2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. America As You Like It’s Journey to Freedom holiday highlights Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the American Civil Rights struggles that shaped the world. Take the opportunity to visit the new Mississippi Civil Rights Museum which shares the stories of a Mississippi movement that changed the nation, along with plenty of other significant Civil Rights sites, together with some unique Southern music, food and welcoming hospitality, which the region is so well known for. 

As the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, there is plenty to immerse yourself in in Atlanta. Visit the Martin Luther King Center where you can take the Civil Rights Walk of Fame, past the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, into the Visitor Center. Visit the rose garden and the Centre’s outdoor campus where you can view the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. King, the Eternal Flame, Freedom Walkway and Reflecting Pool. In the Freedom Hall you can learn more about Dr. King through exhibits, and reserve a ticket for a tour of the house on Auburn Avenue where he was born and spent the first 12 years of his life. Explore the rest of the city, home to the World of Coca Cola and the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world.

Stay two nights in Atlanta

On your way you should stop to see the Tuskegee Airmen Historic site and learn about the brave African Americans that broke the race barrier during World War II. 

In Montgomery tour the Rosa Parks Museum, named after the woman who is best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. With the help of Dr. King and other civil rights activists, a year-long boycott started the Civil Rights Struggle in America. Visit the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church – the 1883 church is a World Heritage Site nominee because of its status as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. It is the only church where Martin Luther King Jr. served as senior pastor. See the home where he and his family lived and tour the Civil Rights Memorial. Also downtown is the Alabama State Capitol where protesters marched to demand the right to vote. 

Enjoy The Alley entertainment area of downtown Montgomery which includes a baseball field, basement jazz club, two performance facilities, an outdoor riverfront amphitheatre, several restaurants, bars, a New Orleans-style alley and a riverboat cruise. 

Stay two nights in Montgomery

Take the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail which commemorates those who marched for the right to vote in 1965, during the Selma-to-Montgomery Civil Rights March, led by Dr King. There are two U.S. Park Service museums on this route, one at the midpoint and another in Selma. Tour the museums dedicated to the march.

Stay one night in Selma

Known worldwide for its role in America’s Civil Rights history, Birmingham has devoted an entire district to the historical events of that era, including the acclaimed Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the 16th Street Baptist Church which was bombed one Sunday by Klansmen killing four girls, and Kelly Ingram Park, where you can see the demonstrators’ gathering points. We can arrange for a guide to take you round the main sites in Birmingham which will make your day all the more memorable.   

Other ‘must do’ attractions in Birmingham include Barber Motorsports Museum with the world’s largest collection of motorcycles and the oldest baseball park in America, Rickwood Field. Red Mountain Park, just 10 minute drive from downtown Birmingham offers miles of hiking, biking and outdoor recreation including a ‘mega-zip’ experience. Birmingham is widely acknowledged for its vibrant and sophisticated food scene and live music as well as great shopping.

Stay two nights in Birmingham

Jackson is the capital city of Mississippi, and known as the ‘City with Soul’. The first thing to do here is to visit the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum which promotes a greater understanding of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement and its impact, by highlighting the strength and sacrifices of its people. The state wide Mississippi Freedom Trail runs through the city, encompassing a number of historic sites that were significant in the Civil Rights Movement. These include the Medgar Evers Home Museum and the landmark Mississippi State Capitol building. Jackson also boasts a vibrant music scene and places throughout the city where you can find live music, as well as a range of dining options, from small ‘mom and pop’ restaurants to nationally renowned chefs. 

Stay two nights in Jackson

Continue your Civil Rights journey north to Memphis. Visit the Lorraine Motel, site of Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination and now the thought-provoking National Civil Rights Museum. Memphis is renowned as the ‘Home of the Blues’ and the ‘Birthplace of Rock ’n’ Roll’. No stay here is complete without going to Graceland, Sun Studios and the Smithsonian Rock n’ Soul Museum. Spend your evenings on Beale Street, where W.C. Handy first penned the Blues music of the Mississippi Delta. You will find great food throughout the city, including mouth-watering Memphis barbecue. 

Stay three nights in Memphis 

Visit the Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library and learn the story of Nashville’s sit-in movement that served as a model for later demonstrations across the South. The walk to the Fifth Avenue Historic District, the location of a number of successful sit-ins, including Woolworth on 5th. Today Woolworth on 5th is a locally owned restaurant and entertainment venue, serving authentic soul food along with plenty of history. 

Known as ‘Music City’, Nashville’s music history goes back to the late 1700s, but is more recently associated with country music. Today you can hear all genres of music in the variety of venues in the city, from the back-street honky-tonks to the newly constructed Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Visit the homes and museums of music giants, dance to country sounds or take a trip on the Cumberland River.  

Stay two nights in Nashville

Drop off your car and fly home from Nashville.