
In this 2012 publication Ridley Wills tells the tales of the individuals and events that shaped Nashville and its surrounding communities such as Oak Hill and Belle Meade. In Nashville Streets and Their Stories, he divulges interesting facts about how presidents, politicians, businessmen, real estate developers, financiers, Civil War battles and Southern plantations combined to shape Nashville's unique history. Wills recounts local events ranging from the 1792 signing of a treaty between settlers and the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes at Treaty Oak to the more recent 2010 renaming of McLemore Street to YMCA Way. He identifies some areas such as "little Hollywood," "Hell's Half Acre, "The Nations," and others that are linked by the streets of Nashville. Listing more than five hundred of Nashville's most prominent place names, organized alphabetically, and illustrated with rarely seen photographs and illustrations, Nashville Streets and Their Stories captures the spirit of Nashville's forward thinkers and progressive builders
A Brief History of Memphis
No other southern city has a history quite like Memphis. First purchased in the early 1800s from natives to serve as a vital port for the emerging American river trade, the city flourished until the tumultuous years of the Civil War brought chaos and uncertainty. Yet the city survived. Through the triumphs and tragedies of the civil rights movement and beyond, Memphis endured it all. Despite its compelling story, no concise history of this home of soulful music and unmistakable flavor is available to modern readers. Thankfully, local historian and Memphis archivist G. Wayne Dowdy has filled this gap with a history of Memphis that is as vibrant and welcoming as the city itself. Join Dowdy as he tells the city's story as only a Memphian can.
Program
At a Glance
Duration
7 days
Program Begins
Nashville, TN
Program Concludes
Memphis, TN
Meals
13
| 6B |
3L |
4D |
Activity Level
The blues made its home on Beale Street, while country music immortalized the Grand Ole Opry — and the residence of the “King” remains an iconic pilgrimage for fans of Rock ’n‘ Roll. Feel the rhythm of America’s music as you explore the legendary and historic landmarks of Nashville and Memphis, and attend live performances at venues including the Listening Room Café and B.B. King’s Blues Club. Walk along Music Row and enjoy a field trip to Studio B, formerly RCA records.)
Best of all, you'll...
- Experience the heart of country music at Ryman Auditorium — a National Historic Landmark — the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Walk in the footsteps of “the King” during a field trip to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis.
- Discover the origins of the blues as you experience Beale Street and explore the Rock ’n‘ Soul Museum.
General Notes
Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less. For a 9-night version of this program that includes New Orleans, check out "Music Cities USA: Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans" (#21979).
Featured Expert
Peggy Benton
Peggy has traveled extensively in the United States, Caribbean, and Eastern and Western Europe. She has been the owner, operator and USCG Licensed Captain of a 48' sailboat, chartered a yacht out of St. Thomas and Tortola and taught sailing and snorkeling. She has held leadership positions that include president of the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, president of the St. Thomas-St. John Navy League and vice president of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas. She currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Please Note:
This expert may not be available for every date of the program
Dick Cockrell
Dick is a lifelong Memphian. A product of Memphis public schools and a graduate of the University of Memphis, he has been married to his wife, Ellen, for 46 years and is the father of two. Dick spent his career in selling food services to restaurants. He retired after 32 years from Sysco Food Service. He has been a Memphis city group leader since 2015.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking up to 1.5-2 miles at moderate pace. Standing for on-site lectures on field trips. Frequent getting on/off coach. Stairs only in historic buildings and homes.
Suggested Reading List
View Full List
(8 Books)
You can also find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
We can help. Give us a call, and we can answer all of your questions!
Call
800-454-5768
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
7 days
6 nights
What's Included
13 meals | 6B | 3L | 4D |
1 expert-led lecture
11 expert-led field trips
2 performances
An experienced Group Leader
6 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-In, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Nashville, TN
Meals:
D
Stay:
Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will be accompanied on some field trips by local experts who will provide commentary as we go. At some field trip sites, the extent and duration of walking and other activities will be according to personal choice. Travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Field Trip, Studio B
Location:
Nashville, TN
Meals:
B
Stay:
Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 60 miles, approximately 3 hours riding time. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; city streets and sidewalks. Country Music Hall of Fame Museum 1 block walk from hotel.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will set out from the hotel on a walking field trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame. We will have tickets provided for our self-directed exploration. To be invited to be a member of the elite group at the Country Music Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors in country music. The award recognizes persons who have made outstanding contributions to country music over the length of their careers. The museum’s vast collection includes memorabilia illustrating the evolution of country music through the two centuries. We will be able to get a clear sense of that history through its treasure trove of historic video clips, recorded music, dynamic exhibits, and state-of-the-art design. For information on current special exhibits, visit www.countrymusichalloffame.org.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. You might like to pick up a sandwich at The Country Music Hall of Fame or walk a block over to Broadway Street, an area with numerous restaurants.
Afternoon:
We will regroup at the hotel at 1:15p.m. and leave at 1:30 p.m. on a Nashville city field trip. We will board the motorcoach with a local expert who has a wealth of knowledge and passion for Nashville music and who will provide commentary as we ride. Music has always been the common thread connecting the life and soul of Nashville and its people. The first permanent settlement began on Christmas Day 1779, celebrated with fiddle tunes and buck dancing. Davy Crockett, Nashville’s first celebrity, was known far and wide for his colorful stories and fiddle playing. Nashville became a national center for music publishing. The first around-the-world tour by a musical act was by the Fisk Jubilee Singers from Nashville’s Fisk University. Their efforts helped fund the school’s mission of educating freed slaves after the Civil War and put Nashville on the map as a global music center. Here in the heart of Nashville’s entertainment industry, we will see the offices of record labels, publishing houses, music licensing firms, recording studios, video production houses, and other businesses that serve the music industry, as well as radio networks and radio stations. We will then ride to Studio B, originally RCA Studios, home of thousands of hits that helped to define the “Nashville sound.” Chet Atkins was one of the originators and Elvis mastered more than 200 songs here. Our expert will tell us about many of the quirks and idiosyncrasies of this unique space where so much musical history has been created using the pianos, mics, and accessories we will see. We’ll also have an opportunity to sit back and listen to recordings by our favorite artists in Studio B. Field trips: 2
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Day
3
Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry House & Performance
Location:
Nashville, TN
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 45 miles throughout the day, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking up to 1/2 mile throughout the day; standing approximately 1 hour each at Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry House.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will walk as a group to the Ryman Auditorium for an expert-led field trip that will take us through dressing rooms dedicated to the stars of the Ryman’s rich musical past such as Minnie Pearl, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams. (NOTE: We will not be able to go through the dressing rooms if a performance is taking place that day.) We’ll stand in the wings where performers as varied as Katharine Hepburn, Elvis Presley, and James Brown awaited their time in the spotlight. This National Historic Landmark is most famous as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974. Its history as Nashville’s premiere theater began with its original incarnation as an evangelical tabernacle in 1892. Dubbed the Carnegie Hall of the South, it went on to become the place for important community events, political rallies, as well as operas, symphonies, bands, ballets, and theatrical productions. The incredibly popular Grand Ole Opry radio show found a home here in 1943, and Ryman Auditorium was inseparably linked to the origins and rise of the modern-day genre of country music. Although the Opry moved to a new location in 1974, the Ryman has remained as a major attraction, undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration that brought back its original splendor, hosting top performers from around the world who praise its fine acoustics. Ryman Auditorium will still be on the agenda.
Lunch:
On your own to have what you like in downtown Nashville. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
For our next field trip, we’ll board the motorcoach and ride to the Grand Ole Opry House. We’ll learn the fascinating story of the Opry from a local expert who will share stories about its history and country music greats past and present. We’ll go onstage for a first-hand look at the tiered auditorium as seen from the performers’ perspective, then go backstage for a rare glimpse of what happens behind the scenes, including the artists’ entrance. We’ll also have some independent time to stroll through the halls filled with Opry memorabilia.
Dinner:
Dinner will be at a popular restaurant within walking distance to the Grand Ole Opry.
Evening:
Our program was planned far in advance when details of performances were not available. When confirmed, the information will be posted on the Road Scholar website under this program number and will also be included in preparatory materials sent following enrollment. You can also go to www.opry.com about two weeks before the date to see who is scheduled. The Grand Ole Opry celebrates country music’s diversity, presenting many generations of artists who have formed country music’s legacy and continue to forge its future course. Audiences can expect the best in country, bluegrass, comedy, gospel and more by Country Music Hall of Famers, cast members who helped establish the Opry as the home of country music, revered superstars, and young artists just starting to make names for themselves.
