Go West Tours

21 USA Day 5 : Tour of the city and visit of the Country Music Hall of Fame . Depart to the west to discover the blues territory. Lunch on the way. The Delta blues originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region stretching from Memphis south to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Arrival in Memphis, the home of the blues as well as rock “n” roll, where the greats, from B.B. King to Elvis Presley , made their first recordings. Visit the Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange that preserves the history of the cotton industry and its impact on everyday life in the region. Dinner (full board). Optional evening concert in a famous Beale Street club. Day 6 : Morning visit of Graceland , the last home of the “King” turned into a museum after his death. Then see the famous Sun Studio in Memphis, where several blues and rock “n” roll artists first recorded there in the ‘50s. Leave for the Deep South crossing into the state of Mississippi. Lunch (full board). Continue to Jackson and check into your hotel. Dinner and overnight. Day 7 : Leave for Nottoway Plantation , the “White Castle”, in Louisiana with its impressive 64-room mansion displaying the opulence of the region’s economy before the Civil War. Lunch at the plantation. Continue to Oak Alley Plantation near the Mississippi River to tour another superb home whose alleys are shaded by rows of magnificent live oaks. Arrival in New Orleans late afternoon. Dinner (full board) and overnight. Day 8 : Tour of New Orleans. More than just a tour, you will enjoy a walk through the French Quarter to discover the French Market (with the Café du Monde), Canal and Bourbon Streets , Saint Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo , a remarkable 18th-century Spanish building. Lunch (full board). In the afternoon you will take the tram to the Garden District to see the well-preserved collection of historic southern mansions. Dinner cruise on the Mississippi with live jazz aboard the authentic Natchez steamboat. Overnight in New Orleans. Day 9 : Leave in the morning for Thibodaux in a landscape of prairies and fields of sugar cane. Boat tour in the nearby bayou , where you might see an alligator. Lunch (full board) before going to Avery Island near the Gulf of Mexico to visit the Tabasco plant, then see the exotic Jungle Gardens and Bird City . Continue to Saint Martinville , called “Little Paris” in the 19th century and a rare example of a European village configuration in the U.S. where you will hear the story of Evangeline. Arrival in Lafayette late afternoon to discover the Cathedral and the Evangeline Oak immortalized by the poet Longfellow. Typical Cajun dinner with regional specialties and hoedown (country dance) in a leisurely setting. After several steps on the dance floor, you will “let the good times roll”. Overnight in Lafayette. Day 10 : Drive to Houston , Texas. Lunch followed by a city tour of Houston, interest ing due to its innovative architecture. Then visit the official NASA facilities at the Johnson Space Center , home of the astronauts, with space artifacts. Here it is possible to see a real spacecraft, touch a piece of moon rock, walk though the Skylab space station in Starship Gallery or see a space shuttle mock-up. Dinner (full board) and overnight. Day 11 : Leave for San Antonio . Arrival late morning to discover the city’s historic center. See the Alamo , a former mission and fortress compound where the honor of Texas was bravely defended against the Mexican army. Lunch (full board) in the center of town, then visit of the Conception de Acuna Mission , the oldest unrestored church in the U.S., and San Jose y San Miguel Mission . Continue to Bandera to a Texas ranch where you will find yourself in the company of some cowboys. Free time to participate in the activities at the ranch (optional) and relax. Western dinner and evening. Overnight at the ranch. Day 12 : Leave for Austin , the state capital for a tour of this sophisticated city and its historic center. Continue to Dallas-Fort Worth . Lunch (full board) on the way. Visit of the city of Dallas and its “ 6th floor museum ” dedicated to the assassination of JFK. Leave for Fort Worth and visit of the Fort Worth Stockyard National Historic District , important in the 19th century cattle industry and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame . The farewell Texas diner will be followed by country dance lessons. Overnight in Fort Worth. Day 13 : Free time in the morning for shopping. Transfer to the airport for the return flight. Assistance with formalities.