Upscale Nashville, Memphis & More

DAY 1

With meal and rest stops along the way, your travels today take you to Dandridge, TN for a one-night stay at the Holiday Inn Express Dandridge (865-397-1910). The hotel offers guests an outdoor (seasonal) pool, fitness center, business center with complimentary WiFi and coin operated guest laundry. Guest room amenities include a mini refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, hair dryer and iron/ironing board. Dinner is on your own this evening.

DAY 2

Breakfast is included at the hotel prior to check-out and departure for Memphis, Tennessee with a stop for lunch on your own enroute. Upon arrival in Memphis, you check-in at the 4-Star Guest House at Graceland (901-443-3000) for a two-night stay. A perfect blend of style and southern hospitality, the Guest House at Graceland features a seasonal outdoor pool, fitness facility, two full-service restaurants, and lobby cocktail lounge. Guest rooms offer a room size refrigerator, Keurig coffee maker and condiment station, 50-inch HDTV, hairdryer, and iron/ironing board. Dinner included tonight at an area restaurant with the rest of the night to enjoy the hotel amenities.

DAY 3

Breakfast is included at the hotel before you have admission included to explore Graceland and the new Visitors Center Complex, "Elvis Presley's Memphis." Guests will fully immerse themselves in his life and career like never before - his roots, his influences and his artistry. Admission includes Graceland Mansion with new orientation film, Elvis' two custom airplanes, the new "Elvis Presley Motors" Automobile Museum which showcases 20 of Elvis' favorite vehicles including his iconic Pink Cadillac, "Elvis: The Entertainer" Career Museum that takes visitors on an unprecedented journey through his life and career from Tupelo to Hollywood movie days and the Las Vegas years and more, and the new themed Discovery Exhibits that highlight Elvis' influences, important facets of his incredible life and his role in launching a music and pop culture revolution. Lunch this afternoon will be on your own while at Graceland. At the conclusion of the visit, you take a guided local sightseeing tour of the City of Memphis. Known as the "The City of Kings", Memphis is also the home of the Blues and the birthplace of Rock 'n Roll. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River the city's first inhabitants were Native American Indians. In 1819, the city was surveyed and designed by its founders General/President Andrew Jackson, General James Winchester and Judge John Overton. During the tour, you may drive by (time permitting) the Danny Thomas/ALSAC Pavilion located on the campus of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Dedicated to the late entertainer Danny Thomas and founder of the hospital, the building emits a star-like shape and symbolizes the far-reaching scope of ALSAC and the work of St. Jude. Next, no trip to Memphis is complete until you witness the March of the Ducks at the Peabody Hotel. What started as a joke more than 80 years ago at The Peabody Hotel by two men that had consumed too much of the good Jack Daniel's Tennessee sippin' whiskey, the March of the Peabody Ducks has become a time-honored tradition. The original live decoy ducks were replaced with five North American Mallards, and Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus trainer, offered to help deliver the ducks daily to the fountain and taught them the famous "Peabody March". Dinner tonight is on your own and at your expense on Beale Street. Enjoy free time on one of the liveliest streets in Memphis and perhaps drop in one of its unique bars for a beverage. Then, return to the hotel for the night.

DAY 4

After breakfast included at the hotel, you check-out and depart for Bon Aqua, Tennessee to visit the Storytellers Hideaway Farm and Museum for storytelling, and entertainment (TBA). The Hideaway Farm was a place that Johnny Cash would visit to escape the public life, he called it "the center of his universe." Cash took ownership of this storied property in the early 1970's after finding out that his accountant had been embezzling his money and buying properties. Johnny immediately fell in love with the 107-acre farm and spent more than 30 years in the house. You will also visit the Storytellers Museum that was near collapse in 2016 until its current owners purchased it and opened the museum and the Little Stage for country fans around the world. There is interesting memorabilia and rare film footage for you to explore, and you will be treated to a musical performance while visiting. Lunch included before you depart for Nashville, TN. Upon arrival in Nashville, you check in at the incredible Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center (615-889-1000) for a fabulous three-night stay. Opryland is an attraction in itself with the beautiful 9 acres of airy, indoor garden atriums with their sparkling waterways and cascading waterfalls, award-winning restaurants & bars, state-of-the-art fitness center, Relache Spa (additional fees apply and appointments may be necessary for spa treatments), SoundWaves aquatic attraction (additional fees apply), business center and on-site convenience shop. Guest rooms are spacious and well-appointed with a microwave, coffee maker and accompaniments, hairdryer and iron/ironing board. Tonight, dinner is on your own and you can enjoy the Opryland amenities at your leisure.