Day
4
Belle Meade Plantation,To Memphis, B. B. King's Blues Club
Location:
Memphis, TN
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 200 miles throughout the day, approximately 4 hours riding time. Walking equivalent of a city block at Belle Meade; uneven terrain. At BB King’s, dinner on second floor; no elevator.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel, load our luggage onto the motorcoach, and begin our transfer to Memphis, Along the way, we will stop for a field trip at a living vestige of a bygone era: Belle Meade historic home and winery. Led by an expert, we will learn how the original Harding family farm began in the early 1800s and developed over the next several decades. The mansion we see today, built in Greek Revival style, was commissioned in 1845 and tells the century-long history of Belle Meade. Through the stories and experiences of the Harding and Jackson families, we'll learn about the women, men, and children who labored here.
Lunch:
In the 1800s Carriage House/Stable House at Belle Meade.
Afternoon:
We will resume our ride to Memphis and watch a specially selected movie on the way. Upon arrival, we’ll check in to our hotel with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner:
We will walk to world-renowned BB King’s Blues Club and Restaurant on Beale Street. Dinner is on the second floor; no elevator.
Evening:
B.B. King's! The house band is B.B. King’s All Stars. Guest musicians include some of the best in the business for one of the most diverse, sophisticated lineups of modern blues and R&B in Memphis. Sit back and tap your toes or get up and dance. Stay on or go out and hear all the music you like up and down Beale Street. NOTE: Midnight is the cut-off time for loud music in Memphis. Our hotel is right at Beale Street, so be prepared.
Day
5
Memphis History, Civil Rights, Sun Studio, Rock n Soul
Location:
Memphis, TN
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 15 miles, approximately hour riding time. Walking at field trip sites. Climbing stairs at Sun Studio Museum; no elevator.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will board the motor coach with an expert who has a passion for Memphis, its music, and sites. Next, we will board the motorcoach for the short drive to the National Civil Rights Museum, a privately-owned complex of museums and historic buildings built around the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. We’ll follow a timeline that charts the course of events around the assassination and the impact and legacy of the civil rights movement.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will continue our exploration with a field trip to Sun Studio, an iconic recording studio where some of the most famous artists recorded in the 1950s. Whether rock-and-roll or country, and genres in between, the likes of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers, Ray Harris, Warren Smith, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis could be found there at one point or another. Led by a Sun Studio expert, we’ll see where they made musical history. We will finish our day with a field trip to the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, the first museum ever jointly developed by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of American History. Opened in August 2004, it came out of a traveling exhibition on the roots of uniquely American music in the South, from “field hollers” to work songs, blues, country, and gospel. These more countrified forms gradually met and mingled with their urban cousins: blues, jazz, and what became rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, and soul music. It charts the story of a field of music that has had a tremendous impact on popular culture and lifestyles from the mid-20th Century through today. It also documents the story of musical pioneers who overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create music that changed our world. The museum’s digital audio guide lets us move at our own pace on a self-directed visit through seven galleries of audio-visual programs, instruments, costumes, other musical treasures, and more than 300 minutes of information including more than 100 songs.
Dinner:
On your own to have what you like.
Evening:
At leisure. See more of Memphis on your own, spend time with newfound Road Scholar friends, or just relax.
Day
6
Graceland, Stax Museum
Location:
Memphis, TN
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hampton Inn & Suites Memphis - Beale Street
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 45 miles throughout the day, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking at field trip sites; uneven terrain at Graceland, up/downstairs, no elevator.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will board the motorcoach for a field trip to the 14-acre Graceland estate that was the home of Elvis Presley. It is now a virtual shrine with museums, films, and exhibits for a unique glimpse into the life and times of The King. We’ll have a self-directed exploration with audio guides to see personal mementos including gold and platinum awards.
Lunch:
At a Graceland restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will take the motor coach to Stax Museum, one of only a handful of museums in the world dedicated to soul music.
