Blues, Blue Ridge & BBQ – Guided Motorcycle Tour

Depart the UK on your chosen scheduled flight to Washington D.C. Upon arrival, independently make your way to your hotel, where you spend the first night of your adventure.

Hotel Palomar, Washington DC

During your first full day, you will have the majority of the day to explore this wonderful city. Washington DC has many sights and is also a great walking city. It also houses the fantastic Smithsonian Museum which is well worth a visit. Tonight you’ll meet your tour guides and fellow travellers at an orientation meeting and welcome dinner at the hotel.

Picking up the bikes in the morning you hit a rural freeway with light traffic for the first hour (71 miles) leading you to the foot hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the famous Skyline Drive. This scenic drive leads onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and together make up a 520 mile ribbon of asphalt that winds its way without a Yield Sign or a Stop Light the whole way. Tonight you celebrate your first day on the road in the historic mountain town of Waynesboro.

Speeds are slow but the views are spectacular with your biggest issue being the amount of wildlife along the road. In the past riders have seen wild pigs and bears on this ride. Your hotel for the night is right on the edge of the parkway in rural Virginia.

Crossing into North Carolina, the whole day will be spent on the Blue Ridge Parkway with lunch in one of the many great country diners along the parkway.

Today you head into the Great Smoky Mountains and it’s all Blue Ridge all the way! And what a day with endless views out across North Carolina and the perfectly surfaced parkway leading you to one of America’s greatest and most famous roads. Stop in historic Asheville for lunch or the whole day, near the base of Tail of the Dragon in Cherokee.

Let’s just say the first 100 miles of this day will stay with you forever! You’ll ride up to Deals Gap and then drop down the 318 curves in 11 miles that is the Tail of the Dragon. Make sure none of the fairings on your bike get nailed to the Tree of Shame!! You’ll talk about your iconic ride at one of the back country cafes for lunch then head out for the amazing city of Nashville! The Capital of Country music throws its doors wide open for you to explore! Use Your free day to seek out some of its museums and icons, such as the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.

Today you head south into the southern Appalachian foothills of Tennessee to ride along the beautiful and historic Natchez Trace Parkway. From there, you continue to the famous city of Muscle Shoals. Since the 1960s, the city has been known for music – developing the “Muscle Shoals Sound”, as local recording studios (including FAME Studios in the late 1950s and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in 1969) produced hit records that shaped the history of popular music. Tonight you’ll spend along the shores of the mighty Tennessee River in this lively music and arts district.

Today you head to 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. You’ll have plenty of time to explore this amazing city.

After a leisurely morning in Memphis, you’ll turn your wheels south once again. And no trip to the South is complete without visiting the blues town of Clarksdale, which preserves and promotes awareness of the Blues. On your way you’ll see more Blues-influenced destinations such as the Gateway to the Blues Museum in Tunica, MS and make a stop at the “Crossroads” where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. Tonight, it’s cold drinks and live blues.

Today you continue to immerse yourselves in the history of the Mississippi blues. There are tons of Blues Trail Markers to hit today, as well as some incredibly preserved “Juke Joints” such as Po’ Monkeys in Marigold. You’ll ride through plantations of cotton and have lunch where Teddy Roosevelt got his famous name! The food, well, that goes without saying. It’s a menu of soul food, BBQ, and sweet tea. Tonight, you get to explore the great blues town of Natchez, on the banks of the Mississippi.

Today you begin your ride rolling through the backroads of Mississippi before dropping into your final state, Louisiana. You’ll roll into New Orleans by way of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, at 28 miles it is the longest bridge over water in the world! Finally, you’ll end your ride in the heart of the French Quarter where New Orleans retains much of its French colonial influence. This unique American city is famous around the world for its culture, cuisine, and music.

Today you will spend exploring one of the Antebellum Plantations and gardens, soaking in the landscape and cultural history of this special region. When you’re done, you will ride to EagleRider and say a final good-bye to your bikes before being shuttled back to your hotel. Tonight is all about our Farewell Dinner and celebrating the amazing experiences you’ve shared together.

Depending on your flight time, you may have a couple of hours for some final sightseeing in New Orleans. You will make your own way to New Orleans International Airport to check in for your flight back to the UK.