Tipps für Südstaaten-Reise 2009

[Schnütchen76]

Hey little Darling"

Bist Du direkt am 01.05. in Memphis??? Und für wielang???
Ich denke wir werden so ab 07./08.05. dort sein.

Wer weiß vielleicht sieht man sich ja

ja ja die Aufregung macht mich auch schon ganz kirre

[gast-20090821]

Hallo Zusammen!

Vielen Dank schonmal für die tollen Infos.

Also jetzt fliegen wir wahrscheinlich schon Ende April. Hat sich ganz spontan ergeben. Hoffe wir kriegen noch alles so kurzfristig hin.

Wir wollen außerdem noch Charlston, SAvannahm, Nashville und New Orleans ansehen. Haben noch nix wirklich durchgeplant. Mal sehen was uns in den USA so erwartet.

Habt Ihr auch zu den anderen Städten Tipps.

Vielen Dank
LG
Schnütchen

Hi, I travelled the south eastern States 2 months ago and perhaps I can share some tips:

book your rental car in Germany - the base rental price in the US is cheaper but the extra cost for insurance etc is much cheaper if you book your rental car in Germany (try Alamo.de)

we landed in Atlanta and here was our trip:

1 Atlanta - Pigeon Forge (TN) ca 3 1/2 hrs
Elvis Museum: nice museum, but not a real MUST see

2. Pigeon Forge - Chattanooga (TN) ca 2 hrs
Nashville is not a nice city, so we decided to go to Chattanooga instead.
A MUST see is the train station (now part of the Holiday Inn hotel) and this is were Alfred Wertheimer shot some beautiful pics of Elvis when he returned from NY to Memphis, changing trains in Chattanooga July 4 1956
Don't spend a day, it's nice for a couple of hours or so

3. Chattanooga - Huntsville (AL) ca 1 1/2 hrs
Elvis performed in Huntsville many times during the mid 70's. You can go inside the Arena and if you are lucky the administration center is open where you can see 5 unique pictures of Elvis in concert in Huntsville.
Opposite the Arena, you will find the hotel (now Holliday Inn) where Elvis stayed when he stayed in Huntsville

Just 10 miles south of Huntsville is an interesting NASA Space Center where you can see space shuttles and much more.

4. Huntsville - Tupelo 2 1/2 hrs
Tupelo has many interesting sides. Try to stay a day and explore the City and get a feel how it must have been in the old days !

5. Tupelo - Horn Lake (MS) 1 hr north heading to Memphis
In Horn Lake you can still see Circle G ranch...but don't expect too much. It is in very bad condition and looks nothing like a romantic ranch no more.

6. Horn Lake - Memphis 1/2 hr
As you can see we travelled first a bit south and then up north again.
This was on purpose so that we could travel through beautful northern Alabama heading to Huntsville.

Memphis: stay at least 2 days (preferable 3 idays f you plan to see a lot) very good hotel in the centre of Memphis is the Comfort Inn (North Street) with excellent parking facility. You can also book a motel at Graceland area, but then you will need a cab or car to drive into the city center to enjoy Beale street at night.
Except Beale street, I recommend you to visit main street North & South, Manassas Street (Humes High), Lauderdale Courts (just south of Manassas), Poplar Tunes on Poplar av, Overton Shell Park, Audubon Drive,
Forrest Hill Cemetary (north on EP blvd), SUN on Union Av, WDIA on Union Av, Memphian Theater, Stax Records on East Mclemore, Cisca Hotel on South Main street (where Dewey Philips has his radio station) which is actually opposite the Orpheum Theater and next to the building where Elvis was inducted in the Army in 1958 (now a Gas Water & El. bldg).
I also recommend to buy the book " Memphis Elvis Style" wich is loaded with relevant' info about Elvis sights in Memphis''.

Don't forget to eat spareribs at Piggs on Beale Street and krystal burgers on the corner of Union and 1str. Take a right and walk to Peabody Place and visit Lansky's (they moved from Beale str to the Peabody Place).
and try to attend a church (gospel) ceremony...


7. Memphis - Shreveport 5 hrs

On your way you will pass the city "Hope", this is where Pres. Clinton was born and where Elvis performed in 1955.

Visit the Hayride - a MUST see
It has not changed a bit since Elvis performed there during 1955 / 1956.

if you have the time you can drive west via Texarcana to Dallas (2 hrs)and cross cities like Longview, Texarcana etc, all places where Elvis toured in 1955.

8. Shreveport - New Orleans

the short route is via Baton Rouge
the scenic route goes east to MS - Lordburg - Monroe and then south to Natchez - Baton Rouge

If you have time take the scenic route and stop in the places as mentioned above - you will get a good feel about the state of MS.
In addition , these places are loaded with history and typical MS mansions from the colonial (slavery) 18 / 19 th century.

