The Southern States of America – Prologue

And we’re off. Well almost. Music will be at the forefront of our next trip as we head to the Southern States of America – sometimes referred to as The American South, or to make it brief, The South, or even more briefly, Dixie. 

Our first stop will be Nashville, the home of Country Music, and where would we be without mention of Dolly Parton? A visit will include a trip to the studio where she recorded ‘I will always love you’. We will see a show at the Grand Ole Opry – the venue famous for honouring Country Music and keeping its history alive.

From there we will head to Memphis for Blues, Soul and Rock ’n’ Roll, and of course we can’t miss the home of Elvis – Graceland.

We will then take in Natchez and a cotton plantation to find out about a more sombre side of history no doubt, before making our way to New Orleans to discover its music and cuisine, its French and Spanish architecture and get a taste of the vibrant nightlife. 

But why is The South called Dixie? There are several suggestions. One is that it was named after two British surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon who were commissioned to settle a long-established boundary dispute between the North and South. Their work involved surveying 233 miles of territory between Pennsylvania and Maryland during 1763-67. Along the way they placed milestones with a P on one side and an M on the other. This dividing line became known as the Mason-Dixon Line and territories beneath the line became know as The South, or Dixie.

No doubt we will discover more about this and so many other aspects. So all we can say is Ye-Ha, let’s bring it on. Hmmm… I wonder if I will be able to resist buying some cowboy boots.

Copyright words and images: Sue Barnard 2024