Roadtripping across America’s vast width is a dream many long to tick off their bucket list. But how about roadtripping from the North to the South? At the United States’ narrowest point, you can drive from Chicago all the way down to New Orleans in under 24 hours. So once again our lead travel writer Catherine Lux took on the challenge and turned a 1,341 mile drive into a luxurious two-week adventure, passing through Chicago, St Louis, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Natchez, and New Orleans.
Chicago’s The Bean at Cloud Gate
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – TWO NIGHTS
How to get to Chicago
From the UK & Europe: There are daily direct flights to Chicago from most European cities, including London.
From the US: Fly direct with any major US carrier
Where to stay in Chicago: Langham Chicago
The Langham Chicago is a stunning contemporary hotel located on the banks of the Chicago River and right in the heart of the action, with Magnificent Mile and The Bean just a short walk away. The hotel has every modern amenity you should need, as well as luxury marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows that give you sweeping views over the city skyline and river.
Book a stay at Langham Chicago
What to do in Chicago
Chicago is a more laid-back New York City. It’s cleaner, friendlier, and has a much more relaxed feel to it. The Bean at Cloud Gate is unmissable, and just across the road the American Writers Museum is a fascinating museum about America’s most famous literary masters. Navy Pier is a beautiful spot in the city to wander and eat an ice-cream, while Magnificent Mile is for anyone looking to shop – whether its designer or stocking up in Sephora.
For theatre-lovers, the Chicago Theatre is best seen in the evening when the lights are lit up and they regularly have shows and concerts going on there if you have time. If you’re not afraid of heights then make sure to make a stop at Willis Tower for an exceptional view over the city!
Where to eat in Chicago
There’s a plethora of incredible restaurants in Chicago, from fine dining down to their famous Deep Dish Pizza. We recommend trying a mixture of fine dining and budget restaurants to get the full experience. On the budget end, you can’t miss Deep Dish Pizza at Uno’s Pizzeria – Chicago’s original deep dish pizza haunt – and a burger at Billy Goat’s Tavern. For fine dining make sure you book tables at Alinea, and Oriole.
Hertz hire car outside the Standard Oil Gas Station on Old Route 66
OLD ROUTE 66 & ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – 1 NIGHT
After 2-3 days in Chicago, rise and shine early and pick up your hire car from Hertz* and hit the road! Unfortunately Chicago to Nashville is an incredibly long drive, so you’ll want to break it up with a stop in St Louis. Take the opportunity to drive down Old Route 66 and experience a piece of American roadtrip history! Just don’t drive down on a Monday as everything on the route will be closed…
For your first stop along the route, take the short diversion to Dwight for Ambler’s Texaco Station, then Odell for the Standard Oil Gas Station. These towns are very small and definitely just a photo stop, but if you visit over the Summer months the gas stations do have small museums. Pontiac is up next, with its Pontiac car museum and a Route 66 museum.
Stop off in Atlanta Illinois for lunch at Palms Grill Cafe and to see the Button with a Hotdog, and then head on to Springfield Illinois to visit the Lincoln Tomb.
Arrive in St Louis in the evening and check in at the Four Seasons St Louis, and then head to Mango for delicious Peruvian food. The next morning before you leave the city, stop by the famous Arch for a photo! Then head on to Nashville…
Nashville’s Honky Tonk Highway on Broadway
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – 3 NIGHTS
Where to stay in Nashville: The Hermitage Hotel
Five-star The Hermitage Hotel is the oldest hotel in Nashville, with 122 pet-friendly bedrooms and beautifully appointed traditional bedrooms with plenty of space. The staff here are just magical, as is the lobby which you’ll stare up at in awe as soon as you walk through the front doors.
Book a stay at The Hermitage Hotel
What to do in Nashville
Even if you’re not the biggest Country Music fan, it’s hard to not let it seep into your soul as you take a stroll down the Honky Tony Highway. Make sure you’re in Nashville on a Tuesday or Friday and book to see the famous show at the Grand Ole Opry, the home of country music. The Grand Ole Opry is the most famous and historic radio show in the US, and you really can’t leave Nashville without paying a visit and seeing the most renowned country stars take to the stage. We highly recommend the backstage tour for a chance to step onto that famous circle yourself!
As well as the Grand Ole Opry, pay a visit to the Ryman Auditorium (the original home of the radio show), and the Country Music Hall of Fame. For Elvis fans, Historic RCA Studio B is a must-do as it’s where he recorded over 200 of his records! Architectural history buffs will want to visit the Parthenon and Tennessee State Capitol, and shoppers can’t visit Nashville without stopping by Reese Witherspoon’s gorgeous store; Draper James.