9. New Orleans

A MUST see - stay at least 2 days

Explore French Quarter and make sure you visit Royal street 1060 (famous from the King Creole Balcony shot), St Louis Cathedral, Pirates Alley, 706 St Peter Street, all famous locations from the movie King Creole
In addition, you can visit Louis Armstrong Park - where you can still see the Municipal Auditorium (where Elvis performed in 56) and you can visit the Jesuit High School (where Elvis performed in 1955) which is still being renovated after Katrina.

10. New Orleans - Biloxi - Mobile : 3 hrs
Biloxi is a nice city where Elvis stayed for holliday during the summer of 1956 and where Elvis performed twice in 1955 (Keesler Air Base and Slavonian Lodge). Unfortunately almost everything was destroyed by Katrina. However the interesting part about Biloxi is that people who met Elvis in 1955 are still alive and living in Biloxi.

Mobile: go to the battlefield parkway, Elvis stayed there in the Best Western and went to a grill restaurant 2 miles north. You can still see the chair were Elvis was seated. If you like fish, try one of the restaurants along battlefield parkway, it's one of the best places to eat fish in the US.
In addition, visit the Civic Center where Elvis performed a couple of times in the 70's. Opposite the Civic Arena you will see the Sheraton, where Elvis also stayed.

We went from Mobile down to Petersburg, Tampa, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Dayton but you can also drive to the east coast of Georgia:

Savannah GA
A very beautiful city

Charleston (NC)
An even more beautiful city
Don't forget to drive to Palmetto (just north of Charleston) where you will find fabulous restaurants and where you can visit the Boone Hall plantantion (where North & South / Gone with the Wind was shot). Say also hi to photographer Keith Alverson.

For financial planning purposes expect to pay the following avg prices:

Gas: 1,80 $ per Gallon (3,76 l)
Motel: low end (Motel 6): 35 $ + tax (avg 10 %)
Medium Quality (days inn) 55 $ + tax (avg 10 %)

Our personal favourite is the Days Inn because of the wireless internet connection and if you hop from place to place a motel is more convenient that a hotel.

Food: profit from the war between Pizza Hut and others and pay 15 $ for the first large piza and 0.01 $ for the second piza at the Piza Hutt.
And of course each Wednesday and Sunday, you pay for a hamburger only 0.25 $ at McDonalds.

Last but not least, don't underestimate the weather. Temperatures can vary between 15 C and 35 C in Memphis during May. Once you are below the Shreveport border, you will find that temperatures will get more stabile but that humidity levels increase...

We are going back in a couple of weeks, but only for 10 days.

Have a nice trip !

[Gilla]

Superklasse, danke E-cat.

Wenigstens die erste Hälfte des Tripps (bis Punkt 6) habe ich letzes Jahr gemacht, außer Horn Lake.
Sicherlich sehr empfehlenswert, dein Vorschlag, ...

[Eva]

Tolle Tour, bis auf Biloxi war ich schon überall..........allessehenswert

[Schnütchen76]

Toll super Tipps. Da kann man doch richtig was mit anfangen.

Danke

[monipenny]

ich freue mich mit dir

habe erst kürzlich spaßeshalber flugdaten eingegeben... ich hoffe, dass ich das demnächst real buchen darf (wobei sich demnächst leider auf ein jahr bezieht *schnief*)

ich hoffe, du bringst ganz viele fotos mit

lg

monika

[Schnütchen76]

Monipenny, ein Wunsch kann schneller war werden als man denkt Glaub mir, ich dachte ich komm erst irgendwann mal dorthin. Und siehe da, jetzt ist es schon in einer Woche!!!!

Klar bring ich Bilder mit. hab schon extra viele große Speicherkarten gekauft Glaube aber kaum, dass ich ein Bild schießen werden, was es nicht schon hier gibt.

[burroughs]

@ gisi:
ich glaub, wir müssen da bald mal wieder hin

[brandalarm]

Darf ich mit ?

[burroughs]

gisi, prof ulli, marv, das monster, brandi.. wer noch

[Gilla]

Jaaaaaaa, das wäre ein Traum, es nochmal so zu machen...

[burroughs]

aber gisi

[monipenny]

gisi, prof ulli, marv, das monster, brandi.. wer noch

wolle, noel und ich wollen auch mit

[burroughs]

wer's denn wolle? euer hund?

[monipenny]

nein, wolle ist mein mann (und wolfram ist ja wohl furchtbar )
unsere hündin heißt uma jamaica von rothenfelde