DAY 5

Wake to breakfast included at the Opryland before you meet your local guide for a narrated tour of Nashville including sites such as the Parthenon, Bicentennial Mall and Music Row. As the "Country Music Capital of the World," Nashville is world renowned for its music as well as the honky-tonks where many aspiring musicians play in the hopes that one day they will be discovered and rise to stardom. Did you know that Nashville's earliest settlers celebrated in the late 1700's with fiddle tunes and buck dancing after safely landing on the shores of the Cumberland River? Music history runs deep in the heart of Nashville and many of country legends alive and gone performed and/or wrote music on these streets and in these Honky Tonks. Hear stories about the music legends who got their start here and drive down Music Row which is the heart of Nashville's country music industry and home to record label offices, radio stations and recording studios. See The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens, it stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park and was originally built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition. Today, it serves as Nashville's art museum. Witness Bicentennial Mall, located in the shadows of the Capitol in downtown Nashville. It gives visitors a taste of Tennessee's history, natural wonders and serves as a lasting monument to Tennessee's Bicentennial Celebration in 1996. After your driving tour, you will have time for lunch on your own in downtown Nashville. Mid-afternoon, you will gather again with fellow passengers for a guided tour of the famed Ryman Auditorium. This place is hallowed ground, the exact spot where bluegrass was born, where Johnny Cash met June Carter, where souls were saved and a slice of history was nearly lost. It was right here that country music found an audience beyond its own back porch, and countless careers took off as deals were signed on napkins and paper scraps backstage. Learn about its storied history, the names that lit up the marquee, and the man who dedicated his life and fortune to build a place where all people can gather. You have an early dinner included at a local favorite and followed by tickets to the Grand Ole Opry Evening Show. What began as a simple radio broadcast in 1925 has evolved into a live entertainment phenomenon. Dedicated to honoring country music's rich history, the Grand Ole Opry showcases a mix of country legends and the contemporary chart-toppers who have followed in their footsteps. Following your memorable performance, you return to the Opryland for the rest of the night.

DAY 6

A hearty breakfast is included at the Opryland with a morning free to enjoy the amenities at the hotel or do a little shopping at Opry Mills Outlet Center. You then gather as a group for lunch included at a local restaurant featuring a private performance with a Nashville songwriter (TBA). This afternoon, admission is included to explore the Country Music Hall of Fame where the legends and their lyrics come to life. Created by the Country Music Association in the mid-1960's, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum tells the story of America's music through dynamic exhibits including artists clothing and instruments, historic country video clips and recorded music. The museum's core permanent exhibit tells the story of country music from its pre-commercial roots in the 19th century through its vibrant life today. In addition, temporary exhibits are on display throughout the building that highlight a specific country music artist more in depth. Next, you have admission included at the Historic RCA Studio B for a guided tour. First known as RCA Victor Studio, in the late 50's and early 60's it became the cradle of the "Nashville Sound", a sophisticated style characterized by background vocals and strings. Music legends who have recorded in Studio B include Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Dottie West, and of course the King himself, Elvis who made more than 200 song recordings at this location, just to name a few. Walk the hall and hear the history behind the "Nashville Sound" and the long list of legends who had recorded here. The day is not over yet. Oh yes, they call him "The Streak", enjoy a performance filled with music and comedy at the Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom. Dinner is included and followed by a LIVE performance with Ray Stevens showcasing his musical talents that span the pop, country, rock and bluegrass genres and is coupled with his own brand of knee-slappin' comedy for what is sure to be a truly memorable experience. Ray's iconic career has touched the lives of countless people as a recording artist, entertainer, composer, producer, arranger and musician playing on the recordings of some of Nashville's legendary performers. It's now time to return to the Opryland to turn in for the night or enjoy the Opryland amenities.

DAY 7

Wake to breakfast included at the Opryland before you check-out and depart for Pigeon Forge, TN, with lunch on your own and at your expense enroute. Upon arrival in Pigeon Forge, you check in for a one-night stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites Pigeon Forge Convention Center (865-428-2525). Hotel amenities include an indoor pool and fitness center, a business center and a guest coin-operated laundry room. Guest rooms feature a mini refrigerator, coffee/tea maker with supplies, hair dryer and complimentary high-speed internet access. Tonight, become a part of the longest running feud in history and help the Hatfields and McCoys try to settle their differences mountain-style at the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Feud. Enjoy a hearty, home-cooked meal to satisfy your hillbilly cravings… and then the action begins. You'll love the singin, and dancing', mighty feats of strength, jaw-dropping stunts, and side-splitting comedy in this one energy-packed performance. Afterwards, you return to the hotel for the night.

DAY 8

Enjoy breakfast included at the hotel before you pack up and depart for your journey home with meal and rest stops at your expense along the way.

*

ALL WOLF'S TOURS - TIMES AND ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE**

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner