Cowboys, Hot Springs & Honky Tonks

Day 1  Fort Worth, Texas  
Touchdown in Texas, a humongous state with a personality to match. Pick up your car and make the short drive to your hotel in downtown Fort Worth. To start your holiday with a bang, head down to Billy Bob’s Honky Tonk, the largest in the world, and two-step the night away.      

Day 2  Fort Worth  
Once home to cowboys, cattleman and outlaws, Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards will give you a true taste of the American West. Witness the jaw-dropping twice daily cattle drive, check out the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and grab your own pair of authentic boots from the weathered brick stores of Mule Alley.      

Day 3  Fort Worth to Fort Smith, Arkansas  
Set off north through the grassy plains and gently rolling hills of Oklahoma until you reach the border town of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Pay a visit to the newly opened US Marshal’s Museum, where interactive exhibits tell tales of the danger faced by marshals in the wild west, the prohibition era and the tragic events of 9/11.      

Day 4  Fort Smith to Hot Springs  
Next stop is the city and National Park of Hot Springs, named for the array of natural thermal waters found there. Take a stroll down Bathhouse Row and pick from eight architecturally beautiful bathhouses where you can indulge in a relaxing soak.    

Day 5  Hot Springs  
Learn about the role Hot Springs played in the rise and fall of kingpins like Al Capone at the Gangster Museum of America, then wander through the idyllic Garvan Woodland Gardens where a breathtaking blanket of colourful tulips blooms in the spring.    

Day 6  Hot Springs to Little Rock    
Continue along Arkansas’s scenic byways to the state capital, Little Rock. History abounds in this friendly city: peruse the archives of the Clinton Library and Museum or see the evolving lives of American woman displayed through the changing contents of their handbags at the intriguing ESSE Purse Museum. Pause for thought at the Central High School National Historic Site, where nine African American students famously took a stand for their civil rights.    

Day 7  Little Rock    
Continue ticking off Little Rock’s myriad museums and galleries, or if you’re feeling active drive north to enter the pristine scenery of the Ozarks. Hike winding alpine trails to cascading waterfalls like Terry Keefe Falls and Longpool Falls or explore the ethereal cavern of Pam’s Grotto. Back in the city, you can’t visit Little Rock without stopping by White Water Tavern, a legendary live music venue hailed as one of the best in the USA.    

Day 8  Little Rock to Memphis, Tennessee  
Before you say farewell to Arkansas, break your journey to see Johnny Cash’s humble boyhood home in the historic Dyess Colony.  Next stop is the iconic home of blues, soul and Rock ‘n’ Roll, so tuck into a Memphis barbecue feast and dance the night away in the bars of Beale Street.  

Days 9-10  Memphis  
Memphis’s musical legacy and civil rights history are intrinsically linked, so dive into the inspiring museums here that celebrate both. To name a few, the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum tells the moving story of those that risked everything to help people escape slavery, the acclaimed National Civil Rights Museum is housed in the Lorraine Motel where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated, and the STAX Museum highlights the lives of black and white artists working together to create soul music during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.    

Day 11  Memphis to Nashville  
This morning, head out of town to Graceland, Elvis’s fabulous Memphis mansion. Walk in the footsteps of The King through his beloved home, see his classic costumes and Cadillac collection, then continue to Nashville.

Days 12-13  Nashville  
Welcome to Music City! Whether you’d prefer an acoustic serenade in an intimate listening room or to soak up the raucous joy of bands playing Broadway’s honky tonks, Nashville has a song for you. Gain a new perspective on your favourite genres at the National Museum of African American Music, watch dreams made a reality as aspiring country stars debut at the iconic Grand Ole Opry and test your spice tolerance as your sample some ‘Nashville hot chicken’!    

Day 14  Nashville  
There’s still time to stop by the Country Music Hall of Fame or tour the famous Ryman Auditorium before your journey home.