On Saturday night, we rolled in from a 2 week+ long trip visiting family in Texas and a roadtrip I’m calling our “grand tour of the South.” One of our goals is to take our kids to visit all 50 states and capitals by the time they graduate. In total, we visited 8 states on this trip – Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, bringing our total to 13 capital cities (and capitol buildings) visited.
I wanted to share some of our trip with you, but I don’t intend to bore you with the blow-by-blow details. Instead, I thought I’d just make a list-style post highlighting some of the more memorable things we did on our trip. Here they are, in no particular order:
#1. We ate some amazing barbecue! My husband took me to Lockhart, Texas one day and we ate some awesome brisket! We also ate at a couple great places in Memphis and then again in Alabama.
#2. We walked down Beale Street in Memphis. (And yes, I might have sung “Walking in Memphis” under my breath as we did.) As you might imagine, this isn’t the most kid-friendly street to visit, so we just went briefly during the day.
#3. We found the best ever hill to roll down in Memphis. Although maybe it was a little *too* good because it was super steep and freaked me out a bit.
#4. We walked the steps of Little Rock Central High School. This school played a pivotal role in the ’50s during the desegregation of schools when nine brave African American students decided to attend the all-white school despite insults and threats. It is now a National Historic Site.
#5. We took a family photo on the porch of the house Martin Luther King, Jr was born in Atlanta. We even got to walk in his backyard! Pretty surreal. It’s free to walk on his porch and backyard, there is a fee to tour the house.
#6. We also saw the place where Martin Luther King, Jr was killed in Memphis. We toured the National Civil Rights Museum that also stands there now. It is one of the most well done museums I’ve ever been through.
#7. We went through Graceland in Memphis and got to see funky rooms with carpet-covered walls and tacky ’70s decor. I discovered that Graceland is now on a road full of used car lots and little shops. (If you’re local, think South Tacoma Way.)
#8. We toured the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and got to see the spring where all their whiskey comes from. It’s kind of hard to tell, but we’re actually sitting in front of the cave that the headwaters of the spring comes from. (By the way, the tour is FREE and is open to people of all ages. If you are 21 or over, you can pay $10 and do a tasting tour.)
#9. We ate traditional Southern-style cooking in a converted boarding house (Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House). We supped on fried chicken, fried okra, cornbread, meatloaf, spiced apples, baked beans, mac ‘n cheese, fudge pie and sweet tea, of course. (By the way, recommend this place if you are ever in Lynchburg! Do the Jack Daniels tour and then walk here for lunch. Reservations REQUIRED.)
#10. We saw the site where Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat (Montgomery, Alabama). Did you know that in that same area, years before, slaves had been auctioned? Some very sad as well as some very important history in Montgomery. It is also the city that the telegram was issued from that started the Civil War.
#11. We saw the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. (We didn’t tour it though. Don’t knock us, we’re not country fans.)
#12. I crabwalked down the ginormous hill in front of the Tennessee State Capitol building. The rest of my family just walked down, but I was too afraid of falling in my flip flops.
#13. We went to the top of the highest State Capitol building (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). There is a spectacular view from the top, but the elevator ride was mad scary.
#14. We saw the bayou. I then decided next to Wyoming, Louisiana has been the coolest state to road trip through (to date, I’ve seen 24 states). We ran out of time to take a swamp tour, so I’m hoping we can do that the next time we come through.
#15. We ate beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde. They were delicious, as was the coffee! They also made a royal mess. (Recommend this place if you pass through. Cash only.)
#16. We ate alligator in New Orleans. Surprisingly enough, my picky daughter enjoyed it the best and asked for more! Terry and I decided it tastes like a chicken crossed with a lobster, in case you’re wondering.
#17. We walked through one of those cool, historical cemeteries in New Orleans. (Hey! It’s another free thing to do when you’re here.)
#18. We touched the Gulf of Mexico. It was just a wee bit warmer than the ocean on the Washington coast.
#19. We experienced a downpour driving through Tennessee. Thank goodness for my calm husband. I was silently having a mild panic attack, especially when our cell phones starting getting emergency weather alert texts.
#20. We saw the Chattanooga Choo Choo in Tennessee. Yes, there’s a choo choo there. It’s actually been converted into a hotel if you’re ever interested in staying there.
#21. We visited 8 capitol buildings. In four of them we actually took a tour (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama). It has been really interesting seeing the different kinds of architecture and learning more about individual states’ history. (You can read more about how & why we are doing this if you’re interested.)
While we did lots of other fun things too, I think this gives you a rough idea of some of our adventures! Over the next couple weeks, I might share some quick tips/ideas I have for you for planning a fun roadtrip and locating those frugal and free activities.
I’d love to hear from you if you’ve ever visited (or lived in!) these states. What do you love about the South? Any favorite destinations? Have you done any of the items on my list above?