Dinner:
At one of Memphis’s most popular restaurants. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
7
Program Concludes
Location:
Memphis, TN
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 214 miles, approximately 4 hours riding time. Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m. Motorcoach will depart for Nashville at approximately 8:00 a.m. and make stops at the Nashville International Airport (BNA) as well as the downtown Nashville hotel.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Anyone wishing to return to Nashville aboard the motorcoach may do so at no charge. The first stop will be the Nashville International Airport followed by the downtown Nashville hotel for anyone who left their car at the hotel. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
13 Meals
6 Breakfasts
3 Lunches
4 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Oct 19, 2025 - Oct 25, 2025
- Mar 09, 2025 - Mar 15, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Mar 23, 2025 - Mar 29, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Mar 30, 2025 - Apr 05, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Apr 06, 2025 - Apr 12, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Apr 20, 2025 - Apr 26, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- May 04, 2025 - May 10, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Aug 31, 2025 - Sep 06, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Sep 21, 2025 - Sep 27, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Sep 28, 2025 - Oct 04, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Oct 05, 2025 - Oct 11, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
- Oct 19, 2025 - Oct 25, 2025 (Nashville, TN to Memphis, TN)
Participant Reviews
Based on 54 Reviews
Sort By:
The itinerary for this trip met all my expectations. The group meals were excellent as well. The accommodations In Nashville were great and the breakfast buffet was one of the best I have had. The only negative of the trip was the hotel in Memphis. Although the hotel is in an excellent location, overall it is has not been well maintained. There was only one working elevator, and the second elevator was frequently not operating. Our group leader tried very hard to accommodate the needs of the group, but this hotel should not be used by Road Scholar until it becomes better maintained.
Overall, I would recommend this tour for the wonderful music events and interesting museums.
— Review left October 13, 2024
Very impressed with the scope and flow of events. well planned and executed!
— Review left October 13, 2024
First trip to Tennessee. Both hotels were well located near numerous restaurants and places of interest. Description was 100% accurate with some fun add-ons, like the Tina Turner Museum on the bus ride from Nashville to Memphis and the pedestrian bridge to West Memphis, Arkansas. The instructors, food and pace were all excellent. We kept on the go with enough free time to explore some places on our own. Five stars to Terri our group leader who was super excellent, going above and beyond what you would expect in a tour leader. She made sure we saw the Peabody Hotel ducks in Nashville. Our group was large (38 people).
— Review left September 13, 2024
Great program.
— Review left September 11, 2024
This program on the music of Nashville and Memphis was one of the most fun and educational programs I've been on in the US. There is SO much we learned by going to the famous places in the itinerary, and by having a guide who was willing and excited to share her passion for the two cities and surrounding cultural interests. I learned about country music and have a new appreciation for it. The blues did not disappoint!
— Review left May 12, 2024
I was on the Nashville to Memphis Music Cities, USA. It was very informative and enlightening. I really enjoyed seeing the area and visiting all the music related venues in each city. In addition to the other museums such as the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. Thanks, Road Scholar
— Review left April 29, 2024
You don't have to love country-western music to enjoy and appreciate the Nashville to Memphis tour nor do you have to be a scholar on all things regarding the South, Tennessee, music or race relations. But what you do have to have is a desire to be willing to learn about them from perspectives you may not have regarded before. This is a must trip for everyone regardless of race, color, creed or culture. It wasn't a bucket list item for me before, but, now I consider it what should have been a bucket list fulfillment, after the fact. Come early, stay longer and experience both cities on your own even moreso. You won't be disappointed.
— Review left April 15, 2024
Excellent and varied program! Good balance of activities and lots of opportunities to hear live music.
— Review left October 30, 2023
Love country music and the blues? Dedicated to Civil Rights? What about Elvis? If all of these things sound appealing,, this tour is for you!
— Review left October 17, 2023
i would have preferred the infromation booklet mailed to me instead of having to down load it. I usually will take time to write notes on each day before , during an and after the trip . So not having the bound program in advance was disappointing. The 2 previous trips I attended had it shipped before the program started. This is where i would take notes and reminders before during and after the trip. its my souveier adn memories all in one. Is this a new feature. This was the only disappointing feature.
— Review left September 26, 2023
The week was a joy..from Nashville to Memphis got such a great flavor of each. Music, civil rights, slavery haven, and Elvis..just a perfect week.
— Review left September 24, 2023
If you're into music, this program (Music Cities USA) is a 'must'. Exciting to see the museums and sights where music history was made.
— Review left September 19, 2023
Highly recommend for a comprehensive, enjoyable visit to the top sites in Nashville and Memphis. Country music, blues, civil rights, Elvis, and more. Lots of info and lots of fun.
— Review left May 25, 2023
I would highly recommend this program to anyone with an interest in blues,
country music and Southern history.
— Review left May 19, 2023
WELL ORGANIZED, INTERESTING, FUN TRIPS. LOVELY ACCOMODATIONS AND MEALS, ENOUGH FREE TIME, AND NICE COMPANIONS IN THE GROUPS.
— Review left May 16, 2023
What a fun, exciting and interesting program!!
— Review left May 15, 2023
A great opportunity to learn about the blues and country music, as well as the civil rights movement.
— Review left May 15, 2023
I have always wanted to go to the Grand Ole Opry and to Graceland. This program couldn't have been more perfect to fulfill my wish.
— Review left May 9, 2023
The program definitely was a good introduction to the music cities and is recommended for all music lovers. The leader , Terri, added interesting stops that were unexpected and fun
— Review left May 9, 2023
We all had a marvelous time. Whether you are a single, couple, or a group, you will enjoy this experiance.
— Review left May 8, 2023
This tour is a must do for anyone who enjoys country music!
— Review left April 18, 2023
Outstanding in all areas! Jan and Tom Murray were extremely easy to work with and did an excellent job in communicating the details of each excursion. So glad the Civil Rights Museum and the Slave Haven Museum were incorporated in this trip. The hotels were so conveniently located in both cities.
I loved everything about this trip!
— Review left April 16, 2023
THIS TRIP WAS JUST OUTSTANDING FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES MUSIC!
ATTENDING THE GRAND OLE OPRY IN PERSON WAS A HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP.
THE TOURS OF NASHVILLE AND MEMPHIS WERE EXCELLENT, AND THE ALMOST WHOLE DAY AT GRACELAND (ELVIS'S HOME) WAS A PERFECT WAY TO CONCLUDE THIS TRIP!
— Review left April 5, 2023
Saint Patty's Day is a great time to be on Beale Street
— Review left March 19, 2023
I learned a lot about the Music that came out of Nashville and Memphis. I thought there was a lot to explore in Nashville and I recommend that you consider coming out a day or two earlier to check that out (concerts, riverboat rides, other areas of interest that Nashville has to offer.)
— Review left October 31, 2022
If you're unfamiliar with the origins of either Country or Blues music, sign up for this course. You'll especially learn about the connection that Country music legends have with each other and their fans. It's very moving.
— Review left October 9, 2022
Wonderful experience touring Nashville and Memphis. Our Group Leader, Terrie Dal Pozzo, was fantastic. The itinerary was great. Accommodations very convenient to walk around during free time to explore. We loved the Honky Tonks in Nashville. Lots of cool places to eat when on your own. Made lots of new friends. I highly recommend this trip. It was educational and just fun!
— Review left October 2, 2022
If you loved Elvis and the other Rock and Roll musicians from the 50s, Memphis is your city. If you love , or want to learn about country western, Nashville is the place. I loved both cities and learned a ton of things…
— Review left October 2, 2022
What a wonderful trip. This was our first Road Scholar trip and we already signed up for a second. Peggy, our tour guide was a wealth of information. She keep us informed about the day's events, restaurants, and sights to see. Very well organized. If you love country music and blues, this is the trip for you. The Civil Rights Museum, the Opry, Graceland, and Sun Records were highlights. Really, every stop was wonderful!
— Review left July 20, 2022
This was a fun and exciting trip. I learned a great deal about the music, culture, food and so much more on Nashville and Memphis than I anticipated. I appreciate the depth of knowledge and experience that our local experts conveyed. They were engaging, informative, and entertaining. Our group leader, Terrie, was also perfect for this trip. She added many delightful tidbits of knowledge here and there and took us on a couple of mini side trips that enhanced the experience. As a bonus, my niece who was traveling with me, and I found street murals in both Nashville and Memphis that put our experiences over the top.
— Review left June 20, 2022
This trip was one of the best I have ever taken. As a music lover, it definitely delivered. The visit to the Civil Rights Museum was an extra bonus, perhaps the most significant visit of the week. I so enjoyed learning about the history of the blues, rock and roll, and country music. The concert at the Grand Ole Opry was also a highlight. I enjoyed both cities (Memphis and Nashville) and appreciated the huge differences between them. When our original group leader became ill right before the 1st day, Road Scholar immediately brought in another group leader, Peggy Benton, who had experience leading this trip and was wonderful. Kudos to Road Scholar and Peggy!
— Review left May 19, 2022
Outstanding opportunity for everyone, to learn and, really, be taken care of (no worries about lodging). So many interesting leaders and places you've always wanted to visit.
— Review left May 8, 2022
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Road Scholar. Our group leader Peggy Benton, was excellent, and executed the trip with precision and grace.This was our first experience with Road Scholar and we are eager to try another adventure.
— Review left May 3, 2022
We just completed the Music Cities trip to Nashville and Memphis with 6 family members. What a fun and entertaining week for all of us. We experienced so many new sounds and foods and history. It was a delightful vacation! We especially loved our tour group leaders Tom and Janet!!
— Review left April 26, 2022
After arguing about which Road Scholar we should take to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, we agreed on the Music Cities USA: Nashville to Memphis. We have grown in different directions but one thing that we have in common is our love of music and rock and roll (with an influence of country). This completely met our expectations. We talked to several who book multiple trips a year. On and on!
— Review left April 25, 2022
I loved the trip . Full filled my expectations
— Review left April 12, 2022
The quality of the program, the participants and the price all outstanding!!!
— Review left April 3, 2022
This was a fabulous amazing trip!!
— Review left January 25, 2022
Interesting, informative, fun trip. The hotels were centrally located; we could walk to the museums, to restaurants, and lots of bars to hear the music we came to hear and learn about. I was able to cross off the Grand Ole Opry and Graceland from my bucket list. All on the same trip!
— Review left October 28, 2021
This tour of Nashville and Memphis provides a thorough, insightful and very enjoyable exploration of these two cities and their musical histories. The local guides were excited to share their knowledge and love of the music scene with all of their visitors...and the music, both past and present, was wonderful!
— Review left October 23, 2021
The program was music centered. I enjoyed the blues and more rock and roll of Memphis than the country-western of Nashville, but both were worth seeing. The civil rights museum in Memphis was very moving.
— Review left October 6, 2021
If you like music and Elvis, this is a fun program for you. All that Southern food I’d great too.
— Review left October 4, 2021
it was great.
— Review left September 19, 2021
Great program! Checked off several items on my bucket list. Civil Rights museum was an unexpected bonus
and was inspirational and eye opening.
— Review left September 12, 2021
Great Trip, especially for baby boomers! Lots of information, music and fun. Wonderful way to reminisce a time long gone.
— Review left October 14, 2019
This has been the second time that I have taken a vacation with Road Scholar, and I've found both trips worthwhile.
— Review left September 28, 2019
Highly recommend Music Cities even if familiar with Nashville and Memphis. So much included
— Review left June 16, 2019
You don't have to be a big fan or supporter of the Blues or of Country and Western Music to enjoy this trip. I'm not, and was surprised that many other participants simply wanted to enrich their knowledge of Americana, as did I. It fulfilled that objective for me.
— Review left June 16, 2019
Excellent introduction to two great music cities. We learned so much, heard such great music, and got to explore on our own--while our group leader capably handled all the logistics, including music venues, as we stayed in hotels perfectly situated to take advantage of what these cities had to offer. This trip was one of the most enjoyable, and clearly among the best values, that we've had with a Roads Scholar program.
— Review left June 1, 2019
My husband and I realized a dream trip to our musical legends.
— Review left May 8, 2019
My wife and I found this program very informative and a bit magical. It expanded our knowledge of our favorite music - country & blues.
— Review left May 8, 2019
This was well done - lots of thought went into this for all of us.
— Review left April 21, 2019
A lot of the program was nostalgic bringing back pleasant. Overall it was a great experience.
— Review left April 11, 2019
Overall this was a wonderful experience. I knew about most of the places we visited beforehand; just being where fabulous music had been made and where it is still being made was thrilling. Thanks to Road Scholar I got to places I have wanted for years to see. Road Scholar handled all the details.
— Review left April 11, 2019
