Some background: I’m flying into Memphis on Sunday 13/9. My latest plan was 3 nights in Memphis, followed by a day of driving that takes in Clarksdale and Tupelo and finishes in Nashville, followed by 2 more nights in Nashville. That gets me to Friday 18/9.
I aim to fly to NYC on 21/9, have 4 nights there and fly home to Australia on 25/9. I’ve deliberately left the weekend of 19-20 open in anticipation of seeing an NFL game that weekend.
But now that the NFL schedule’s been released, I’m not sure what to do. Here are what I see as my options. For all of them, I’m assuming I would stay in the city of the game on the Sunday night and fly to NY on Monday but I’m also open to the idea of going straight to the airport after the game. Also, I don’t mind which teams I see.
1. Stay in Nashville two more nights and go to the Texans @ Titans game.
2. Insert a stopover between Memphis and Nashville for 1 or 2 nights, so that I don’t arrive in Nashville until Friday, then still have 3 nights there and go to the Titans game.
3. Drive from Nashville to Atlanta on Saturday, or really early Sunday, and go to the Panthers @ Falcons.
4. Really turn things on their head and fly to NY on Saturday, or really early Sunday, and go to the Patriots @ Jets.
At the moment I’m leaning towards option 2, followed by 3, 1 & 4. But “where will I go, what will I do?”.
Is there somewhere worth spending a night or two, heading south from Memphis then back up and across to Nashville? I was thinking maybe I could follow the Mississippi River for a while, perhaps down to Vicksburg or even Natchez. Or is Jackson worth seeing? I’m primarily interested in music and history.
Alternatively, what’s the drive like from Nashville to Atlanta? Is there much to see along the way? If I head there early on the Saturday, are there one or two must-sees that I could cover that afternoon and evening?
Airfares from Nashville and Atlanta to NY seem comparable, so that’s not really a factor, although there are more direct flights from Atlanta.
I think I’m suffering from options overload. Help!
Titans, Falcons or ...
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I will just comment on the quality of the games that are available to you on that weekend
Patriots @ Jets or Panthers @ Falcons would be my choice because of the quality of the teams and the long standing rivalry.
Texans are an average team at best but they did play better towards the end of last season so perhaps they may be a better team this coming season.
Regardless which game you pick, you'll have fun.
Few years ago during my stay in Sydney I attended rugby match at the Olympic Stadium and I had a blast.
Agree with AAFF. The Pats @ Jets game will be your hardest tickets to get (more expensive, fewer available).
If you're going to drive down into MS, choose Natchez or Vicksburg over Jackson. Do not waste time going to Jackson.
Natchez is a long way down, though. If you are interested in music, you have to go to Clarksdale (which you're doing right?). Focus on the blues and visit the Delta Blues museum and the Ground Zero club, the crossroads, etc.
Thanks for the replies folks. I agree that looking at the actual games the Pats / Jets is probably the pick of them but while I'd love to maximise my NY time, I don't want to cut my time in the South too short. (sigh). But I think I just have to assume I'll enjoy any of the games, as AAFF suggests.
Cheryllj, I was originally going to just pass through Clarksdale - visit the Delta Blues Museum and the crossroads and keep going. Is there enough there to warrant a whole day? I'm assuming it has a decent music scene at night? I don't really have a feel for whether it's just a dot on the map or a "real" town.
I haven't been to Clarksdale in ages, but I think there is plenty to do for a day, especially for a blues fan. You had planned to skip the Ground Zero Club? I've never actually been, but people love it. And Clarksdale offers interesting accommodations.
www.shackupinn.com
If you plan on driving from Memphis to Nashville with quick stops in Clarksdale and Tupelo (to see the birthplace of the King, I imagine), you would have to really rush to see anything. That would be little more than a photo stop. But I don't want to discourage you from visiting Vicksburg or Natchez, because there are a lot of historical sites in both places.
www.visitthedelta.com - Lots of info about Clarksdale, Greenville, Vicksburg and other places in the MS Delta.