For live music, Honky Tonk Highway is one of the best music experiences you can have in the whole world. From 3pm until 5am every single day, every bar along Broadway opens for business, with live music playing throughout those hours. There’s a variety of music from country to blues, but naturally it’s mostly country (and incredible country music at that)! Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge are my two personal favourite, as well as Doc Hollidays Saloon down on 2nd Ave.
Where to eat in Nashville
Dining out in Nashville traditionally meant fried chicken and comfort food, but the culinary scene in the city is fast evolving and there are now plenty of fantastic restaurants to choose from. Whatever you do though, do not miss brunch at Pancake Pantry (you do need to queue, but it moves quickly), and lunch at Monell’s in Germantown.
Monell’s is an experience in itself, for under $20 you sit at a huge table with strangers, and you all share lunch like a family would. The food is impressive – it’s impossible to leave hungry – and it’s a great opportunity to meet locals and tourists alike. We were sat beside a police officer in his full uniform on his lunch break, so it was fascinating chatting to him!
Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate in Memphis Tennessee
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – 3 NIGHTS
Where to stay in Memphis: The Peabody
There’s a distinct lack of luxury hotels in Memphis, and so the only wise choice is The Peabody. Despite an impressively grand lobby and the famous Duck Parade, the rooms disappointingly don’t have a mini bar or tea and coffee facilities (you have to phone and request them to be brought up), and the bathroom amenities are lacking. Our bathroom ceiling also fell down on us. However, the rooms are all brand new and have recently been refurbished to a high standard, and the location is really unbeatable.
Book a stay at The Peabody
What to do in Memphis
While Nashville is the home of Country, Memphis is home of the Blues! Of course your first stop needs to be Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. There’s a really incredible museum where you can see a huge array of his outfits and costumes, cars, motorbikes, and possessions. The house itself has been left exactly as he left it when he died, so you’re able to see the famous Jungle Room, and his tastefully decorated living room with those stunning peacock stained-glass windows.
Once you’ve visited Graceland make your way back to downtown Memphis and stop by the Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated, and don’t leave the city without visiting The National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is so important, and a visit is vital to learning more about the civil rights movement and how black people in America were treated up until very recently (and even today in certain parts).
Music lovers should get to Sun Studio early as they often sell out their tours for the day by midday, and STAX just down the road is also well worth a visit. Beale Street is a must-do, even if you just visit a couple of bars (we loved BB Kings and Rum Boogie Cafe) and wander up and down the street taking it all in. If you’re in Memphis on a Sunday, head to Al Green’s Tabernacle Gospel Church – you won’t regret it and all visitors are welcome.
Where to eat in Memphis
Bountiful food options means travelers are spoiled for choice in Memphis. Book dinner at local secret Itta Bena, which is a gorgeous fine dining restaurant located above BB Kings Blues Club. There is no sign outside, you need to walk into BB Kings and ask them how to get to Itta Bena (it’s up some stairs, through a fire door, up some more stairs). Make sure you order the Crab stuffed avocado as an appetiser, and don’t leave without trying their pecan pie!
Young Avenue Deli is a brilliant local lunch spot, and don’t miss the pecan and chocolate pie (can you tell I became obsessed with pecan pie?) at Muddy Waters just around the corner. Central BBQ is also unmissable, with some of the best BBQ ribs I have ever had, and a great banana pudding too. Expect to queue at Central BBQ as you’re unable to book, but I promise the wait is worth it.
Oak Alley Plantation, Louisiana
JACKSON & NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI – 2 NIGHTS
Once again you’re going to want to break up the drive between Memphis and New Orleans, so make two one-night stops; one in Jackson Mississippi, and one in Natchez Mississippi. Drive down to Jackson from Memphis on a Monday, stop for a famous milkshake at Brent’s Drugs (a very cool old diner that was used in The Help movie), and check-in at Westin Jackson, then head to Hal and Mal’s Blues Club to experience true Jackson Blues. Hal and Mal’s is famous for world-class blues, and their blues night is only on Mondays at 7pm.
The next morning drive down the old Natchez Trace Parkway. You need to drive off the highway and follow the signs for the Natchez Trace Parkway. Trucks aren’t allowed onto the road, and it’s practically empty. It’s one of the most beautiful scenic drives and shows you the true Mississippi. En-route to Natchez stop off in Vicksburg which is about an hour north of Natchez. Visit the Vicksburg National Military Park, and the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum – which is where Coca-Cola was first bottled. If you’re lucky you may even see the famous Steamboat down on the river!
When you arrive in Natchez check-in at Monmouth Historic Inn, and make sure to book a Pond Cottage. Enjoy the late afternoon and evening in one of the rocking chairs on the porch with a good book, before heading into town for dinner at the popular local riverside restaurant, Magnolia Grill. Magnolia Grill specialise in local fish and seafood, and the staff are just lovely.
And then it’s time to head to New Orleans! Take a short detour on the way to NOLA, to Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. They’re now an organization, and one of the few plantations that actually make an effort to educate visitors on the history of slavery and the actual people who built and maintained the beautiful plantation. We found the ‘slave quarter’ exhibition very informative, and were impressed by the plantation’s commitment to educating visitors and giving the slaves a legacy.
For example, did you know that pecans are in commercial production because of a slave named Antoine who lived at Oak Alley and was a talented botanist? He discovered how to make a thin-shelled pecan, as they used to have very hard and thick shells that were impossible to crack! They also have a tribute to the people who lived, worked, and died at the plantation in the form of a wall with all of the names of the slaves on it.
A musician in New Orleans’ French Quarter
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – 4 NIGHTS
Where to stay in New Orleans: The Royal Sonesta
I first stayed in the Royal Sonesta in New Orleans when I was 14-years-old. I was a well-traveled 14-year-old who had stayed in luxury hotels around the world, and yet for some reason the Royal Sonesta holds a special place in my memory, and so I was ecstatic to return. The luxury hotel is just as I remembered it; a stunning lobby, friendly staff, and the courtyard swimming pool providing guests with a tranquil place to relax after a hectic day around the French Quarter. It’s also situated in the best position in the city, with the front of the hotel being right on Bourbon Street, and the side entrances leading onto Conti and Bienville.
Book a stay at the Royal Sonesta New Orleans
What to do in New Orleans
The first stop you have to make in New Orleans is Cafe du Monde for their legendary Beignets! Ignore the queue and walk straight past it into the cafe – find a table and sit down for table service. Afterwards, walk along the river to the Natchez Steamboat box office to collect your tour tickets (we recommend pre-ordering them online). The Steamboat is a 2-hour boat tour that gives you a brilliant overview of the history of New Orleans and the steamboats, and is a great way to see the city from a different angle.
The Mardi Gras Museum is well-worth a peek as it gives you an opportunity to get a feel for the vibrancy of the costumes and effort that goes into making them, even if you’re not in town for Mardi Gras. A walking tour around the French Quarter will help you get your bearings in the French Quarter, and also give you a fantastic insight into the people who have lived in the city. There are plenty of walking tours available, from literary tours to tours taken by the famous New Orleans Babydolls!
When it comes to Jazz you can’t go to New Orleans without seeing live jazz at Preservation Hall. Pre-book tickets online to avoid queuing for hours (despite what the website says, you will be queuing for up to 2-hours in peak times), and go to Pat O’Brien’s next door afterwards for one of their famous Hurricane cocktails. Afterwards, stroll up to Bourbon Street. It’s rowdy and dirty, but so much fun, and you really musn’t leave New Orleans without at least trying a few of the bars. If Bourbon Street really isn’t your scene and you’re looking for a more sophisticated type of jazz, get a taxi to Frenchman Street and The Spotted Cat Music Club.
Before you leave NOLA head to Salon by Sucre for weekend brunch on the balcony. Pre-book and request a balcony seat as it can get busy and you might be seated inside instead. The mac & cheese, and the S.O.B burger are to die for, and order one of their signature desserts whilst people-watching and listening to the sounds of New Orleans jazz rising from the street below.
Where to eat in New Orleans
If you eat in one special place in New Orleans, make it the Commander’s Palace. This world-famous and award-winning Haute Creole restaurant is located in the Garden District of New Orleans, and was established in 1893. Don’t leave the restaurant before ordering a heavenly Key Lime Martini, and stand-out dishes include the Gumbo du Jour, and the Grilled Gulf Bluefin Tuna “Steak Frites. Also, every time you go to the restroom the staff escort you by the arm and ask everyone to move out of the way for you. It’s absolutely brilliant!
New Orleans’ foodie scene has always been renowned and one of the best in America, but in the past few years the city has seen a huge number of world-class restaurants open. DTB is one of those new restaurants that critics and locals alike have fallen in love with, but if you’re looking for traditional fine dining Antoine’s is unmissable. You also must try the Po’boys and Irish Coffee from Erin Rose – a NOLA institution!
Hertz Car Hire Fact Box
Car hire in the USA with hertz.co.uk starts from £23 a day. For further road trip inspiration, head to Hertz American Road Trip Planner and discover iconic and off-the-beaten track routes, downloadable maps and insider guides.
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*DISCLAIMER: THIS CONTENT IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HERTZ, WHO PROVIDED THE WRITER WITH A VEHICLE.
Catherine Lux is a food and travel contributor at AGLAIA, and a luxury lifestyle blogger documenting her life on her blog, Lux Life London. With Lux Life London having a large focus on travel and food, she loves nothing more than long-haul flights, excellent restaurants, and relaxing with friends in the coolest places in town.
